Jelani CobbNov 27, 2022

“To the extent that people remain active on Twitter, they preserve the viability of Musk’s gambit. The illusory sense of community that still lingers on the platform is one of Musk’s most significant assets. No matter which side prevails, the true victor in any war is the person selling weapons to both sides.”

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-i-quit-elon-musks-twitter

Why I Quit Elon Musk’s Twitter

Jelani Cobb writes about his recent decision to quit Elon Musk’s Twitter, a social-media platform that once represented the new frontier of digital democracy.

The New Yorker
Show threadClaes de Vreese ☑️Nov 27, 2022
@Jelaniya @Chanders I think this will be a core issue in the coming weeks. The migration is happening. The first transaction costs were met by many. But going full in and leaving twitter feels like a risk and potentially a real loss to many who spent time building a community. The long game is the real challenge.
Show threadJelani CobbNov 27, 2022
@claesdevreese @Chanders Yeah but it’s like a rental community. The emotional attachment to the place may be significant but you’re really subject to the prerogatives of the landlord. In this case the new landlord is a real genital. Eventually the place will get so run down you’ll have to move on.
Show threadElle Smith
@Jelaniya @claesdevreese @Chanders I follow, communicate with, and donate to small nonprofits in places other than the US (my home), as well as brave isolated people who help others or who need help themselves. These communities will be the real losers: some of them use Twitter to survive. It’s difficult to leave them and to watch them lose an urgently source of money. I’m not disputing that Twitter is done, but it’s easy for some of us to move on.
Nov 27, 2022 at 1:21pmWeb
Show threadElle SmithNov 27, 2022
@Jelaniya @claesdevreese @Chanders meant to say not easy
Show threadProkofyNov 27, 2022
@ElleSmith @Jelaniya @claesdevreese @Chanders That's a very good point, the *utility* part is half functioning even if the social ambience part is now so awful. The war in Ukraine is not covered here, but there, and on Facebook and Telegram. A few accounts including UA gov spokes people and OSINT are here, but people fighting a war (and for us all) can't be expected to be jiggering with balky interfaces and problems moving lists and herding cats. That will be one big test, if Ukraine moves here
Show threadC.D. LewisNov 27, 2022
@prokofy @ElleSmith @Jelaniya @claesdevreese @Chanders I’ve already found some folks covering #Ukraine here. I’m hopeful more will arrive. One thing I’ve discovered is that when I search the hashtags of towns where I want news I don’t primarily find paid bot accounts repeating Kremlin propaganda excusing or promoting war crimes.
Show threadOldandCrankyNov 27, 2022
@ElleSmith @Jelaniya @claesdevreese @Chanders good point! I’m so conflicted.
Show threadSunRainSunNov 27, 2022
@ElleSmith @Jelaniya @claesdevreese @Chanders it’s true. I follow a lot of accounts like that. Also I still think there needs to be voices against what is happened. Just like when trump was first elected. Twitter was a mess lots of neo Nazis etc. a lot of us kept speaking truth to power. I’m def conflicted. Met so many amazing people there. Lots are not going to come here sadly
Show threadMelzpetpalsNov 27, 2022
@Jelaniya @claesdevreese @ElleSmith @Chanders I agree with you on the charity orgs. It is definitely going to hurt them.