As someone who appreciates a good boycott, I feel rather meh about Twitter. The truth is that, after all of this time, I’m not sure I GET Twitter. I used to retweet work-related items but have rarely gone there since I retired almost two and a half years ago.
Actually, I’ve been rather irritable about Twitter’s societal impact for a long time. I stopped watching ABC World News Tonight back when Diane Sawyer was the anchor when they added a daily report about what was trending on Twitter. If I wanted to know that, I’d go to the site. So I learn about what’s on Twitter from the mainstream media – “Joe Blow tweeted…” – without actually having to interact with the site.
Frankly, I think Twitter will implode. This article suggests that #RIPTwitter will take place sooner or later. Now, if Twitter’s demise is freaking you out, you may be somewhat relieved to know how to save all of your tweets.
I know that several of my friends and acquaintances have moved to Mastodon such as Chuck and Kelly, and I totally respect that. Its site indicates that its Monthly Active Users are now 2.3M, up 545%. But I haven’t moved there yet because, in an extremely cursory look, I don’t quite grok it. Maybe next year.
I’m more taken by this piece in Vanity Fair. Specifically, the subtitle spoke to me. “As Twitter spirals out of favor—and closer to some inevitable end—maybe, instead of Discord or Mastodon, it’s time to consider a digital DNR.”
World Cup
Truth to tell, I’m much more concerned about the World Cup in Qatar. While I’m not heavily invested in it – and think the beer ban and the reaction to it is hysterically funny – this year’s event still unsettles me.
As PBS notes, “The first World Cup to take place in a Middle Eastern and Muslim country remains dogged by more than a decade’s worth of questions and controversies. Among them: a global corruption scandal, the astronomical price tag of building the necessary facilities, serious human rights concerns about the country’s treatment of migrant workers, and outrage over Qatar’s treatment of women and LGBTQI+ people.” I read some 6,500 died building the venues.
But as Bloomberg suggests, the World Cup is “Too Big for Brands to Boycott.” What does me not watching Games do, really? Probably nothing. I’ll pass on them anyway.
I cancelled my Twitter account. The last straw was reinstatement of Donald Trump’s account. Twitter is tool which is now a weapon of mass disinformation . Our education on how to consume information has not kept pace with the ability to create and disseminate information.