Statement from a well-known poet and novelist on why he ISN'T leaving Twitter (tweet-free thread for the Twitter-averse)

[highplainsdem]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fasano

Joseph Fasano posted that as an image at (link broken)

https:// x .com/Joseph_Fasano_/status/1857442412282454487

after first posting it at

https:// x .com/Joseph_Fasano_/status/1857441536746598584


I'm planning to stay on Twitter as well, as long as people important to me are there. I don't believe in ceding territory to bullies. My first years online, decades ago, were spent moderating a political forum and dealing with a right-wing bully who was famous, wealthy and politically connected. I couldn't ban him, but he lost debates so badly and quit so often, only to return later, that we used to joke that he was stuck in a revolving door. And after one of the longest debates, my comod and I got an apology from the corporation that owned the platform, and the bully had a tantrum that TPTB there ignored.

It would've been easier for me and I might've gotten more work done if I'd let him run that corner of the online world. But I had seen him silence people and drive them away, and I thought their voices deserved to be heard.

Twitter's worse, of course. Musk owns the platform and is doing what he can to suppress and silence Democrats, liberals in general, and anyone who opposes him. But there are still a lot of liberals there, and liberal hashtags often trend. Musk and his supporters celebrate when liberals leave.

The non-RW alternatives to Twitter are still much smaller, and liberals are scattered among them, in an online diaspora. That scattering is also something Musk, Trump and their supporters want. I saw a magazine editor post recently about trying to cross-post and read replies on Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon. He's doing it for now, but it's very time-consuming.

Anyway, there are still a lot of good people on Twitter, with good reasons for staying there, at least for the time being.

So I will keep posting tweets here as long as it's allowed. I did not post unbroken links to the tweets referred to above because I wanted even the Twitter-averse here to be able to read Fasano's statement.

[maxrandb]

1. Sure, it sounds like encouraging the chickens to stay at the KFC Farm

in the hope their presence will change things.

They've developed so many friendships and connections...what could possibly go wrong?

[highplainsdem]

2. Every time DUers post something like that, they're effectively calling every Democratic leader on Twitter stupid.

They're not. Please stop insulting them.

[maxrandb]

3. And everytime we use Xhitter, or buy a Tesla

we are paying someone who wants to murder our families while they sleep.

[Mossfern]

4. We are also paying some factory worker

who may not have the same political views as their boss.

[highplainsdem]

5. Untrue with Twitter - see this link:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219717759#post3

And Mossfern just pointed out that not all the money spent on Teslas goes to Musk.

A lot of liberals own Teslas - including, the last I heard, AOC.

Do you use any websites owned by billionaires happy now to support Trump?

Do you take any meds or eat any food - or buy any products - produced by companies owned and run by people now supporting Trump?

Do you ever order from Amazon?

Do you live and pay taxes in a state and/or city controlled by Republicans?

Do you watch any TV or films, or listen to any music, from corporations controlled by people now supporting Trump?

[usonian]

8. None of the above. ( +/- only one deciBel )

Freedom's just another word for doing what I choose.



What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.”

[moonscape]

6. It's important for us to have a voice all over social media. While

Last edited Sat Nov 16, 2024, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)

it might not be for everyone, the reality is that is where low-information voters get all their news/info. I agree that they want us to scatter and disappear, but I’m an advocate for those of us who can, to stand our ground and be a voice.

I see it as part of the resistance.

For those who don’t agree, or don’t wish to remain, I would hope the relentless dictums that we must leave (often in all caps) will cease in favor of respecting an alternate view from within our own tent.

[highplainsdem]

12. Thank you. Yes, those staying on Twitter are part of the resistance.

[Prairie Gates]

7. Pfffft...

That's the sound of his wet fart. He's just addicted to the platform. Adorno once said that there can be no poetry after Auschwitz. There can certainly be no poetry in the Nazi party headquarters.

Trying to make a virtue out of one's social media addiction is not the mark of a deep thinker.

[highplainsdem]

9. You're in effect accusing every liberal on there, including all the Democratic leaders, of being there just

because they're "addicted to the platform."

Which is both very simplistic and very wrong.

But if you're so sure you're right, I suggest you write to all those Democrats about it.

