Sheila ScheuermanAug 9, 2023

Hi!

I’m looking for #law #lawprof #lawadjacent folks to follow on here. Particular interests include trusts & estates, civ pro, family law, and online teaching. But general #law content welcome!

If that’s you or someone you follow, please let me know & I’ll follow! TY.

Show threadHeidi Li FeldmanAug 10, 2023
@profscheuerman Have a look at the #LawFedi list of lawyers, practicing and academic, on #Mastodon https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nE8WxgwTFCuVeFA8ZfOW0qonJTSnI_d6EBSJ4E9JqtI/edit#gid=1859751282
#LawFedi: Lawyers and Legal Academics on Mastodon

Form Responses 1 Welcome to #LawFedi. Some information about this workbook: The basic list is on this page. A sheet that can be used to import the entire list to Mastodon is under the "accounts" tab, below. Instructions on how to import are are available on the third sheet, tabbed below. If you ...

Google Docs
Show threadJim OleskeAug 11, 2023

@heidilifeldman @profscheuerman

I found earlier versions of this list enormously helpful when I joined Mastodon, and Heidi has done us all a great service by maintaining it.

One thing I noticed when re-engaging on Mastodon this summer after light usage in the spring is that lots of law-related accounts have gone dark. So I took a shot at trying to identify currently-active law-related accounts back in July, and offered a partial list in this thread:

https://mastodon.social/@JimOleske/110771347699748118

Show threadSheila ScheuermanAug 11, 2023

@JimOleske @heidilifeldman I noticed that too as I click follows. But I’m hoping maybe it’s a summer break thing and they will re-engage once the semester starts? I also took a summer social media break so maybe?

Also thank you both for the lists. Enormously helpful!

Show threadJim OleskeAug 11, 2023

@profscheuerman @heidilifeldman

I suspect many will not be back, especially if Threads gets its desktop version up and running soon. The journalists and academics with biggest followings on X/Twitter have accounts on Threads, and while they aren't yet very active, I think they are likely to become so once Threads is as functional for audiences as X/Twitter. And others will follow.

Meanwhile, I think a much smaller, but hopefully hearty, cohort of legal academics will stay active here.

Show threadSarah FackrellAug 12, 2023
@JimOleske @profscheuerman @heidilifeldman Interesting thoughts about Threads. I haven't joined, even to "save a spot," because I don't want to hand over so much data from my phone. So I have no firsthand knowledge. But I'm still bullish on the fedi ending up as a good gathering place for academics (and others). I had two awesome colleagues join Mastodon this week and I've seen a few other law profs drift back. I guess we'll see. In any case, glad you're all here!
Show threadAaron BruhlAug 12, 2023
@design_law @JimOleske @profscheuerman @heidilifeldman I haven’t joined Threads, for the reason Sarah mentions. I am one of those accounts that came here a while back but hasn’t been active lately, not that I ever post much anywhere. I have recently been on Bluesky. I notice no mention of it in this thread. Curious why not? It has more law people than I find here, which, while not the only consideration, is the main one for me.
Show threadSarah FackrellAug 12, 2023
@aaron_bruhl @JimOleske @profscheuerman @heidilifeldman So, I actually thought about adding something about Bluesky but ran short on characters. There definitely seem to be a lot of law people (including law profs) over there, especially since early July. That's the main reason I keep a presence over there, even though it lacks things that I think are really essential for using social media efficiently and safely, like lists and soft blocking.
Show threadSarah FackrellAug 12, 2023
@aaron_bruhl @JimOleske @profscheuerman @heidilifeldman For me, the biggest practical problem with Bluesky is that, at least for now, there's no way to really solve the "drinking from a firehose" problem. (At least for those of us who lack the "coding expertise" needed to make our own feeds.) That feature of the site also seems to lead to lower engagement and lower quality of engagement overall. If you're not seeing the posts you want to see, how can you meaningfully engage with them?
Show threadEllie Margolis
@design_law @aaron_bruhl @JimOleske @profscheuerman @heidilifeldman I find some of the custom feeds on Bluesky helpful for the firehose problem. Not quite as useful as lists but working pretty well for me. Maybe it’s different when you have a much larger following.
Aug 12, 2023 at 1:10pmMastodon for iOS
Show threadSarah FackrellAug 12, 2023
@EllieMargolis @aaron_bruhl Which feeds do you like? I thought the LawSky feed, as originally constituted, was pretty good. But I don't love the new version. (No shade on the creator, it's her feed and she can do what she wants.)
Show threadEllie MargolisAug 12, 2023
@design_law @aaron_bruhl
I agree and don’t find myself looking at that one. I like Mutuals and Popular With Friends.
Show threadEllie MargolisAug 12, 2023
@aaron_bruhl @design_law I also like the new News feed.
Show threadJim OleskeAug 12, 2023

@EllieMargolis @design_law @aaron_bruhl @profscheuerman @heidilifeldman

Many thanks to this group for all the additional thoughts.

FWIW, I have not signed up for either Threads or BlueSky, and I think Twitter will end up being my first and last experience as a member of a for-profit social media space (I never had a Facebook or Instagram account).

Note: Threads accounts can be publicly viewed on web without an account (like it used to be with Twitter), so you can bookmark feeds to check ...

Show threadJim OleskeAug 12, 2023

@EllieMargolis @design_law @aaron_bruhl @profscheuerman @heidilifeldman

... periodically, and I've done so with several journalists, news outlets, and academics.

I don't have that window into BlueSky, because I don't think non-members can (yet) see posts there.

I have been somewhat surprised that BlueSky has been as popular with academics as it has been given Jack's involvement, his relationship with Musk, and the types of things he's been saying and folks he's been promoting on Twitter.