This is It, I say ‘Goodbye’
(Author’s note: What you are about to read is written from the author’s perspective – the author being J.S. Webster. These are my experiences coupled with the experiences of others. I am angry and biased. That is why it angered me that the Town Hall Meeting did not get recorded or posted. I wanted you to see it and listen for yourselves. Unfortunately, I am uncertain if it will ever be available, so I won’t discuss what was said beyond my own questions and their responses. I apologize for the length, but every word needed to be written.)
Introducing the Dilemma
All change can be difficult, but most of the time it is necessary. Some types of transitions are unavoidable no matter how much you fight to return to a sense of normalcy. I have learned this hard fact dealing with Chronic Illness. Sometimes you must endure the pains of transformation to your life, so you can grow or just feel healthier.
I have been on Minds for four years. I just had my four-year anniversary a few weeks ago. When I arrived on Minds, I was like a lost dog trying to find his way home. Free speech was new to me. It was hardcore and a cultural shock to anyone that has lived in a bubble for years. I lived in a bubble, until I found Minds.
Minds was my breath of fresh air – that moment you breach the surface of the water after holding your breath for several seconds in the depths. You exhale and then inhale like it’s the first time you breathed oxygen. That was my first impression of free speech, and I have to thank Minds for that past experience.
Freedom has allotted me the ability to learn a great many things about others, and myself. I am the type of person that believes in self-reflection and personal growth, but for years I was trapped outside the spheres of engagement. On Minds, I had been willfully exposed to all manners of ideas and ideals, and I have changed immensely from that guy that stumbled onto Minds four years ago.
Rev, Doc, Holliday
Reverend Holliday will be remembered. Technically this pseudonym was just a shallow reflection of the immortal icon of Doc Holliday, but he and I shared so many uncanny similarities. A Southern gentleman and an outcast that could stand his ground and always protected his friends. I guess I idolized the scoundrel and preferred his image over others.
It was the best pseudonym, but I had to shed that skin. I unmasked because it was time to break out of that shell and be me. It was necessary, as is this final adieu. A required and inevitable change.
The beautiful thing is that I have already unmasked from that pseudonym. As a published author I have already embraced the transformations needed to ‘reinvent’ my social media persona. Now my writings are copywritten under my pen-name and attached to an established person – ME. Change was necessary, but I am moving forward.
Everything Changes
I have been contemplating leaving Minds because of the increasingly negative issues. For over three years I have tolerated the bugs/glitches, censorship, malicious trolls, token losses, and the bots, but I honestly think that I was just trying to avoid change. As much as I have touted the benefits of change, I did not want to leave Minds.
It’s time for a new direction because Minds has left me behind. It has left its base. I am certain that they will not miss me.
I understand that Minds is also a business. Businesses depend on financial stability and a steady income. Minds had to make a lot of difficult business decisions and many of those decisions have adversely affected the Minds community. Their ‘Pay to Play’ plan is outside of my financial purview, and since using tokens to boost content has become obsolete (for me) then what are my choices?
Pals, Friends, Community
Community was the only reason I stayed on Minds this long, when instinct told me to leave last year. Community – YOU are the reason I stayed. Many of you are dear to my heart – more than I can explain. You have opened my mind to impossibilities, breached that barrier within my subconscious, and unknowingly participated in molding me into a better man. I am a better human today because of the Minds community.
How can I repay your kindness by perpetuating lies? Their lies. Today I am posting this as my valediction. My final adieu. Minds betrayed its faithful. This happened a long time ago, but no one got the memo.
A memo – an interesting point. Why is that the Terms of Service seem to change on Minds all the time, but no one ever actually gets a notification of those changes? I have never received an email from Minds about TOS changes. Here’s an interesting article about this issue.
It is really not my place to speak of the recently departed, but Chris Madzier used to openly condemn the actions and changes on Minds. He wasn’t favored because of it, but people respected him and many listened. Here’s a link to his blog.
He had a lot to say about Minds too – he is now speaking beyond the grave. He wanted this shared – otherwise he would not have left it for others to see. Well, Chris, I am happy to have fulfilled your final wishes and post the blog that you couldn’t. You are sorely missed.
