Earlier quoted context omitted.
Takes one to know one.
It kind of seems like you are trying to pick a fight with Mark Twain.
The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
131–140 of 784 posts
Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#132I don't engage on Twitter out of fear. I sometimes see posts that I like and want to retweet but I don't because it means I'm endorsing everything the author has ever said or ever will say. It's not worth the risk. People in my demographic face significant exposure to "cancelling" or ambushing for wrongthink. So it's best for me to avoid it entirely.
> I don't engage on Twitter out of fear.
> it means I'm endorsing everything the author has ever said or ever will say.
> People in my demographic face significant exposure to "cancelling" or ambushing for wrongthink.
I totally get that this is the zeitgeist now (and I'm starting to behave this way now on HN since I don't really do other social media), but this is a horrible place we've worked ourselves into.
People taking pop shots and then getting algorithmically amplified has reduced the surface area for having safe dialogue and has led to increasing tensions and polarization.
In an ideal world, people talk about and discuss things they disagree about frequently and are at least respectful in dealing with those they don't see eye to eye with. We all have a different frame of reference, and that's not something to fight against.
I think the pandemic increased stresses for a lot of people (myself included), but these trends really took hold with algorithmic amplification. It isn't just a passing fad, sadly. And it isn't just rooted in just the technology. There are real needs and causes for social angst that need to be met.
Imagine if we also amplified inspiring and hopeful things. Nourished ourselves with stories of hope and overcoming difficulties. Science and technology, opportunity, a look to the future. (Especially for kids!) I know life isn't all sunshine and roses, but this would give us balance and perspective and wouldn't chip away at a person's inner drive and passion by replacing it with skepticism and dissatisfaction.
I think we can swing back. People are noticing this and feeling displeasure.
Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#133I kept Twitter to "advertise" when I write technical blogs which I do very little of these days due to time. I follow a bunch of tech type stuff I'm interested in, but honestly, it's become more of a place to vent and whine about this or that. When I step back and look at it from afar, it's kinda what Facebook was when I left it a decade or so ago; people whining, and any subject worth commenting on is too controvers…
It is a sign of the trying times we live in that I saw the extra "z"s in your post and instead of assuming a typo, I immediately think of Russian hackers infiltrating this platform.
Hehe the truth is much less nefarious; I was typing this on mobile, my 2 year old was climbing on me as I type and my wife was calling us both to hurry up and get to the dinner table, or else!
Edit: and to explain why z's, it's exactly above the comma "," on my Android phone (Gboard), and it's easy to miss when you can't see!
Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#13425% of Americans sometimes tweet? That seems very high. I only know a couple of people who use Twitter...
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Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#13525% of Americans sometimes tweet? That seems very high. I only know a couple of people who use Twitter...
The actual poll seems to ask "ever used". I believe that 25% of Americans have every used Twitter. I believe the number is probably much higher since "ever used" could mean anything from tweeted to seen a tweet.
Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#136Earlier quoted context omitted.
Similar quote by Mark Twain > It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
I'm pretty sure that quote is an insult and not good faith advise.
Personally, I always read it as "advice" rather than as an insult. Unfortunately, can't seem to find much context for that quote so it's hard to determine what was intended.
Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#137Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's really easy to not be burned at the stake, just don't be a witch.
Being canceled isn't even a real thing. It's just a phrase people use because they have to have consequences when they show their true selves. Some group of people don't agree with you? Show me an example of being canceled then
You've already made up your mind, so if you're not interested in actually understanding why cancelling both exists and is a problem, you can probably sit this conversation out. You want an example, fine.
In many scenarios canceling is completely arbitrary, based on misquotes, lack of context, or total fabrication simply because someone, somewhere was offended and can get other people to act on their behalf.
In the best case scenario, the person being canceled is actually a shitty human being. I know such a person. He said some really stupid stuff online, was called out on it, doubled down on it, was doxxed and canceled. He's not the type of person who considers the consequences of his actions in any scenario. He's also actually stupid and not a friend of mine. I think he's as close to hot garbage as a human being can get without actually abusing or murdering other people.
However, this person still did not deserve death threats for the words he wrote. This person did not deserve people calling his employer threatening to burn down their building. The employer certainly didn't deserve that. His coworkers didn't deserve it. This person did not deserve his house to be vandalized; nor did the actual owner of the house. His roommates didn't deserve to live in fear and to have to deal with angry people maybe thinking they were him.
These behaviors are not justifiable. They are, in fact, less justifiable than someone saying awful things online. Writing them off as "consequences" is simply twisted.
Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#138Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#139In analyzing my personal motivations and looking at "common sense" knowledge and psych research on the topic, I've come to the conclusion that we gain a lot of motivational energy from others. We live in worlds of stories and narratives, and those narratives are strengthened when mirrored and shared by others. If someone notices or sees my work or praises me for my work, it is a strong signal to my brain that it's on…
BTW, your observable profile link is broken
Re: The new silent majority: People who don't tweet
#140It's frustrating how tough it is to stick to topics you're interested in seeing on Twitter. Even after trying to actively disengage with a lot of the news-based stuff on the site to stop myself from doomscrolling, I still get shown a ton of news and politics on my feed because some of my friends on Twitter like and retweet that kind of stuff.
I think it's also kind of strange how much variance there is in the content on the site. Something about the fact that stupid jokes take up the same space and appear in the same way as very serious news feels harmful to me.