Posts are no longer paywalled

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Dear Oversharing readers,

Last year I said that, after a decade in journalism, I was switching my focus to policy work on the same issues that form the core of this newsletter: safer streets, smarter cities, more just labor and technology practices. I want to solve problems rather than write about them.

Over the past few months I’ve been taking steps to make that happen. I made a website (finally redeeming one of those podcast Squarespace promo codes—thanks Criminal). Please check it out here. The photo is by my talented and brilliant friend Emilie, who, in addition to receiving honorable mention in this year’s hyper-competitive Oscars’ pool, nailed the brief of “a photo of me on my bike looking chic and urban-designy.”

Let’s work together

I’m now available to consult on a project basis for research, reports, speaking, and policy solutions. If you need something researched, written, investigated, or approached from a fresh perspective in the worlds of digital technology, sustainable urbanism, transportation, and of course the gig economy, please reach out through this newsletter or the contact form on my website.

A chic urban-designy photo of me by my friend Emilie.

I’ve also thought more about what to do with Oversharing, and decided the best way forward is to remove the paywall from all posts, past and future, while keeping a paid option available for people who want to support my work.

I’m a paying subscriber, what does this mean for me?

If you’d like a pro-rated refund, please get in touch. If you choose to continue your subscription for now, thank you so much for your support, it means the world to me.

I’m a free reader, what is changing?

All posts going forward will be free to everyone. I am also in the process of removing the paywall from the archives, but this will take time as it requires manually updating each post published behind the paywall.

If everything is free, why would I pay?

It’s become clear to me over the past year that Oversharing is not aligned with a paywall. This space is better when it starts with the organic joy of having something to say rather than the mandate to create content for a paying audience. My goal in taking down the paywall is to reclaim that joy, and I would invite you to view a subscription as the same. Instead of paying for access, you’re contributing to the joy of getting Oversharing in your inbox and the joy I put into writing it.

What does it cost?

I’ve set the prices for paid subscriptions at the minimum Substack allows: $5 a month or $30 a year. Think of it as buying me a coffee once a month, or a decent-ish bottle of wine once a year. Or think of it as a small way of saying, Ali, I really love Oversharing, I hope you keep writing it, and I want to be part of making that happen.

Can I support Oversharing without subscribing?

Absolutely! While a subscription is the highest form of praise, you can also support the newsletter by sharing it with a friend, leaving a comment, sending in thoughts and tips, and hitting the heart-shaped ‘like’ button on posts.

More soon,

Ali