There are others here that have also sounded the whistle on the perpetual tsunami of garbage that has flooded this once beautiful platform of freedom and opportunity. I do not want to name names, but they know and I am certain they will acknowledge and agree with this blog. Many of them have been taking a stand against these problems for longer than me. Some of them stood with me recently, but to no avail. Our voices are not important.
The Townhall, The Oligarchy
It was the Minds Community that encouraged me to attend the recent Townhall meeting on May 19th, 2022. It was expressed that I could ask questions and it might actually change my mind. I attended and I queried, but I received the answers I expected. They provided the same answers and excuses I have heard for years.
Unfortunately, the powers that be ensured my decision to leave. Its ugly truth, but it’s time to go. Nothing can undo this decision now. Others are also leaving – part of that perpetual revolving door of great channels that have come and gone. Another one bites the dust.
I asked two questions during the Townhall meeting. One was about reporting channels for malicious conduct, threats of violence, and cyber-bullying. Lately there has been an open tolerance towards such conduct that has driven other channels off of Minds. The other question revolved around boosted content, and the fact that newsfeed boosts are being sent to the sidebar and that most of my boosts are rejected (60%-80%). I received the answers I expected.
Untouchable
I asked a baited question. I do this sometimes because I want other people to hear the truth. I was advised to report evidence of misconduct and harassment to ([email protected]). I was advised that Minds takes TOS violations very seriously.
Unfortunately, they were not honest. While I do believe that the new administrator, that spoke on behalf of Minds was sincere, he made a defense based on a lack of information and was not willing to listen to my elaborations. I received the exact response I expected.
I was previously in contact with a channel that has reported this type of activity for months. They have been harassed and targeted by a very malicious person on Minds. A malicious stalker that is notorious for his multinetwork of alts and boasts about doxing and bullying other channels. The victim in this incident has ceased her activity because nothing was done to help her.
She had sent evidence to the email address provided by Minds admin at the Townhall meeting. It included details and images concerning the bully’s threats of violence and constant harassment. The malicious channel that was reported for clear TOS violations is still active on Minds and is still targeting other channels. The person that complained is no longer active on Minds.
I was also targeted by this ‘bad actor’ and received an equally disturbing response. He made several personal threats against my safety and well-being, but this is not the first time my life has been threatened by internet ‘Warriors’. I don’t take internet threats seriously even from thugs that use doxing as a weapon. I don’t tolerate bullies, and anyone that goes around telling people that they are not welcome on the internet (or Minds), unless they are willing to be bullied, harassed, or threatened, deserves no quarter. I give none.
This was not the first cyber-stalker that has targeted me. When I first came to Minds, I got stalked and harassed by a very psychotic individual that not only made personal threats, but they kept the threats ongoing through multiple alts. I reported this crazed stalker, and the person was dealt with according to TOS.
That was in 2018, but they are back and actively attacking channels again. I also believe that this person was at the Town Hall meeting under an anonymous name harassing individuals in the chat room. A true show of cowardice, but I digress.
I have also shared these types of malicious activities privately and publicly. I chose private messages to administrators instead of emails because the emails from others were ignored. Many of these malicious trolls have been reported multiple times by multiple channels. I even made a ‘post’ concerning one of these very hateful malicious actors, but the post got flagged for ‘harassment’. I got flagged for harassment, but they got nothing.
These bad actors are emboldened by the fact that they appear untouchable, so they continue to harass, threaten, and dox other channels. Nothing has been done and nothing is being done to quell this bad behavior. That is unfortunate because these are the same bad actors that have been trying to destroy free speech on Minds. In my opinion, they are succeeding.
This was one of two questions I asked at the Town Meeting. The other question I asked, I will expound upon further on in this blog because it ties in with other issues. That topic is about boosting with tokens.
Expounding on Rumination
It is time to leave Minds, but I am not leaving Minds permanently. Not unless they ban me for this blog post (which I kind of expect because Minds does not like negative press or dissent). I am moving from Minds to other platforms. I will pop in from time to time - maybe I will share a post from Gettr or Gab or Truth, but I am not going to waste anymore of my time on a platform that no longer represents my interests.
