Just kill Twitter already
I was never a “power user” of Twitter. I lurked. I watched and listened. I gleaned the gold from the dust, separated the wheat from the chaff.
I averaged just 1,100 tweets a year for 10 years. But I followed over 4,000. But I was very particular in who I followed. I had a guide:
- Journalists and editors of reputable and professional news organizations.
That’s it. I wanted the behind-the-scenes look at what reporters and editors really thought about the news of the day. It was really cool to see them celebrate each other’s achievements and scoops. And to critique articles that fell short of the mark.
But so many news organizations and reporters have left Twitter. NPR and LAist, among others, have left.
And so have I.
Hate speech is on the rise on Twitter.
Studies have confirmed it in 2023.
“Fake news” (misinformation and disinformation) spreads faster than real news on Twitter. Again according to research. And recent changes have allowed Russian and Chinese disinformation operations to work with a relatively free hand on Twitter, according to PBS Newshour.
So maybe it’s time. Let’s just put the stinking, rancid behemoth down. Or put enough regulations and laws in place that either Musk’s skeleton crew will regulate itself or be crushed by fines like Australia has threatened Twitter or the EU has imposed on Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
I’ve had one tweet pinned to the top of my profile since 2017. It’s not a profound or new idea, but clearly, a necessary one if Twitter is to be saved from itself.
