John-Paul Flintoff

https://pluralistic.net/2026/03/25/fact-intensive/

“Leaving Facebook or Twitter means leaving behind the people who comfort and support you when you are subject to abuse. The more abuse and discrimination you face, the more that support matters, and the harder it is to leave that community behind. You love your community more than you hate Zuck or Musk, so you stay” @pluralistic

Pluralistic: The cost of doing business (25 Mar 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Mar 25 at 2:16pmMastodon for iOS
Show threadJoseph Allen1d ago
@johnpaulflintoff @pluralistic This certainly described me until recently, but this week I'm finally getting off FB. I sent messages to the people that matter with where they can reach me, and now I'm just going to unceremoniously delete it. I'm fortunate enough to have a strong support network offline now, and I'm starting to join local community activities as an alternative. So I no longer have any justifiable reason to participate in Zuckerberg's evil, data-hoarding behemoth.
Show threadv1d ago
@elgringomexicano @johnpaulflintoff @pluralistic most of my family are non-technical but they still use signal in addition to their big tech stuff specifically because signal is how they talk to me. Is it friction? Yea. Is it shitty that there is that friction? Of course. But when youre a belligerent nuissance about avoiding big tech and its a line on the sand for you, people will suffer that friction somewhat as long as youre not a belligerent nuisance in general
Show threadJoseph Allen1d ago
@NocturnalNessa @johnpaulflintoff @pluralistic When I sent messages informing friends I was leaving FB, I simply stated my principled opposition to Facebook's practices in plain terms, with a personalized message tacked on for each individual. Most actually seemed to like it and support my decision. But I agree with you: if social media has taught us anything, it's that brow-beating and berating people over to your side on something is basically the least effective way to go about it.
Show threadJeff McNeill1d ago
@NocturnalNessa @elgringomexicano @johnpaulflintoff @pluralistic Indeed. This is why I now host a small Prosody+coturn XMPP instance on my small VPS for family. Basically Signal functionality, without a third party company, and hosted outside the US. Open source FTW.
Show threadJohn-Paul Flintoff21h ago
@NocturnalNessa @elgringomexicano @pluralistic 🏅
Show threadJohn-Paul Flintoff1d ago
@elgringomexicano @pluralistic 👌
Show threadJohan Moir (Mastodon)1d ago
@elgringomexicano @johnpaulflintoff @pluralistic ✊🏻👏🏻
Show threadJacen1d ago
@johnpaulflintoff @pluralistic at least thats what they tell themselves.
Show threadRobotistry19h ago

@johnpaulflintoff @pluralistic I think the problem many people have is that the abuse and discrimination they face on a platform becomes so accepted as a norm that it's hard to grasp that other platforms may not have the same stressors associated with them, so they might not require as much support to use and might provide comfort in different ways.

I've taken to just sending people links to public hashtag feeds as a way to illustrate that social media doesn't have to be a constant battle for likes and attention with shouting and pressure to feel certain ways and to make other people feel certain ways.

Then they can go look at Bloomscrolling or Mosstodon instead, and think about what it might be like to join that community.