I will be keeping my trove of tokens, like a dragon sitting on a hoard of treasure. I earned them and so I will not be giving them back. Since boosting is no longer a viable incentive, I will just keep my tokens stashed or maybe I will give them out to my friends. Maybe they’ll be worth enough one day to trade for a Skor bar or gallon of gasoline.
I do not make this decision lightly. As I previously said, I have been contemplating this judgment for years. Everything that has occurred has been part of the Minds’ agenda we were never privy too. Let’s be totally honest, my decision to leave is based on the scenario, and the excuses I have received.
Minds is a business – a business that wants to thrive and grow. A business that cannot thrive and grow on a low-income base especially in a declining economy. In social media that means catching bigger fish, but it also means releasing the smaller ones. The sad thing is that they used some of us smaller fish as bait to catch the bigger fish. The proper word for that is expendable.
I was a newbie at one time. Like I said – Minds was a breath of fresh air. I had high hopes for Minds. I invested in Minds and paid for a membership. I flew my Minds ‘flag’ daily and encouraged others to buy into the hype. Ask anyone that knows me – I was a Minds propagator and enthusiast. Was.
The Townhall was a waste of time. The clear reality is that Minds has changed and will never return to its original creation. Their excuses are the same, but their plans are what you should have focused your attention on if you had attended the meeting.
Don’t ignore the facts that they are openly moving forward without the channels that have been here through it all. The channels they promote now are the big fish - the ‘pay the right price to play’ channels. That is the future of Minds.
I am not against those that can afford the costs. I know way too many channels on Minds personally, that are really wonderful intelligent people. My beef is not with other customers, but with the company.
Funny, now it seems that the Townhall meeting had technical difficulties and the audio did not record. Now you will not be able to hear about the future of Minds or hear the answers to our bulldozing customer-related questions. Conveniently unfortunate.
Speech Suppression
In January of 2021 I predicted that negative changes would eventually come to Minds. Censorship on Minds actually started before 2021, but I was just not being honest with myself. Big Tech had already gone after the Free Speech platforms and had effectively destroyed sites like Parlor. Minds would eventually fall.
For Minds to remain on Apple/Google they had to make certain compromises. If you believe any differently then you need to pay attention to the reality of the situation. Gab refused to compromise – they had to rebuild without Apple, or Google, or Amazon. Gab stands alone as the most “1A” site you will ever find nowadays, but TBH no true ‘free speech’ site exists.
NSFW
All manners of speech are no longer welcome on Minds. Just ask any channel that has been censored into oblivion by that infamous NSFW label over their channels. But what is NSFW?
“Not Safe for Work” = NSFW. On iOS mobile devices you cannot view NSFW material. It’s a fact. It’s called censorship by Big Tech. Apple decides what its users can and cannot see based on a simple label that Minds frequently uses. These are recent changes – the last two years, but very authentic.
NSFW can only be accessed on the website, but not on iOS mobile apps. You cannot search and find these channels on iOS - unsearchable. This is called censorship.
This image above occurs every time I attempt to access an NSFW channel on Minds.com from my iOS device. It will not allow access to that channel. This is called censorship.
Besides, why are you scrolling on social media at work? That is the bigger question. Unless your entire business is operated through Minds, I am unsure why NSFW is anything more than an excuse to ban channels that Minds does not want on their platform. Especially channels that do not post illegal or illicit content!
Unfortunately, Minds is not consistent or authentic enough in their usages of the NSFW labels. Some speech they deem NSFW and some they do not. Consistency has never been their strong suit.
One channel can be banned for posting anti-Islamic images, but another can make threats of physical violence and cyber-bully without repercussions. Some channels can get labeled NSFW for posting bikini-clad females with guns, but other channels can freely post drawings of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts and its considered art. That’s the unfortunate reality.
Algorithms
What is an algorithm? According to this article, “Social networks prioritize which content a user sees in their feed first by the likelihood that they’ll actually want to see it. Before the switch to algorithms, most social media feeds displayed posts in reverse chronological order. In short, the newest posts from accounts a user followed showed up first.” Big Tech uses algorithms to censor and restrict speech.
