Whatever I think about Trump, his politics, Jan 6 — I have opinions, everybody has opinions, I wrote a book if you want to read it — is not really the point here. It’s what the decision to me says about what the business model of Twitter is.

Twitter works as a business, if it does, by engaging you. And often, it engages you by inciting emotion. Largely negative emotions. Anxiety, anger, FOMO, outrage, contempt, glee. 2/

People will tweet about the tweets, and reply to them, and QT to dunk on them or to crow over them. Because Twitter has gotten them to decide that they are soldiers in a daily war over the discourse, lobbing little word grenades of righteousness. They are OBLIGATED, in their minds, not to cede the field, or else the wrong people win.

But every word grenade, every reply and dunk and crow, will make a little cash register ring. 4/

Even before getting Trump back, Elon himself has taken on the role of the site’s main character, creating chaos, inciting the crowd, fueling a battle between the fanboys and haters.

I mean, he may also mean all his shit about free speech and the public square. I’m not a mind reader. 5/

But sincere or trolling, the effect is the same. It’s the working of a system that generates money by getting you to feel bad, a lot of the time—to lash out at whoever made you feel bad, to look for something to feel good about, to find a community of people to feel bad together with.

Why do I want to give anyone that power over me? Why does anyone? What happens if, maybe we just don’t go along with it? I would like to find out. /end /sorry

@poniewozik

Yeah, I am really not looking forward to watching endless reporters chase stories that are reactions to [whatever trump tweeted today]

Good lord, what a massive waste that was of oxygen, electrons, carbon, and the human spirit