Mastodawn

Dear journalists: By remaining on the deadbird site you are actively supporting a business whose owner in in league with people who want to end our democracy. He's further eviscerated what was left of the team that was trying to keep election information honest (for typically inane Muskish reasons).

Please admit, at least to yourselves, that you're not merely using a handy platform. You are effectively collaborating with him. https://www.techdirt.com/2023/09/28/elon-fires-half-of-extwitters-election-integrity-team-because-a-manager-liked-a-tweet-calling-him-a-fucking-dipshit/

Elon Fires Half Of ExTwitter’s Election Integrity Team, Because A Manager Liked A Tweet Calling Him A Fucking Dipshit

There is no doubt that it’s not always easy to figure out what social media websites should do about election disinformation. There are those who believe that websites need to very actively remove …

Techdirt

William Pietri Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor Former Twitter employee here, and I 100% agree. Anybody still using it is supporting Musk. With content, with ad revenue, with positive feedback to other users, or just by boosting the stats they are using to justify staying the course.

They can claim that their support of Musk is justified somehow. And some sure try! But they can't correctly say that they aren't supporting him.

skua Sep 29, 2023

Making today's #Elon #Spoonerism #FushingDipckit

Last week's was #FickWut

Democracy Matters

1337 $#!+ I did that Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor I equivocated, keeping a postcard there that I never logged. Until I logged and deleted, recently. Nor am I a journalist. But to anyone who is dead bird, consider what you and your "brand" (fuck that idea anyway) look like being on a site that blames the Jews. I say that as someone who *openly* criticizes Israel just as I criticize my own USA for racism and dumbfuck border policies that hold our economies back. Get into the 21st century, fuck the 20th, or own history's condemnation.

The Weather Station Experts Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor As a journalist, I can come at it from that perspective, and despite it dying, it's still a source of exposure. Especially with FB's work to bury news because they don't want to pay for it.

Dan Gillmor Sep 29, 2023

@wxstationexpert I respect that and hope you'll also consider other issues.

The Weather Station Experts Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor I haven't been on Twitter more than a few minutes in months. But I can see why some are so reluctant to leave. But i agree, they should!

Ponygirl Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor Phuckin ayy

Dan Goodin Sep 29, 2023

It's not just journalists. What about all the people at EFF, Signal, Citizen Lab, CDT, etc., etc. etc. still using Twitter on a daily basis? These people are actively strengthenging a platform that's intent on destroying all the things they claim to advocate for.

It breaks my heart to see the Twitter kept alive by the people who have the most to lose.😢

Dan Gillmor Sep 29, 2023

@dangoodin I agree...

Danny 👾Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor So now using a platform equates to endorsing its owner's beliefs? That's a slippery slope.

Brennan Stehling Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor Please consider that writers and editors need an audience to replace the one they would be leaving behind. They are still dependent on the revenue that their current audience makes possible. It is not such an easy decision for many of them to walk off the cliff.

The best way to encourage them to slow down and stop their activity on that platform is to increase engagement with their content on other platforms. Right now the best effort I have seen supporting this goal is linked below. By simply posting content from RSS feeds from several existing news orgs it is demonstrating that there is an audience here which is worth the effort to expand beyond legacy platforms.

You could use your reach on this platform to organize an effort to educate reporters, staff writers and editors about Mastodon and all of the features it offers and how to bring their audience with them. I suggest running a monthly event to message news orgs to invite them to get started.

https://press.coop/about

press.coop

A mirror of Twitter press accounts.

Mastodon hosted on press.coop

Dan Gillmor Sep 29, 2023

@brennansv I posted this early this year, and have made standing offer to journalists to help them do it: https://www.techdirt.com/2023/01/04/journalists-and-others-should-leave-twitter-heres-how-they-can-get-started/

Journalists (And Others) Should Leave Twitter. Here’s How They Can Get Started

Summary: Elon Musk has demonstrated contempt for free speech in general, and journalism in particular, with his behavior at Twitter. He is also demonstrating why it is foolhardy for anyone to rely …

Techdirt

Brennan Stehling Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor I appreciate that. I believe this is the best path forward. It does appear that Mastodon has been growing steadily with the help of the former platform falling apart. It just takes time to make this change and we have to be patient.

I lean more toward carrot than stick in this situation. Beyond simply being another place to post, I believe this place has to be worthwhile in many ways. There is still more investment we need to make in terms of fostering that experience here.

Brennan Stehling Oct 2, 2023

@dangillmor This number, 1.8 million, is just not high enough to incentivize many to switch platforms. I expect both BlueSky and Threads don't have numbers which exceed the former Birdsite highs or current lows even.

https://mastodon.social/@Sarahp/111167049930441701

Brennan Stehling Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor I’d list every local and national news org with their status on which platforms they currently use. Then prepare an onboarding tutorial to help reporters and staff writers to create their own personal accounts and then a more advanced option to either run their own server or find a host and admins who will handle it for their org and all of their writers.

I envision there would be an inflection point when there a good number of orgs being active on Mastodon which convinces the rest that it is essential to operate on this platform with their own server which is able to verify their own accounts and directly control the content they choose to publish.

Every month a subset of this whole list could be the focus for outreach from the people who have been readers for years to invite their favorite writers to make the first step.

Michael Bishop ☕Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor I couldn't have said it better. 👏

Baragesi Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor @BBC_News_Labs @BBCRD @BBCRadio4 @Connected_Studio @BBCWorld

T Kennedy Sep 29, 2023

@dangillmor so it's basically journalists and Nazis left on Twitter?

Kid Mania Oct 4, 2023

🤔
Aral Balkan
@aral

"If you’re still on Twitter/X does that mean you’re a fascist?
No, of course not.
It just means fascism isn’t a deal breaker for you."

#twitter
#x
#fascism