A journalist, Jonathan Cook, describes his experience with algorithm censorship, “My blog posts once attracted tens of thousands of shares,” Cook writes. “Then, as the algorithms tightened, it became thousands. Now, as they throttle me further, shares can often be counted in the hundreds. ‘Going viral’ is a distant memory. I won’t be banned,” he adds. “I will fade incrementally, like a small star in the night sky — one among millions — gradually eclipsed as its neighboring suns grow ever bigger and brighter. I will disappear from view so slowly you won’t even notice.”
Another term for this is called “shadow banning”. While many Big Tech companies now openly ban accounts, groups, and people that speak against their views or agendas, the algorithms still exist to quietly ban certain types of speech. This is the future of Minds – that is the prize they are running after. Minds is becoming just like Big Tech because algorithms are their prized goal.
You will know you are shadow banned the moment when you realize that there has been a sudden and immediate lack of engagement. When no one is commenting or engaging on your creative content, and your analytics show a clear decrease in activity. This is called evidence of the Algorithm. Or is it something more nefarious?
I can only conclude that regulated censorship has reached Minds in the forms of NSFW and ‘shadow banning’. Shadow banning has reached my doorstep. Whether through algorithms or an open response to my verbal discontent about the platform, it is happening daily. It is enough for me to walk out the door.
I have seen it also with channels I subscribe too. I have seen their views dwindle to nothing in spite of their huge popularity. Tell me how a channel with 7K-10K subs gets only 22 views for an image they posted 8 hours prior? Algorithm or shadow banned?
Minds will deny it. They are the ones that control the narrative and the system. All I can do is show the evidence of their attempts to silence dissent.
Boosting Misery
NSFW and Algorithms are not the only tools of suppression. Let’s look at Boosting. Boosting is Minds advertising. It is not exactly free either. Boosts cost tokens, and tokens must be earned or purchased.
A one token boost will earn you 1000 views. In 2018 you could boost multiple posts for unlimited tokens, but in 2019 boosting became limited to 5 tokens per day. Since 2019, the ability to boost content has become more complicated.
Nowadays, boosts sometimes require waiting for days or even longer before they are approved. Approvals are not guaranteed. If you are planning to release new content or a promotion for some upcoming project, and you are depending on Minds boosted advertisements, you will be sorely disappointed.
Minds rejects 60-80% of my boosts. My complaints about this have always received the same response – ‘I should be grateful’. Minds tells me I should be grateful for having my boosts rejected. Where have I heard this before? You will have nothing and be happy.
I should be grateful for NSFW. I should be grateful for algorithms. I should be grateful that more than half of my boosts get rejected.
I left Facebook and got banned from Twitter due to censorship. I just wanted to speak my mind – to post what I wanted. I swore I would stay on Minds until they started acting like Zuckerberg or Dorsey. Are we there yet? I will let you decide.
We all know the sins of Facebook and Twitter. That’s what censorship does - it silences dissent. The reality is that I am uncertain that too many people will actually see this, so I must depend on others to share it. Please Remind this if you read it. Some of you I have warned and will warn to stay clear.
I have always tried to help people and show them the truth, so today is no different. I want YOU to see what I have to show you. Make your own conclusions.
When it comes to speaking my Mind or making legitimate complaints, I’ve learned that I’m not a human carpet and I don’t tolerate bullies. I came to Minds to post what I want without administrative repercussions even if that meant speaking out against Minds. Let us be fair here – Minds is not exactly the best social media site or the most functional, but it has been my home for four years. I was a loyal acolyte.
Anomaly or a Dupe?
I recently paid a creator to make a ‘video promo’ for my book. I boosted this video on a Friday evening (March 25th, 2022). This was a time sensitive boost I was depending on. The same day I posted the video, I boosted it for 5 tokens (5K views) because I was hoping that the boost would take effect over the weekend. It did not get approved until after the weekend and until Tuesday (the 29th). This was disappointing enough, but not the worst of the issue.