[Prairie Gates]

14. Yes, I read this defense the first few times you posted it

It's not very compelling. In any case, they should also get off the platform.

[highplainsdem]

15. So tell them so, since you think your argument's so compelling. LOL.

[Prairie Gates]

17. Replying to silly arguments like Joseph Fasano's posted on DU

Does not obligate anyone to reply to other silly arguments everywhere. Like I said, your point is not very compelling.

[highplainsdem]

18. Describing Fasano's statement as "silly" says a lot about you.

No one's forcing you to be on Twitter. Including Democrats you've voted for who post there frequently. If you respect them, you should accept their choice to stay there, whether or not you agree with it. You could help there by making liberal arguments, but you've chosen not to. Your choice. You're wasting your time trying to dictate the choices of other liberals and Democrats who are staying on Twitter at this time.

[Prairie Gates]

19. Who's dictating anything? LOL

What are you even talking about? I think liberals who are still on Twitter are making a silly mistake because it is owned by a fascist bigot and it is a cesspool of right wing trash. And I think this guy's argument in particular is silly. Needless to say, he can do what he wants, as can you. And other people can judge it. Welcome to the public sphere.

[highplainsdem]

20. Ridicule is often used for bullying. Especially crude, vulgar ridicule like comparing Fasano's carefully reasoned

and beautifully written statement to a wet fart, as you did in your first post here.

And you've made it clear you feel superior to Fasano and every liberal on Twitter - that you think you're brighter than all of them, and they're just poor Twitter addicts who can't think as clearly as you.

Got it...

[Prairie Gates]

21. Oh, the drama

I'm sorry you were unable to persuade me of your position. Jeez!

[Emrys]

28. Do you not see how replies like yours to highplainsdem above resemble some of the trolling that happens on Twitter?

That's been one of the main reasons I've seen cited regularly on Twitter why some folks have chosen to withdraw.

I don't think there's ever been a concensus on DU about Twitter content, though those who disapprove of it are often the most vociferous. At the moment, the rules here allow it to be posted.

You showed no sign of being open to being persuadable or looking for a debate. Invective was all you offered.

There are times recently when the reactions appear like mobbing, and more energy's spent voicing off about Musk etc. (who I seldom see much about on Twitter itself as I have him blocked) than discussing the actual issues being raised by the posts. It is starting to verge on bullying at times.

"Welcome to the public sphere," says you. Many a MAGAt on Twitter would say the same thing.

[Blue_Tires]

10. I understand his rationale

And I had a similar opinion up until last week...

But when Melon Husk began opening the floodgates for Russian bots and started force-feeding MAGA fuckwads into my TL despite the fact that I'd blocked tens of thousands of them over the years, it was time for me to burn my bridges...

Yes, in ten years I'd made a lot of genuine friends and allies over there, linked up with quite a few well-known DUers and I'll miss being able to instantly feed my esoteric niche interests with like-minded people... But something had to give. And nothing lasts forever.

[highplainsdem]

13. You got those even under Following, or under For You, which is always a mix?

[Blue_Tires]

22. The "For You" tab

And I wasn't the only person who noticed the abrupt changes after Melon Husk "adjusted" the algorithm

[highplainsdem]

23. Yes, he plays with the algorithm a lot.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1857734822799540684.html


But I'm glad to hear it didn't affect what you saw under Following.

I tend to skip around a lot on Twitter - follow too many people to keep up with all of them, so when I check Twitter I'll typically check trending, then favorite accounts among those I follow, then quick looks at both For You and Following. I've met some interesting people whose tweets first showed up under For You. I don't get a lot of MAGAts there, other than Musk's stupid tweets. I haven't blocked him because I do want to see what he's up to.

[Arazi]

30. Same. Every thread now filled with MAGAts and bots

Far too many posts that are just angry responses completely unrelated to whatever the topic might be - “cope and seethe” or “die libtard hahahaha” plus much much MUCH worse.

Obviously designed to drive progressives, Dems and never-Trumpers away by spamming every damn thread with hate.

Why endure that shit?

I too quit last week

[dawg]

11. I just set up a profile with Bluesky and so far it's awesome.

It's everything that Twitter used to be, and almost all the people I cared about following are already there.

