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Quitting Twitter

blog.nindalf.com

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Re: Quitting Twitter

#161

Post by im3w1l »

phailhaus wrote: post #142

These problems with Twitter don't just "happen". Twitter, like other social media companies, have unparalleled access to some of the best talent out there. Then they target that talent at maximizing comically reductive metrics like "engagement" and call it a day. Twitter's design is extremely naive, that design leads to rampant toxicity and misinformation, and then they surprised_pikachu.jpg . For example: no matter…

As a former user of the Fediverse, I disagree. Every problem he describes are present there too. It goes deeper than the algorithms: it's because of the fundamental design choices. Default visibility: public. Follow instead of friend. Mentions, hashtags, quote tweets, retweets, likes.

But these features are also why it's so popular with celebrities, which is Twitter's unique selling point, so it's not like they can just change it up either.

Re: Quitting Twitter

#162

Post by _qulr »

randomsearch wrote: post #118
undefined1 wrote: post #62

quitting Twitter will improve your life, but here's the problem: it leaves it to the most radical. and why is that a problem? because there is a pipeline from Twitter into the real world, especially via journalists and politicians who live on there. what's the answer? I'd love to hear ideas! but I think either we need many, many more reasonable voices on Twitter (an uphill battle, given the platform rewards and optim…

To begin with: we’re a tech community. Building a better twitter is possible, so build it. Even if you don’t build a winning app, you could demonstrate ideas or designs for alternatives. It could even be mock ups or prototypes. Contribute ideas to making a better world. One approach is to leave twitter to the addicts manipulated into rage and just waiting. Either people will “develop antibodies” to twitter (PG) or it…

> Building a better twitter is possible, so build it.

It's been done. For example, app.net. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App.net I deleted my Twitter account and joined ADN. But not many followed that example. Most people stuck with Twitter, ADN never reached "critical mass", and it eventually shut down.

I don't think this is a technological problem. You could say it's a marketing problem. The critical mass is essential to a social network. ADN didn't get it. Mastodon hasn't got it. Twitter has it, Facebook has it, and it's just hard to compete with that.

Re: Quitting Twitter

#163

Post by dionidium »

Twitter has anti-social behavior built into the UI. Everybody understands why it would be rude if I were talking to you at a party and mid-sentence I turned my head to somebody else and said, "can you believe what this idiot is saying to me?"

Well, that's a quote tweet.

And, crucially, while it feels nearly as bad when this happens to you on twitter as when it happens in real life [0], it doesn't feel as bad to the perpetrator as it does in real life.

It's baked right into the UI.

[0] In fact, it actually feels worse, often, because if an account with a lot of followers does this to you, then the website will be unusable for you for at least a day, as hordes of people fill up your mentions with vitriol.

Re: Quitting Twitter

#164

Post by reaperducer »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #71

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming. That ranges from constantly dunking on every opportunity to people who simply tweet too many times per day. The best content and discussion comes from small groups of people with similar interests who aren’t using Twitter simply to fill time or to build their personal brand. Removing everyone else doesn’…

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming

Doesn't that just leave you in an echo chamber of people who agree with you, and you don't learn anything new?

people who simply tweet too many times per day.

I'm with you on that one.

Re: Quitting Twitter

#165

Post by Spooky23 »

7800 wrote: post #83
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #71

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming. That ranges from constantly dunking on every opportunity to people who simply tweet too many times per day. The best content and discussion comes from small groups of people with similar interests who aren’t using Twitter simply to fill time or to build their personal brand. Removing everyone else doesn’…

Doesn’t this by definition mean that you’re in a social media bubble with those who agree with you?

Only if you get distracted by political bullshit.

I follow on twitter:

- A group of museums and people who work on Roman ruins in the UK and post a lot of ancient history content

- Local news reporters in beats I care about

- A few tech journalists and “celebrities” or podcasters

- Cat and dog video accounts

- Some money people

- Baseball related stuff

I do not follow people I know on Twitter and haven’t logged into Facebook for years. The magic of Twitter is that you can purge content you don’t want to read very easily. I actually have family involved in politics... they never ever want to talk shop, ever. There is nothing more vapid and boring than yakking about political bullshit.

