Chris TrottierNov 20, 2022
Donald Trump's account is being re-instated on Twitter! https://www.reuters.com/technology/musks-twitter-poll-showing-narrow-majority-want-trump-reinstated-2022-11-20/
Trump snubs Twitter after Musk announces reactivation of ex-president's account

Donald Trump on Saturday said he had no interest in returning to Twitter even as a slim majority voted in favor of reinstating the former U.S. president, who was banned from the social media service for inciting violence, in a poll organized by new owner Elon Musk.

Reuters
Show threadChris TrottierNov 20, 2022

This means two things which immediately affect the Fediverse:

1. Should Twitter survive (it won't), it will be a home for the Fascist-in-Chief
2. Trump is clearly giving up on Truth Social -- this is a warning to everyone trying to build a walled garden with Fediverse software

Show threadChris TrottierNov 20, 2022
In the off-chance you're considering a return to Twitter: a return to Twitter is a vote for Fascism.
Show threadmidwayNov 20, 2022
@atomicpoet I say this as someone who has never had and has no intention to ever have a Twitter account and have zero concern if it lives or dies. No dog in that fight whatsoever. Same with Trump. Never voted for him and have no dog in that fight either. This is preposterous. One can use a product without agreeing with everyone else who uses it. I mean you are here and from reading your threads it’s clear there are people here with whom you do not agree. Same with Reddit. And that’s fine. Using a site is not an endorsement of everyone on it. There are actual fascists right here on the Fediverse. Just ignore them and move on with your day. Same with Twitter. Use it if you want. Or don’t. But using it is not supporting every user on the site. People use services like this for all sorts of reasons. If your goal is to mainstream the Fediverse, assigning intentions to people and trying to inflict guilt on them based on your assigned intentions isn’t a good way to do that.
Show threadChris TrottierNov 20, 2022
@midway I disagree for many reasons, most of which is that the structure of Big Social lends itself to Fascism. I've written about this elsewhere. Not hunting that thread down, but I've said it.
Show threadmidwayNov 20, 2022
@atomicpoet So you’ve left Reddit then?
Show threadChris Trottier
@midway I have all the powers of moderation on Reddit.
Nov 20, 2022 at 2:00amWeb
Show threadmidwayNov 20, 2022
@atomicpoet But by your own stance Reddit is inevitable fascist and you are voting for it. Now I don’t think that which is my point.
Show threadChris TrottierNov 20, 2022

@midway Let me be clear. It's taken me a long time to get off Big Social, but I've taken significant steps. I closed all my Meta-owned social accounts in 2018. I closed my Twitter account two weeks ago.

Reddit is going in a direction I don't like, and I will probably leave but what makes it *somewhat* allowable to me is that, at least on my subreddits, I can build a community that I like.

Nevertheless, this is a consideration and I'm moving towards this.

Show threadmidwayNov 20, 2022
@atomicpoet That’s fine. Honestly it’s fine either way from me. Do what you like and what serves you. But others get to do the same and they aren’t bad people just for making different decisions than you or I would make. I agree with a lot of what you say, and even when I don’t I find your stuff interesting which is why I follow. That’s my approach on all of these platforms. What I don’t like is when platforms make those decisions for me. That’s my biggest issue with Big Tech. Some I tolerate more than others. I too have a Reddit account, for example and a long dormant Facebook account as well as LinkedIn which I don’t post much of anything but the contacts have been useful but never did Twitter, and most of the others. Everyone can make those decisions based on their own reasons and that’s ok. No reason to publicly shame people of these decisions by assuming their motivations.