All of these hot takes about how Mastodon is too hard to use for mass adoption are missing the point entirely. We are not some tech startup trying to "disrupt" the social media ecosystem. We don't have VCs breathing down our necks pushing for continuous growth at all costs. We're just regular people out here building communities.

If people don't like Mastodon and decide to go back to Twitter, that's fine. They are not commodities to be exploited. If people like Mastodon and decide to stay, that's great! They are going to be more invested in the community because they are actually deriving real value from it.

If there's one thing the global capitalist system cannot fathom is that value can exist that is not fungible with monetary value. There are plenty of ways to create value for people that do not involve buying and selling. In fact the whole notion that value = monetary value is a relatively recent innovation in human history.

I'm not saying that capitalism doesn't have its benefits, but our minds have become so warped by its zero-sum game vision of the world that it's easy to believe that generating profits is the only thing that matters. We may have to play that game to justify our existence on this planet, but there's a whole world of value to be found outside of it. Just because we're forced to play the game doesn't mean the game is all there is.

after a few weeks on mastodon without much thought about twitter i’ve noticed a distinct change in my own mood.
i think twitter force-feeding us rage inducing tweets every day was having more of an impact on my psyche than i care to admit.

i didn’t follow much politics and always used Twitteriffic — but the people i followed retweeted their algorithmic rage all day every day.

i really feel like i owe someone a thank you for giving me this piece of my life back that’s been missing for years.

Reminder: Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars anyone from office who has been found to have “engaged in insurrection" against the United States.

See point 4 below.

RT @[email protected]

Jan 6 Committee refers Trump to DOJ for violating:

1. Obstruction of an official proceeding;
2. Conspiracy to defraud the United States;
3. Conspiracy to make a false statement;
4. Inciting, assisting or aiding/comforting an insurrection

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1604917936161845248

"We've never had a president of the United States stir up a violent attempt to block the transfer of power ... If we are to survive as a nation of laws and democracy, this can never happen again." -
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson

#January6thCommittee

If Musk "steps down" as Twitter CEO, per his latest bogus "poll", some things to remember:

1) He'll still be in control. The owner sets the policy the CEO carries out. The owner decides in the end.

2) He lies incessantly. Nothing he says can be trusted, ever.

3) Big Journalism will breathlessly cover the charade as if it meant something, and will continue to support a man who loathes honest reporting and has contempt for genuine freedom of expression.