To me, it seems like they're simply a monetised version of Tumblr, without the newfound censorship that all the other social media companies somehow have to hav

To me, it seems like they're simply a monetised version of Tumblr, without the newfound censorship that all the other social media companies somehow have to have. I really don't get the whole email thing, though. Newsletters are kinda super annoying to signup for, and then to receive. I've tried the Substack version, and I still don't get it. Even though I do love the mailing lists, but that's not the same as the newsletters.