[City Lights]

16. To each his own.

I left Twitter after the Musk boy's purchase went through and haven't looked back.

[GenThePerservering]

24. Fasano. had a point until

Grok was going to harvest all of the content on Xitter and privacy laws would be changed. Now he has no point.

[Emrys]

25. There's an irony in people who have multiple tens of thousands of DU posts to their name

regularly accusing others of being "addicted" to social media in the form of Twitter.

But maybe I didn't need to point that out, because I don't routinely think others in my daily online space are stupid and misguided, or worse, in league with the devil in the misformed shape of Elon Musk, nor do I feel the need to police what they do with their own time and resources, on DU or outside it.

As long as Ukrainian accounts, which give me insights into their country's desperate struggle I can't get elsewhere, as long as Scottish accounts which do the same for my own country's very much less desperate situation that no other media cover, as long as savage and subversive wits rally others in the sometimes teethgritting grind of getting back up again after setbacks online and in daily grass-and-dirt-and-flesh life - as long as they post what they have to give on Twitter, I will read it, benefit, and pass on what I think worthwhile if others want to read it too.

Historian Mary Beard (who's a big noise in the UK and does have a worldwide following - a Web search for her name should provide details for anyone who doesn't know who she is - and has slated Musk on reputable TV news programmes for the rubbish he's spouted about the Roman Empire, among other things) recently tweeted:

mary beard
@wmarybeard

I have started a Bluesky account (same handle). I am not sure if I am going to “transfer”. I feel very unsure about what seems to happening (separate platforms for left and right). But I am being prepared.

This is a renowned academic who gets her share of attention from Twitter's trolls and is not short of sources of information or outlets eager for her output, so no one would blame her if she felt it wasn't worth the hassle of maintaining a presence.

As long as DU's rules allow the posting of material from Twitter, I'll do so whenever I think it worthwhile. If anyone's unhappy about that, they can just block me now, use the tools available to block "twitter" and whatever other terms they see fit and they think may work, and get on with their lives unsullied.

[stillcool]

26. to each his own...

I choose to boycott certain things because I have the choice. I can't say that about much. People like to remind me that it makes no difference whether you buy here or buy there, it all ends up in the same pot... but making a choice, as pitiful as the act may be is something, the only thing I have.

[OilemFirchen]

27. There's no fucking way I'm voluntarily leaving Twitter.

I'll eventually be banned, no doubt, but I have a fun plan to seriously confuse the knuckle-draggers in the interim. Why not do my part to cleave the dullard cult while they're all gathered in one location? Why on earth would I choose to leave a space jam-packed with willing marks?

[Jarqui]

29. I left twitter when Musk bought it

But I went back because I hoped to counter the misinformation.
I paid for a monthly subscription to help write meaningful, factual responses to the misinformation.

For a while, I did this. As they ramped up, so did I.

Then, quite suddenly, in the last couple of months before the election, my posts got no replies, no likes, etc
And then I noticed only 1 or 2 reads in a busy thread.
It had been happening for a while as I reviewed my posts.

I'd never received any warning or been disciplined.

So my remaining there was pointless.
I was being censored and they were sneaky about it.
I deactivated my account which should be deleted fair soon.

I'm trying bluesky and threads

[OilemFirchen]

31. That was predictable. I miss being able to engage and, on occasion, have fun despite diametrically opposing views.

I can't imagine ever being able to do so again. But I still wanna party at the cretins' expense, so I'm going to try a completely different approach. Why the hell not, right?

Watch this space...

[Jarqui]

32. Fellow Americans are being lied to

And they (X/Musk) are actively preventing them from finding out they're being lied to while not being up front about it.

If you want to sue about it, with recent change in terms of service, you have to do so with the right wing judges in Texas.

They're holding the minds of some Americans captive so that they only get what propaganda they want them to get.

FOX/OAN/Newsmax/X/right wing radio are the new Pravda and I'm baffled on what can be done about it.

How can we fight back?
'Our' media tries to be 'fair and balanced' and give Trump equal time (for ratings, etc) but the right wing media doesn't do that.
so its 75% right wing and 25% left wing.
Meanwhile, Republican President, SCOTUS, Senate & House are about to curtail voting rights. If there is a next election, it is going to be that much tougher.
Very troubling.