Introduction to a Vocalite Manifesto

Greetings!

Over the past few months I've joked with some fellow creators in comment threads about adding concerns to my hypothetical Vocalite manifesto. Well, it is no longer a hypothetical.

Before I go any further I want to emphasize something: I love Vocal. I love the platform and I love the community that's been created here. I believe the Vocal Team works really hard and I'm so grateful for all that they do to provide such a wonderful space to publish creative work.

The support and friendship I've received from fellow creators on Vocal has been an incredible blessing. There are so many amazing writers here and the stories woven from our hearts and heads connect us to one another in such a beautiful way. That's the lifeblood of the platform: Real writers. Real artists. Real people.

The Challenges hosted by Vocal and other creators have pushed me to write things that I never would have attempted without the push. I've written some pieces that I'm really proud of in this past year and a half. And I have Vocal to thank for that.

Vocal has been such a source of joy for me and I know it has been for others too. But as with other sources of joy found within our broken world, there are also frustrations and imperfections. I do have some concerns with aspects of the Vocal platform. Some of these concerns may just be issues of personal preference, but I do think some are objective problems that should be addressed.

So I've written a Vocalite manifesto. Its aim is to not only identify problems, but suggest solutions. And ultimately to spark consideration of other solutions beyond the proposals of one creator.

I'm publishing this manifesto in multiple parts because I've got a lot of thoughts and I'm hoping at least one part catches Vocal's attention. But if not maybe it will inspire some more community dialogue that can help lead to some changes that I believe many of us want.

These pieces are definitely my own personal opinions so I invite you to respond with pushback to any of the ideas I put forth. I believe there are some ways Vocal could be improved, but I don't want it to be based solely on the observations and insights of me, myself, and I! So please weigh in if you have thoughts to share. I hope to conclude this series with a piece highlighting ideas in the comments of other Creators that challenge mine, offer alternative views, or address issues I've neglected!

Part 2: The Vocal Leaderboard

Part 3: Vocal Challenges

Part 4: Vocal Top Stories

Part 5: Vocal AI Policy

Part 6: Conclusion