pearwaldorf

I'm here, I guess

I like things a completely normal amount.

posts from @pearwaldorf tagged #social media

also:

As somebody who has been on the internet a very long time (younger than BBSes, older than MySpace), I am used to investigating new platforms and at least namesquatting potentials for when one of the current places I hang out inevitably shuts down or implodes.

I have to say though, even I'm a bit surprised and concerned at how quickly Elon Musk appears to be running Twitter into the ground. I never had a high opinion of him before, but it's still impressive what a fucking idiot he's turning out to be now that he's decided to crown himself Chief Twit. It's like watching Walter White flame out, except there was never any empire to begin with so there's no actual gravitas at all.

I don't know. I have a lot of thoughts about how social networks became our new town squares and none of us really benefitted from it at all. Have I made friends through Twitter? Certainly. Have I been exposed to people from different backgrounds and circumstances that have helped me diversify my perspectives? Yes. Does it balance out the unquantifiable harm it's done to individual people or how it's enabled the spread of dangerous misinformation? Of course not.

I'm still not sure if making the place unusable by the average internet dweller is going to be particularly helpful, but for everybody's sake, I hope the death is as swift and painless as it can be.