The remarkable yet clear anomaly that occurred after this boost’s approval was that the boost ended on the Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 (the next day) as having 5K views. When I looked at the analytics of that same day it says this post (that has now had over 7.8k views since then) has actually only had a total of 1154 views. I normally suck at Math, but it does not take a genius to see that these numbers do not add up.
It also did not make much sense that my promo could get 5K views in less than 24 hours when on average it takes usually a week to get that many views. This of course makes sense when you look at the actual views that the post earned. I use the term “anomaly” loosely considering what I have already observed and listed.
Breaking News!
On another note: this information was mysteriously unavailable to me on my analytics until today. It was disconcerting because the data went missing after I took screenshots. I tried to access it when I started writing this blog, but it was gone. Today I opened the analytics to see if I could access this information and it appears to have been updated and changed. Now it says the video received 7.31k views. Still not accurate, but definitely suspicious.
Strange how that works. I only told a few people about this anomaly in private messages. You know I have also heard that Minds admin can access our PMs and read our encrypted messages. I don’t know if that is true or not, but it gives me pause. It is that or I trusted the wrong people with this information. There are some greedy sycophants that would sell out their own mothers for a kickback on this platform. Either way, someone is trying to cover their butts.
The Sidebar
This boosting problem also seems to be attached to the fact that Newsfeed posts are now placed onto the Sidebar and its random. There is no choice, and unless you are paying attention you may actually be sending your newsfeed posts to the sidebar. This of course contradicts what I was told in the Townhall meeting when I inquired about the problems with boosting.
As you can see from the image that my attempts to boost a promo video has no other options than to boost to the Sidebar. I am assuming this is why the boost only lasted a day, though it does not explain the ‘numbers anomaly’. That was a waste of five tokens and I had no idea it was going to the sidebar. I would not have tried to boost it if I knew it would ONLY go to the sidebar.
A Sidebar boost is like a Pinned post that you pay for and it stays posted on the website’s homepage. Anyone that visits the website will see the pin. The Sidebar was previously used only for BLOGS and Channel boosting, not newsfeed posts. Sidebar does not get much exposure and you cannot count the views like you can in the Newsfeed. I don’t use it, unless I write a blog. Even then I depend on my readers to Remind my blogs. Unless you are willing to drop a lot of tokens or cash into that option, you won’t get any exposure on the sidebar.
At the Town Hall meeting, I was assured that my newsfeed boosts would never be put on the sidebar. According to the above image, that it is not correct. These three boosts were newsfeed boosts that ended up on the sidebar. One is a book promotion.
No Dissent
This image got me in trouble. That is called ‘stirring the pot’, and proved once again that I am a master chef. It is easy to trigger people when you know their soft spots, and I’m fast on pulling those triggers.
Unfortunately, it seems that we (Minds and I) do not agree on the merits of ‘free speech’. You can’t speak against Minds without retaliation. What is the point of a social media business that promotes free speech, but does not allow dissent?
Yes, I stir the pot, but I also welcome dissent. I post what I want and if it offends your weakness then we can talk about it. Let us discuss why my words and opinions hurt your feelings. Isn’t that the purpose of open debate and free speech?
I have seen all manners of censorship first hand for years. People are being banned and censored, and it happens on many platforms that espouse free speech. They do not talk about it openly and they will deny it when it happens, but if you confront the issue they will eventually confess or they will censor you off the platform.
Censorship silences dissent. It shuts up the viable complaints. It prevents objective and subjective disagreement. Censorship tells you that your opinions and ideas are dangerous. Mostly it tells you everything that you need to know about an individual or business that espouses freedom, but silences disagreement and those that complain. Anyone that defends censorship, yet espouses free speech is a hypocrite.
Faux Free
Minds channels have been banned or permanently labeled NSFW for speech. Not for porn or some other nefarious activity, but for speaking against religion or ideologies or against Minds. I have advocated on behest of channels that got permanently censored by Minds. These are facts that can be corroborated by those channels. Many of those NSFW have since left Minds and relocated to other free speech sites.
I have spent years defending and tolerating the glitches and bugs, the poor customer service, the unannounced changes to TOS, and the unusual intolerance Minds has towards some types of speech. I have been active here for four years – almost every day I have used Minds to build my channel. I built a following here of loyal and faithful subscribers only to see many of them disappear through the terrible turnover rate or because they were mysteriously removed from my subscription list.
