Robert W. Gehl

A lot of folks at #AoIR2024 are a bit peeved that more AoIR members aren't using Mastodon/the fedi instead of X. "We as a community have produced a great deal of criticism of corporate platforms," they say, "so why aren't more people switching?"

I've been studying alternative social media for a long time now. To cite Stuart Hall, there are no guarantees: you do this sort of work, trying to make something better, but knowing that it's a struggle and it may fail.

Nov 1, 2024 at 11:09amWeb
Show threadEmelia 👸🏻Nov 1, 2024
@rwg the one that confused me last time was the people posting on multiple platforms sharing screenshots from X instead of aoir.social, which I didn't get at all (same content was on both platforms)
Show threadRobert W. GehlNov 1, 2024
@thisismissem yeah, copypaste would be faster than screenshot upload (and probably skip alt text), wouldn't it?
Show threadEmelia 👸🏻Nov 1, 2024
@rwg yeah, this was screenshots on platforms not doing text, so fair enough, but I still didn't understand why share X screenshots instead of fediverse screenshots
Show threadAndy PiperNov 1, 2024
@rwg I've had the same frustration with e.g. All Things Open. It's disappointing, and overall has made me not want to engage with the event, rather than the other way around (go to event and use their alternative / preferred channels)
Show threadRobert W. GehlNov 1, 2024
@andypiper I hear this. I'd say "keep going" but I wouldn't want to have you get burned out.
Show threadNancy BaymNov 1, 2024
@rwg I wish there were a way to forbid people from mentioning you or your talk on X
Show threadRobert W. GehlNov 1, 2024
@nancybaym I usually ask folks not to post about my talks to X. I have no way to enforce that other than stern looks and wags of the finger
Show threadJohn SullivanNov 1, 2024
@rwg I love the Fediverse, the vibe, the freedom to choose how you wish to be connected to others, and the decentralization. I am well aware that it is not a panacea, however, and that harassment, stigmatization, and worse are unfortunately part of the fediverse as well. But the key is that we, Fedizens, have the power to make it a better place instead of being beholden to a megalomaniac billionaire. That counts for a lot in my book.
Show threadRobert W. GehlNov 1, 2024
@John47 same. across the board. There's so much work to do but at least it can be done, rather than hoping it will be done by corporations/billionaires.
Show threadAlex HalavaisNov 1, 2024

@John47 @rwg Same, but the theory/practice divide is great. Build it and they *may* come, but community switching is hard.

AoIR Twitter hashtags happened way before they showed up on our conference programs, etc. It started as the backchannel. Making it the front channel attracts old grumpy people like me.

And the issue of reaching journalists and being "noticed" outside the community plays into the Twitter space just as much as ever. #aoir2024

Show threadKevin Driscoll 📳੯‧̀͡⬮Nov 2, 2024
@theprof @John47 @rwg yeah, twitter was initially an (1) informal backchannel and then became an (2) official platform for conference participation with potential for (3) external publicity. We won't have that same trajectory a second time
Show threadKevin Driscoll 📳੯‧̀͡⬮Nov 2, 2024
@theprof @John47 @rwg folks still need all 3 functions but there's no consensus option that does everything so we scatter?
Show threadRobert W. GehlNov 2, 2024

@kdriscoll @theprof @John47

Scatter, or make our own. I have a PhD student studying journalists on the fedi -- they are here (albeit trickling in). And there are quite a few academics here. It just takes time to build the network out. But it will always be ours!

Show threadKevin Driscoll 📳੯‧̀͡⬮Nov 2, 2024
@rwg @theprof @John47 totally! It's helpful for me to remember when Twitter felt like a backchannel (and AIR-L was the "official" channel, perhaps?)
Show threadJohn GordonNov 1, 2024
@rwg @ricmac Shorter version: now we understand why bad people often win.