I did it, I finally left. I’m not happy about it, but it had to happen. (Actually, it happened some weeks ago.) So, what does it take to leave?
I’m talking about Twitter (oh, yeah, ‘X’ as in what’s been done to it ), by the way. I’d been on there a fair bit. Having tossed my account, I can’t see when my first tweet was, but at least since 2009. How do I know? Because that’s when I was recruited to help start #lrnchat, an early tweetchat that has still been going as recently as this past summer! I became an enthusiast and active participant.
And, let me be clear, it’s sad. I built friendships there with folks with long before I met them in person. And I learned so much, and got so much help. I like to tell the story about when I posted a query about some software, and got a response…from the guy who wrote it! For many years, it was a great resource, both personal and professional!
So, what happened? Make no mistake, it was the takeover by Elon Musk. Twitter went downhill from there, with hiccups but overall steadily. The removal of support, the politics, the stupid approaches to monetization, the bad actors, it all added up. Finally, I couldn’t take it any more. Vote with your feet. (And yes, I’m mindful of Jane Bozarth’s admonition: “worth every cent it cost you”. Yep, it was free, and that was unexpected and perhaps couldn’t be expected to last. However, I tolerated the ads, so there was a biz basis!)
Perhaps it’s like being an ex-smoker, but it riles me to see media still citing X posts in their articles. I want to yell “it’s dead, what you hear are no longer valid opinions”. I get that it’s hard, and lots of folks are still there, but… It had become, and I hear that it continues to be, an increasing swamp of bad information. Not a good source!
So where am I now? There isn’t yet an obvious solution. I’m trying out Mastodon and Bluesky. If you’re there, connect! I find the former to be more intimate. The latter is closer to twitter, but I’m not yet really seeing my ‘tribe’ there. I am posting these to both (I think). I’m finding LinkedIn to be more of an interaction location lately, as well, though it’s also become a bit spammy. #sideeffects? I keep Facebook for personal things, not biz, and I’m not on Instagram. I also won’t go on Threads or TikTok.
So, what does it take to leave? I guess when the focus turns from facilitating enlightening conversation at a reasonable exchange, to monetization and ego. When there’s interference in clean discourse, and opposition to benign facilitation. And, yes, I’m not naive enough to believe in total philanthropy (tho’ it happens), but there are levels that are tolerable and then there’s going to a ridiculous extreme. Wish I had $44B to lose! I know I’m not the only one wishing those who’ve earned riches would focus on libraries and other benevolent activities instead of ego-shots into space, but this is the world we’ve built. Here’s to positive change in alignment with how people really think, work, and learn.
I have not left the bird site yet, though I only visit every few days and check to see if I have any messages. One worry I have about leaving is that someone can take my account name — hjarche — after 30 days, so I am still hanging on to it.
Anyway, I am having way more good conversations on Mastodon :)
I, too, felt sad when I left Twitter as soon as Musk took over — having learned enough about him, I anticipated that things will go downhill. I particularly miss #lrnChat where I met you and Jane virtually. I learned a lot and I’m grateful for friendships formed via Late Twitter!
Leaving social media, especially Twitter for me was an interesting process. It was akin to feeling grief but over time I realised that there were a majority of my network who really didn’t keep in contact nor did I with them. The handful have become stronger friends. As for LinkedIn, I had locked down all the settings, unfollowed everyone and then archived it all. I put my CV on my website instead.
It’s been a process to deal with removing these platforms and then radically changing my focus on them. What have I learned?
I learned that these platforms play a strong part in people’s working and leisure lives. Literally, everyone is on them and in them. To not be on them, you’re considered an oddity. They also at times, (I feel) prevent us from being creative with alternative ways to build new networks. They force us to participate and use these as the only way to promote services, showcase our talents, build networks or businesses. It’s rare to find people or businesses NOT using them or believing they need to be TikTokers to sell their services. In some way, I look at this oddly now being out of it. There’s such a pressure on everyone to be on everything.
It’s a good thing you’re doing. If anything it’ll make you realise what you need to do – and where your focus needs to be.
The people and companies who value your services will find you. They’ll be the better clients in the end – and they’ll be the ones sharing and promoting your expertise and services.
Helen, while there’s a touch of FOMO, I’m not missing X. That’s the only thing I’ve stopped so far (still on Facebook and LinkedIn, for different reasons), and experimenting as I said with Mastodon and Bluesky. LI, interestingly, has become both more active and more spammy. Still, it works for me for now. Good luck and thanks for the response!