Don’t Kick the Underdogs

John Gruber (Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads):

I agree wholeheartedly with the headline, but if you own your website, why would you code it to cover the bottom third of the page, including all article text, with a newsletter signup popover form? I see this on my first visit and I close the tab and move on.

I’m really torn about this. If all the big players fight dirty, should the underdog fight dirty too?

Is it okay for indie websites to show a “Sign up for my newsletter!” popup because the big sites are doing it? Is it okay for indie apps to show a “Please rate me!” prompt because the big apps are doing it? (I don’t have those in my apps, and surprise, their ratings are terrible.)

You can point to some established websites and say, “They got to where they are without using any of these tricks.” But they started their websites when there wasn’t as much spam, AI slop, and SEO content farms. They made their bones when we were out with cheerleaders.

So, is it fair to judge indie creators who are trying to make it in this tough environment? They’re not trying to be sneaky, they’re just doing what they need to survive. I say maybe we cut them some slack.¹