Why I moved to Ghost

Same newsletter, new digs!

~this week in security~ has been running for more than seven years. But thanks to Ghost, a platform for newsletters and blogging, ~this week in security~ now has a more permanent presence on the web. I wanted to explain why I made the move.

When this newsletter launched in 2018, it began as a humble weekly email blast sent via a simple newsletter maker called Tinyletter. Soon after, I migrated to Mailchimp as it allowed me to send newsletters out without any email opens or link tracking. While most newsletters collect this information, my newsletter does not. Aside from the obvious that this is a security and privacy focused newsletter, it's also important to me that I don't collect information that I don't need.

I also learned a valuable lesson, as Tinyletter eventually shut down. The decisions about where you host (or send out) your content matters. The things you work on can shut down or disappear almost overnight.

As I approached the seven year anniversary mark earlier this year, I put out a reader survey to ask how I could serve you better. I received hundreds of responses, including detailed comments, feedback, support, and ideas. The overwhelming message I heard from you was: We love this, and we want more.

So, this is the start of something more.

The benefits of Ghost

Ghost consolidates my back catalog of newsletters under one roof. This allows the seven-plus years of back issues to live on, while offering more, from blogs and analysis, to Q&As and interviews, without collecting any unnecessary data like email opens or link clicks.

This move to Ghost also ensures the long-term health and sustainability of ~this week in security~, from which I have never taken a salary.

If you're a free subscriber and interested in signing up for more insights from the week and other exclusive benefits, please consider a paid subscription.

As my way of saying thanks to the subscribers who signed up for swag on Ko-fi, you now have automatic access to the site.

You don't need a password to sign in, making that less information to leak or get breached if the worst ever happens. Just use the email address you used to sign up for the newsletter (or via Ko-fi) and you'll get a sign-in link sent to you.

If you prefer to use an email hiding service (also known as an email relay), that is totally fine to use, even actively encouraged!

Winding down Ko-fi

Your generosity and contributions through my Ko-fi page allowed me to keep this newsletter free and weekly. It has been a joy to send out mugs and stickers to all corners of the world, from Alaska to Australia.

As part of this migration, my Ko-fi page will wind down by the end of the year, and I will be phasing out swag. (So get your swag now, before it becomes vintage!) No action is needed for now. 

If I emailed you already about your Ko-fi subscription migrating to Ghost, you're already good to go.

Otherwise, you are likely subscribed to Ko-fi using PayPal. Ghost does not support PayPal, and as such I won't be able to support PayPal when I close Ko-fi at the end of the year. Please make plans to move your subscription over to Ghost by selecting a tier in the account portal.

Your monthly payments will continue as they have been — unless you decide to change or cancel your payment. You can stay subscribed to the newsletter if you wish, of course. 

Final thoughts

The decision to paywall the majority of my blog content was a tough one, but necessary at a time when journalists are having their work and reporting scraped by bots, plagiarized, and summarized (often incorrectly) by AI. Putting in a paywall helps to protect the integrity of my work, which I stake my reputation on. 

Having moved to Ghost, I can say I'm thrilled with the decision and switchover. 

It was a seamless migration, and my thanks to Cathy Sarisky of Spectral Web Services, who built and coded this site to make it look as refined and beautiful as it is. Cathy was a brilliant partner to work with in bringing ~this week in security~ to the web, and I highly recommend Cathy's work.

I'm excited to start publishing. Let's go!