I had between 5k-6k subscribers at one time. I know that I have been un-subscribed to channels I have been following for years and without my knowledge. This also did not just happen to me. Apparently, there was a glitch or something that magically erased thousands of my subscribers. Or they actually left Minds because they could not tolerate the problems. Or maybe they got canceled from glitches?
“We’re working on it.”
All attempts to rectify the bugs and glitches ends with accusations or excuses. Accusations - “That does not happen on Minds” - or excuses - “We’re working on it.” Minds admin does not appreciate complaints about the bugs. After four years, you would think that the bugs and glitches would be fixed, but I think these anomalies are sometimes purposeful. Like the bots that steal paying customer’s tokens (that’s a whole different can of worms to discuss).
It would take several pages to name all the bugs, glitches, and anomalies that have occurred on Minds in four years. Between notification bugs (experiencing that again), comments and posts magically disappearing and then reappearing, inability to access old posts, the inability to post images, movies, or gifs, and many more delightful issues. The list can go on and on, but I am not going to drag you through it.
Most of you are probably thinking about those bugs right now because every single one of you reading this has experienced Bethesda Social. Bethesda games are buggy, but great platform games. They are fun to play, but constantly crash or glitch out. Hence the name ‘Bethesda Social’. While we love Minds, the bugs are everywhere. (BTW: Minds admin do not respond well to that ‘pet name’, so don’t use it around them).
Despite the bugs, I was loyal to Minds. My loyalty received nothing but a ‘Dear John’ letter with no return address. Now, I’m a Denis Leary song.
Through Their Eyes
I try to empathize with people. Minds is a family business and one that the Ottman family built together. It is their business and their future. Something they will probably pass on to their children. They have a lot to lose, so I can empathize with ‘why’ they discourage dissent.
I am not trying to burn down Minds or cause a mass exodus. I don’t anyone leaving because I am angry at how I have been treated. This is not my intention.
My intention is to make people aware of the problems and my situation. I post what I want because ‘freedom of speech’. I can’t make people do anything beyond what they choose to do, and I try to keep people out of my personal conflicts because it is my fight and I don’t need anyone fighting my battles. But I also won’t be silenced.
I won’t be bullied. I won’t be bribed. I am uncompromising especially when lines are crossed and promises are broken. I am the guy you pass by and pay no mind, or make your greatest ally. You do not want me as an enemy.
This is a business with customers. Customers have a right to complain about poor service or questionable practices. No, we do not have to do business with poorly run companies. We can take our money elsewhere. I will.
We are being misled about many things, but at the Town Hall a lot of those hidden agendas came out. A lot made sense after the meeting ended. It connected the dots, but now it is not available for you to watch. That is convenient and unfortunate.
Plus is Useless
One of my close friends attended the Town Hall, and made legitimate complaints against the platform and Minds Plus. She asked some very difficult questions that received inconclusive answers. She plans to share her thoughts on these topics in her own words.
Customers have a right to make complaints about services not rendered. Even if the customer is using a service that is ‘free’, they still have a right to complain. This Town Hall meeting was an open invitation by Minds administrators to ask questions and provide feedback. She did nothing wrong.
Since that meeting, she has been called a “fake c**t”, a “Karen bulldozer”, and she has been targeted by multiple malicious trolls. Targeted harassment. Welcome to retaliation. Minds does not tolerate dissent.
It is ironic actually. I used to be one of the biggest proponents of going Plus. I looked at Plus like the ideal VIP service of Minds. That was years ago – that is when the service started to change for the worse and the ability to earn tokens completely disappeared.
I used to rake in tokens as a Plus member – on average I could earn 5-10 tokens on an active day. Now an active day awards me an average of .05 if I am lucky. There is a reason for that loss of earnings. Everything changed, but the changes are still coming.
Then the cost of membership rose to some ridiculously high fee that no one could ever earn back. Minds has made it literally impossible to earn back what you pay into Minds unless you go Pro. That is the future of Minds – the future that was discussed in the Town Hall meeting. The ‘pay to play’ future of Minds.
