Christoph MergersonDec 14, 2022
I have a background in disaster preparedness communication and would like the vocal ethics police on this app who keep insisting the “only” ethical course of action is to leave Twitter now to explain how Mastodon currently enables people living in the Gulf South today to get real-time warnings and information about the ongoing tornado outbreak on par with Twitter. They need this information now, so “let’s build something better” is a dodge. #LAwx #MsWx #Wx #BlackTwitter #BlackMastodon
Show threadJose GarciaDec 14, 2022

@mergerson

Mastodon as it stands is not something people can turn to in disasters to get real time information.

I get it, people love Masto, I do too. But pretending that it's a twitter replacement for everyone now and getting sharp elbowed about it is naive at best and elitist at worst.

There's a lot of people in vulnerable communities for whom Twitter is a lifeline.

Show threadPsychic TidesDec 14, 2022
@Jollyspaniard @mergerson You’re not seriously suggesting that Twitter, the place where anyone to the left of Tulsi Gabbard might be banned or shaddowbanned, and where neonazis are promoted by the owner, is a reliable source of information are you?
Show threadCBDawson 🏳️‍🌈
@Jollyspaniard @psychictides @mergerson It can absolutely be a source of reliable information — from some accounts. A lot of US government agencies & journalists post info directly to twitter, and many of us use that. For example: During California wildfires, it was a key source of real-time info for many of us, because it included real-time updates from multiple agencies all in one place. There was simply no quicker way to get reliable updates.
Dec 14, 2022 at 3:39pmMetatext
Show threadRDS (shawphd on Twitter)Dec 14, 2022
@mergerson @Jollyspaniard @psychictides @cbdawson This. If I want, say, real-time transcripts of local political meetings, they’re happening on Twitter. Local news and weather in real time and specialty beats like coverage of our school district’s shenanigans aren’t easily duplicated elsewhere.
Show threadJose GarciaDec 14, 2022
@shawrd773 @mergerson @psychictides @cbdawson Ditto European politics and the outskirts of Europe: North Africa, Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
Show threadCBDawson 🏳️‍🌈Dec 14, 2022
@shawrd773 Totally! One of our hyper local media outlets live tweets most Berkeley city council & school board meetings. They don’t post that anywhere else.
Show threadMidsouthMouth.OctaviaKeatsDec 15, 2022
@cbdawson @shawrd773 I *get it.* The lack of reliable gov't information infrastructure is a chasm. I guess I need handholding to get why Signal or (shock) something retro like sms isn't getting attention as a potential stopgap.
Show threadPsychic TidesDec 16, 2022
@shawrd773 @mergerson @Jollyspaniard @cbdawson So, predictably, Twitter is not a source for reliable information anymore. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/twitter-just-banned-a-wave-of-prominent-journalists-with-no-explanation/ar-AA15kTwq
Twitter just banned a wave of prominent journalists with no explanation

On Thursday evening, Twitter suspended a number of prominent journalists on the platform without warning or explanation. The situation followed the company’s decision to suspend the Twitter account belonging to Mastodon, an open source social media alternative that’s built momentum since Elon Musk took over at the company. Twitter took action against Mastodon after the […] Twitter just banned a wave of prominent journalists with no explanation...

MSN
Show threadChristoph MergersonDec 16, 2022
@psychictides @shawrd773 @Jollyspaniard @cbdawson I know you know this doesn't mean that there aren't any reliable sources of information on Twitter. I don't know why you posted this.
Show threadPsychic TidesDec 16, 2022
@mergerson @shawrd773 @Jollyspaniard @cbdawson Doing free advertising for the world’s richest man is a strange hobby but when he’s a fascist it’s a bit unseemly. You are not a reliable source of information yourself.
Show threadChristoph MergersonDec 16, 2022
@psychictides @shawrd773 @Jollyspaniard @cbdawson Okay. Well I'm blocking you now so you don't have to worry.
Show threadPsychic TidesDec 14, 2022
@cbdawson @Jollyspaniard @mergerson And now that the reliable sources are being banned or shadowbanned I can’t imagine what the point of reading Twitter is for news.
Show threadPsychic TidesDec 14, 2022
@cbdawson @Jollyspaniard @mergerson The accounts you’re taking about could be shaddowbanned by Elon and you’d never know it. He promised to shaddowban accounts which don’t fit his fascist definition of “too negative.” You could follow them and still never see their tweets.