I find it weird but I am having trouble putting it into words. I “follow” people I don’t necessarily agree with, so I like to think I subscribe to their content because I still value their perspective but don’t particular “follow” them as in a leader-follower dynamic. Of course words have multiple meanings depending on the context. I am probably splitting hairs to would love to see others perspectives around this probably insignificant difference.
Subscriber to me seems less loaded than the word follower, whose counterpart is just publisher.