Blame It On a Glitch
If Minds was not a business and I was not a paying customer, I would not have much to complain about, would I? Problem is that I was a paying customer that was deeply wronged. My membership was canceled for no understandable or excusable reason, and I was offered no ability to contend my cancelation or renew my membership.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? “Sorry for the inconvenience.” They even used the same words.
Hey, sorry, Rev. One of those glitches you have been complaining about for three years canceled your account during an update. Here’s your severance pay. Sorry for the inconvenience, but don’t try to dispute this or contact us because we really don’t want your business. Signed ‘no-reply’.
I can tell you that it is hard to ban a channel like mine. I stir the pot, but I don’t break the rules often enough to get banned. You have to find other ways to censor or ban people like me. Like canceling my membership and blaming it on an ‘update’ glitch.
They offered no substitutes or reprieves beyond a refund and a ‘free’ ten months. I was not asked to renew my membership. That is why they sent me a message from a ‘no-reply’ account. That was the end of my channel – that day was the catalyst that led me to this point.
Not only was my channel canceled, but the censorship started around that same time. The quiet shadow banning of my channel. That is when I started noticing difference in my analytics, boosts, and engagement. The slow fall.
I am not alone in this, and this did not just happen to me. Complaining about Minds is a sure way to end your channel. Considering they have already sealed my fate, why would I not write this blog?
I have made several complaints in the last few years. I have complained about the Plus service and the ongoing theft of tokens from paying accounts (Plus and Pro). I made realistic protests about malicious trolls, active pedophiles, and cyber stalkers. I have also complained about how Minds ignores its ‘old timers’ like me that have been active on Minds for years. I am not the only person that has voiced my complaints.
Those protests have been shunned or ignored. I have heard excuses, but no solutions. This also seems to have put me into a bad light with this administration. Do I not have a right to complain? Am I not customer? Nope not anymore, Doc. We canceled your account.
My Book Sales
I published a fictional horror novel and I have sold a moderate number of copies of my eBook. The majority of my book sales have occurred through marketing on Minds. Most of my fans are on Minds.com. They are part of my subscription base and a community of creators and friends. Walking away from Minds is not viable for me as an author. What choice have they left me if I cannot market my book?
Minds has rejected the majority of my posts or “anomalies” have affected my boosts. I have made most of my sales on Minds. I make sales through engagement and promos. Any creator on Minds with a Plus account and a pile of tokens should be receiving maximum exposure. At least I thought that was how Plus and boosting worked.
I am using tokens I previously earned to boost my content. Tokens I EARNED in 4 years. How can I use tokens to advertise, if Minds rejects most of my content? I am tired of hearing that boosts are limited because I am looking at the analytics and only about 20%-40% of my boosts get approved! I am tired of being told, “You should be grateful when your boosts are rejected.”
Is that like being thankful for being canceled? I should be grateful for when they decide what I can and cannot say. I should be grateful when they reject my marketing promos, sidebar my videos ads, or silence my dissent? I should be grateful for being shunned as a paying customer when I have not violated any rules?
An Ever-Changing Life
I have friends here on Minds that have implored me not to leave. I am thankful for them and this community. You are the reasons I stayed. I am grateful for the relationships I have forged over these last few years, and the impact that many of you have had upon my life. Some of you are the most intellectually inspiring people I have ever known although I have not met any of you in person. You are all daisies.
After four years of loyalty and being an active member of Minds Plus, I will be leaving Minds for greener pastures. I will be keeping my channel, but only posting promos from time to time. Minds no longer supports my interests as a writer or contributor. Minds holds no loyalty to its base especially not to people that speak in opposition against their future plans, product faults, or poor customer service.
For those of you that are still interested in following me, I hope we can stay in contact. I will be moving most of my content to Gab, Truth Social, and Gettr. Links are located in my bio, so you can follow me there. I cannot in good conscience stay in a place that treats its customers as poorly as Minds. I have lost faith in this company, and the inauthenticity of its team.
You may go now.
- Reverend Holliday aka J.S. Webster