If you think you are in a bubble about politics because of your social media friends, seriously get new friends or mute anyone who talks about how great their guy is. It will measurably improve your life.

Re: Quitting Twitter

#166

Post by phailhaus »

im3w1l wrote: post #161
phailhaus wrote: post #142

These problems with Twitter don't just "happen". Twitter, like other social media companies, have unparalleled access to some of the best talent out there. Then they target that talent at maximizing comically reductive metrics like "engagement" and call it a day. Twitter's design is extremely naive, that design leads to rampant toxicity and misinformation, and then they surprised_pikachu.jpg . For example: no matter…

As a former user of the Fediverse, I disagree. Every problem he describes are present there too. It goes deeper than the algorithms: it's because of the fundamental design choices. Default visibility: public. Follow instead of friend. Mentions, hashtags, quote tweets, retweets, likes. But these features are also why it's so popular with celebrities, which is Twitter's unique selling point, so it's not like they can j…

A thousand times yes, this is exactly what I am talking about! I don't mean just ML algorithms, I mean everything.

Re: Quitting Twitter

#167

Post by layoutIfNeeded »

smithmayowa wrote: post #78
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #71

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming. That ranges from constantly dunking on every opportunity to people who simply tweet too many times per day. The best content and discussion comes from small groups of people with similar interests who aren’t using Twitter simply to fill time or to build their personal brand. Removing everyone else doesn’…

Paul Graham tweets agressively, but I doubt you will block him though, not everyone who tweets agressively is toxic.

Paul who?

Re: Quitting Twitter

#168

Post by [deleted] »

reaperducer wrote: post #164
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #71

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming. That ranges from constantly dunking on every opportunity to people who simply tweet too many times per day. The best content and discussion comes from small groups of people with similar interests who aren’t using Twitter simply to fill time or to build their personal brand. Removing everyone else doesn’…

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming Doesn't that just leave you in an echo chamber of people who agree with you, and you don't learn anything new? people who simply tweet too many times per day. I'm with you on that one.

[deleted]

Re: Quitting Twitter

#169

Post by dmix »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #71

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming. That ranges from constantly dunking on every opportunity to people who simply tweet too many times per day. The best content and discussion comes from small groups of people with similar interests who aren’t using Twitter simply to fill time or to build their personal brand. Removing everyone else doesn’…

I did this for years and then Trump rolled around and every developer and interesting person thought it was their duty to use their feeds as some form of resistance.

I remember one case in particular where the guy was a genius at posting niche Middle Ages history and then every other tweet became political and I was so sad, because I absolutely loved his content.

As an a-political person who tried hard (but failed occasionally) at keeping my stuff a-political or othwise I’d start a new account to be political because my main one was tech stuff.

Twitters biggest failure was the lack of tagging and filtering options it provided. The History Genius could have tagged his polical tweets as #political and Twitter could have an option to follow someone except their #political ones. Just like following without retweets.

The solution is obvious to me. But clearly Twitter founders love the political stuff or something. So I just chose to avoid Twitter at all costs unless linked to it or researching a topic, with the odd time I got dragged into it.

Re: Quitting Twitter

#170

Post by mac01021 »

reaperducer wrote: post #164
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #71

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming. That ranges from constantly dunking on every opportunity to people who simply tweet too many times per day. The best content and discussion comes from small groups of people with similar interests who aren’t using Twitter simply to fill time or to build their personal brand. Removing everyone else doesn’…

My approach to Twitter has been to aggressively unfollow anyone posting content that I don’t want to be consuming Doesn't that just leave you in an echo chamber of people who agree with you, and you don't learn anything new? people who simply tweet too many times per day. I'm with you on that one.

> Doesn't that just leave you in an echo chamber of people who agree with you, and you don't learn anything new?

Only if the GP does not want to consume expressions of opposing viewpoints.

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