Mastodawn

dan80 Jul 25, 2023

Dear journalists:

By remaining on Elon Musk's platform you are -- knowingly or not -- directly supporting your enemy. He is systematically turning his platform into a showcase for people and entities that see democracy as an impediment to achieving what can accurately be understood as fascist goals.

Wrecking democracy means destroying freedom of expression -- the basis of what you do.

For your own sake, and for your honor, please leave.

https://www.platformer.news/p/twitter-becomes-x

Twitter becomes X

RIP Twitter (2007-2023)

Platformer

𝔻𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕔.𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕙 Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor why there is no big association of journalists to create an official #fediverse instance for all journalists around the world ? That could be a good start to make them leave the old bird site.

matlag Jul 25, 2023

@dominic @dangillmor I keep wondering the same thing, starting with lower scale: since Meta and Google dereference Canadian's news media, why don't they unite to propose an alternative??

Of course a worldwide news instance sounds even better but probably more difficult on moderators.

𝔻𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕔.𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕙 Jul 25, 2023

@matlag @dangillmor I even imagined that some organizations like Radio-Canada could have their own instance with their domain and give an account to all their journalists. But it could be better to have an instance for each country.

Jacob M Jul 25, 2023

@dominic @dangillmor I find myself constantly asking this question but every time I stop to think about it. I come back to a few things that prevent this from taking off. Towards the top of that list is monetization. Without some sort of capital structure the concept of the #fediverse will likely remain in the shadows because most people won't find value in it since there is no monetary benefit to participating. I really want to be wrong, about this, but I have this sinking feeling I am not.

𝔻𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕔.𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕙 Jul 25, 2023

@jjm3x3 @dangillmor Unfortunately, you're absolutely right! 🙄 $$$

Konstantin Weddige Jul 26, 2023

@dominic @dangillmor there is https://journa.host/ and there are some newspapers that run their own instances.

But I believe dedicated instances are not the answer. It is more important, that journalists can add a link to their Mastodon account on their official bio.

Journa.host

The server for working journalists and news outlets on Mastodon. Home to active & retired journalists, media scholars, and a variety of news and journalism adjacent professionals. #Newstodon

Mastodon hosted on journa.host

Lee Fife Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor Their honor was lost quite a while ago.
They should still leave ASAP. But there no glory in doing it now.

@dangillmor I hope journalists listen to your message. The open hostility against journalists and probability that their posts could be arbitrarily censored by Musk seem like great reasons to leave. I wish journalists would come to Mastodon in greater numbers!

Nicole Parsons Jul 25, 2023

GOP billionaire donors are funding an onslaught of litigation targeting the 1st Amendment. Twitter lawsuits offer the same opportunities for astroturf amicus briefs as they did with Citizens United

Citizens United allowed the Saudis & Russians to buy Republicans. & 147 congressional election deniers. & a coup. & a corrupt Supreme Court. & an ongoing seditious conspiracy. & planet-frying oil oligarchs funding civil rights rollbacks & voter suppression laws

Careful with amicae

JL Roberson Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor When you are this rich, you can buy things simply to torture them to death. I've said this from the beginning. He gets that, his backers get Twitter destroyed.

Shaunkoh Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor why aren’t they leaving?

Could it be the same reason why I pay for ChatGPT 4 … I want to use the “best” for my work, even if it’s problematic.

Maybe to journalists, they want to reach as large an audience as possible, rather than just enthusiasts?

Not trying to justify btw, just better understand their perspective.

Dagmar Hoogland Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor I am not a journalist, but for now I am keeping my Twitteraccount for the sole purpose that I want to know and investigate what is happening outside my own bubble. Being there makes me anxious and sad, but I think it is crucial to be there to be able to understand the madness we currently see and experience all around us irl.

Lesley Dewar Jul 25, 2023

@dagmarh @dangillmor
I agree. Apart from Twitter there is no other site in the Western world to get as much news and information in virtually real time.
It sickens me to see how Twitter has been trashed 🗑 but it's been a foreseeable decline.
Where else do we go?.

Willem Jul 25, 2023

10-volt Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor amazing and I agree but posting this here on mastodon won't do anything as the people seeing this post aren't journalists on twitter but just other mastodon users who are just gonna agree because none of us like twitter

James Russell Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor Agreed. Would you pay $44 billion to destroy a top social media app? I wouldn't.

King Beauregard Jul 25, 2023

Yes and no on this. Twitter is doomed, and it will doubtless be reduced to just a home for neo-Nazis.

However, there is never a virtue in ceding territory to Nazis. They want the place for their own benefit, that's a pretty good reason to not just give it to them. Make them fight to turn it into the nightmare they want it to be.

ZZ Bottom Jul 25, 2023

dan80 Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor there is a dedicated journalist instance, journa.host . Not very populated, but it’a start.

Chirag Sharma Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor lets go live to @JamesGleick on thoughts about @JoyceCarolOates posting "x-rated" puns on that application, would you want her to leave that application??

Ted Curran M. Ed.Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor That's all true, and... despite the Fediverse's many virtues, it does not/ CANNOT function as the "internet nerve center" that Twitter once did, allowing journos to *see through* all the chatter to surface news stories in real time before they break. For that, journos need to form presence on a network that enables that transparency, that visibility, that the Fedi impedes through its privacy-preserving architecture. Hard problem.

avalon Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor
I blame
#aaronswartz

Chishiki_no_Izumi Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor The notion that these individuals, and or groups fall into both "knowingly and unknowingly...supporting their enemy" is asinine. They clearly know they are supporting someone who is against them in every way...that goes for anyone (with any type of logic) still posting on said platform.

Stop applying a "both sides (knowingly or not)" excuse to issues like this.

LaurelEH Jul 25, 2023

@dangillmor It has become easy. I must have offended him as I am no longer allowed to post.

Travis Scott Jul 26, 2023

@dangillmor aka confusing freedom of speech with swastikas Elon is an Alt Rightard

CellyBlue Jul 26, 2023

@dangillmor and I hope Lebron James sues the hell out of him. That is all.

Shrikant Joshi Jul 26, 2023

@dangillmor So, we are in the "Dand" phase of the "Saam-Daam-Dand-Bhed" from Chanakya-neeti?

Interesting.

Dand typically is the last-chance saloon for most situations. Because the "Bhed" phase can often get REALLY dirty... 👀

a1 Jul 26, 2023

@dangillmor it’s only X because the Swastika has no ASCII

Roger Haase Jul 26, 2023

@dangillmor I have canceled my Twitter account 2 weeks ago.

tnypxl Jul 26, 2023

@dangillmor How is it destroying freedom of expression, exactly? I'm not an Elon apologist, but I am always bewildered when people say this.

MaazJitsu Jul 29, 2023

@dangillmor noted

*continues scrolling through Twitter