Artifact introduces new feature allowing users to follow individual writers

The Artifact app has just introduced a new feature that allows users to follow their favorite writers. This new feature ensures that users never miss any content from their favorite writers, as their articles will be prioritized in a user's feed. Following a writer is as easy as following someone on any other social media platform.

Writers can claim their profiles on Artifact and control how they are displayed on the platform. Claiming a profile also gives writers access to special insights and data about their content. Verified writers who claim their profiles receive a verified checkmark, indicating to users that they are seeing the real writer in comments and search (This will work kinda like the old verified account system from X). This checkmark also allows verified writers to receive special notifications, such as when their story is linked in other stories or when other writers follow them.

Artifact's goal is to give users more control over their experience on the platform, and this new feature is the first step in that direction. The ability to follow writers addresses a common problem in the world of news aggregation, where it can be difficult to consistently find and follow your favorite writers. Users can manage who they follow from their profile, giving them full control over their feed.

Despite facing competition from other platforms like Substack with their recently launched Substack Notes service, and Bluesky from the original founder of Twitter, Artifact's new feature to follow writers gives it an edge in the market, attracting lapsed X users. Overall, Artifact's vision is to continue giving users more control over their experience on the platform and ensures that they never miss any content from their favorite writers.

Our take: Artifact is becoming an excellent alternative to platforms like Twitter, where you can get news that is particularly focused on your interests, without the paywalls of more specialized platforms like Substack. The platform's constant pace of updates is admirable, so I recommend taking a look because it is an alternative that is worth it.