Bear’s medium is the message
I already shared a short post about why, in the year 2026, I decided to return to blogging. The natural follow up question is "Why Bear?"
Media theorist Marshall McLuhan is famous for claiming “the medium is the message.” In other words, the medium used to convey something is often just as important as what is being said. Additionally, the constraints of each medium end up shaping the message in a substantial way. This concept rings true. If you compared the same message being shared on YouTube, Instagram, via email, or on Bear, the form would change substantially across each channel.
After diving into the philosophy behind Bear, I realized that Bear represents much of what I miss in the modern internet.
- Privacy
- Simplicity
- Purpose
- A respect for readers, instead of treating them like hogs at the trough
Wordpress might power a large portion of the web, but the experience of actually publishing content and maintaining an endless number of plug-ins is exhausting.
And even as competitors like Medium, Substack, Ghost, etc., have gained momentum, their message is essentially "We're better for monetizing your words than the other guys."
Not to attack those sites, but if your primary value proposition is monetization, then that indicates what will—and will not—be prioritized as a result. You can't prioritize monetization and privacy at the same time. Or site speed. Or a constrained design. Something always has to give. The medium will win out.
I don't blame anyone for dreaming about a six figure blogging income, but how realistic is that dream at any time, and especially in 2026? How many times have I fallen into the trap of premature optimization, choosing to prioritize imagined future success that never arrives?
The only way I could justify starting a blog and spending time writing for it in 2026 was personal growth and reflection. For once I elected to skip the temptation to dream the impossible, choosing instead a medium that would help reinforce my values and beliefs rather than contradict them.
That medium (and message) was Bear.