>This means Substack writers aren't likely to be at the top of their field - they're just good at writing and they write consistently. One could easily argue t

>This means Substack writers aren't likely to be at the top of their field - they're just good at writing and they write consistently. One could easily argue the same argument about those "in the top of their field". In some big western countries (at least one) social and fundraising skills is as much a contributor to being "in the top" while in other countries or areas of expertise it is the ability to spew out papers. Rarely are "the top of the field" equal to "the best in their field". I'd even argue sharing knowledge like you did for free for everyone is a plus towards "top of the field" while not doing it is a negative. The most important part of knowledge is for it to be shared, freely, not held ransom for fundraising or better pay as happens all too often. I'm glad that GDPR keeps the grubby hands that vie for my personal info at least a bit out of reach these days. All that has changed is that you could no longer swap out your visitors information (which most back then nor today hardly understand the concept of) for a paycheck. The knowledge wasn't shared for free - someone else paid the bill - often with no knowledge, understanding or choice.