Twitter Co-Founder @biz just endorsed Mastodon!

In a Guardian interview, he said:

“I don’t know that Twitter as a company is going to succeed for ever but the idea of Twitter I think will be around [indicating Mastodon].

"It would only matter that Twitter the idea continued. And that’s happened. That seems to be happening already. Mastodon seems to be winning the open-source, decentralised version of Twitter. People seem to be going there."

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/27/elon-musk-doesnt-seem-like-right-person-to-own-twitter-says-co-founder

Elon Musk ‘doesn’t seem like’ right person to own Twitter, says co-founder

Biz Stone, one of quartet who set up company, says positive changes he oversaw have been undone by Tesla chief executive

The Guardian

It's also worth mentioning that another Twitter Co-Founder, @ev, is also present on the Fediverse.

A few days, he indicated to me that he's been here for awhile -- and has multiple accounts 👀

I've previously said that a network effect isn't just about how many people use a service but also WHO uses the service.

And it seems to me that if you want to be dialed in to the tech industry, you probably want to be on the Fediverse.

This is where folks like @biz, @gruber, @ChrisPirillo, @leo -- among others -- tend to live.

@atomicpoet @ev
And he chose the medium instance.... mmmmK
@atomicpoet @biz if I was cofounder of Twitter and see it stomped into the ground I’d be kinda sad but a bit happy to see something like Mastodon succeed.
@atomicpoet A funny thing is that most of the idea of Twitter came from paving the cow paths of users early on, so I guess the idea goes on with the users regardless?
@lmorchard @atomicpoet best part now is that it's open source -- mastodon will outlive us all at this point

@atomicpoet @biz Until he actually shows up, engages, and uses it, he's not doing much at all.

And he's not doing much at all.

@jimcarroll @biz That's his account on me.dm. He also has an account on macaw.social.

I personally believe these co-founders are being very careful. They know they're in potentially hostile waters.

@atomicpoet @biz Pardon me for maybe being dumb, but why would it be hostile. They're not EM. I'd think folks would welcome them because we would perceive *they get it*.

@jimcarroll So on the Fediverse -- specifically Mastodon -- there's the "old guard". They're not so numerous as before, but they have a certain influence.

For example, you can see this with debates about search and quoted boosts. Certain things haven't happened because the old guard is hostile towards it.

Same deal with Twitter. The old guard don't want anything that smacks of Twitter whatsoever.

Thing is, Twitter Co-Founders are already investing in decentralized tech.

@jimcarroll The whole thing is complex because it's not as though Twitter alumni have been oblivious to what's going on with de-centralized social.

Many early Fediverse devs have already been invited to Twitter HQ to give demos -- this was before Elon Musk acquired Twitter.

And @blaine has been pretty active here -- he's a Twitter OG.

Jack Dorsey, of course, helped start Bluesky years ago.

But... Twitter also helped make walled garden social what it is today. So there's that.

@atomicpoet @biz I am a twitter refugee - elmo is a racist pos 🤨 Primarily for news from/about Ukraine 🇺🇦 It’s getting really bad - like its a having death rattle.
To be fair, former Twitter founder Jack Dorsey went so far to say he regrets making Twitter a company instead of an app, and is working on Bluesky as an alternative. So we can't assume their intentions.