As promised, a long post on tools to help manage your Twitter use, whether or not you have an account.
None of the below tools are as easy as Just Using Twitter, just to be clear. And, of course, Elon’s whims may make some of these go away at any moment.
Also, the Disclaimers:
- I make no money, directly or otherwise, off any of these services. I only currently use one (Threadreader), which I pay for.
- I cannot, sadly, provide support for your use of Twitter or any of these tools (a major reason I’ve delayed posting this).
- And, of course, if you don’t need these, feel free to ignore these tools and commentary. I myself have constrained in some ways over the years, and as noted before I no long have a Twitter account to begin with.
The Tools:
- Threadreader is one of many tools that can capture long threads without having to login to Twitter. I use this and talked briefly to the support team about their post-Elon plans, so I think it’ll be stable for now. Certainly the easiest to use of all these tools, if it fits your situation — again, it can be used without having a Twitter account, unlike the other tools here.
- If you still have a Twitter account, BLOCK LIBERALLY. You can use MegaBlock to block not only a Tweet, but everyone who likes it, at one go. I really liked this tool when I had a Twitter account.
- Another Blocking tool is BlockTogether; it depends on finding existing Block lists others have developed, but can then block up to 400K users at one go. (Sorry, I do not have any such lists anymore. Maybe people here can start working on ones to share?)
- Christopher Bouzy’s (mentioned earlier today) Bot Sentinel is a powerful tool that I’ve been using for years now. It has Browser plugins for Chrome and Firefox that will warn of trolls and bots on Twitter itself. I found it of immense use until I left Twitter proper.
- Bot Sentinel also has services for automatically “blocking toxic trolls and inauthentic accounts replying to your tweets based on your set parameters.” I have not used this service, mostly as I didn’t need it.
Which of the above to use depends on your situation. For me, most of the power I got out of Twitter was in finding useful information. That information usually came from someone doing a Thread, so Threadreader’s ability to create Threads and even allow you to subscribe to a user’s threaded posts from Twitter was so much of what I wanted from Twitter proper.
Finally, thoughts at length both on Christopher Bouzy’s efforts, and the larger concept of a Twitter replacement. (Open Thread, otherwise, so no need to talk Twitter yet again!):
I’ve seen some folx deride how Bouzy talks about his efforts to provide a new social network. And I think they don’t give him enough grace, nor fold into their analysis his experience.
Bot Sentinel has clearly been a labor of love for Bouzy for years, now. Of the people in the social media analysis/critique space, he’s had what few can claim — a front-row seat to all the shit we here, among others, keep deriding. Seeing first-hand the influx of bots and GamerGate and the Alt-Right and so much more gives him a lot of insight into our issues with social media.
Rather than just add to the griping, he did something about it, put in crowdfunded work to make Twitter a better place for everyone. That’s what Bot Sentinel represents, at its core.
That’s very different from what motivated, say, the team that developed Mastodon, or many other social media alternatives. They didn’t build these as one-to-one replacements for Twitter — or Facebook, Instagram, etc. Even Jack’s BlueSky isn’t really in that space, really meant to be “here’s the Founder of Twitter building Twitter 2.0”.
They were built (in part!) because other ways to do social media need to be developed and nurtured because that’s the only way to have healthy communications ecosystems. We cannot have just one Online Town Square, and for certain we need better ways to nurture discussion — be it debate, spouting, whatever — than we have today.
(Indeed, I know a lot of what I’ve written here is “spouting off,” including this part here!)
So no, I would label none of these services, to date, “Twitter Alternatives.” Twitter is (was) Twitter because it came up at a time where there was a hunger in many communities for Internet connections and communications. And Twitter was one of a very few services that, for years, supported posting over SMS. We forget that, for many people, actual Internet access was damn rare on the ground for a long time — but Twitter leaned into that, and built up a unique “graph” of users from providing that access, plus constraining posts to reduce data needs for readers.
Whatever comes next won’t be playing in that space. So I resist the dialogue of “replacement,” at least in a direct one-on-one context. I don’t lean into the “Twitter Killer” conversation in any actual way, at this point.
That said — if there is one, Spoutible I think aims for that replacement in some ways, even if I think even Bouzy would hesitate to call it such. But I’d argue that it’s a credible effort from someone with real awareness and experience of social media’s power and failings, and that’s not anything to laugh at.
Update: If you made it this far, and feel you need to push back on my “no Twitter Alt” opinion — you’re welcome to it, and I’m more apt to listen then press back, at this stage. Despite my length, it’s not an opinion I’ll fight to the death over, I promise!
Kdaug
Appreciate the insights & info.
OT: I’ve been playing too much STFC, and every time I see a “John Cole has posted on Facebook” notification I read it as “Jaunty Cow”.
I like it. I believe I’ll stick with it
Martin
So, sorry to bust the plan on post 1-ish, but my move to Mastodon wasn’t because it was a one-to-one replacement of Twitter (though it’s pretty close) but because as a distributed, community run service, no billionaire dicklord can roll in and take it for themselves. The only way a public square can be a public square is if the public has a means of owning it, and that only applies to Mastodon thus far. Everything after that is a technical problem to solve, and technical problems are generally easy problems to solve compared to social/economic ones.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
If you’re using Twitter as a communications tool, I’ve found that using it through Tweetdeck (originally an independent client, then taken over by Twitter itself but still useable in the same manner, through tweetdeck.twitter.com) makes things a lot more tolerable. No advertising, no pushing of promoted tweets, strictly chronological, different columns for whatever interest you’re following.
MattF
It’s clear that blocking is basic to making Twitter tolerable— if blocking ever becomes limited or subscriber-only, I’m outta there, toot suite.
MisterDancer
There’s no plan here. I simply have seen the “X is a Twitter Alternative/People are moving off Twitter to X” conversation a lot, here and elsewhere, and wanted to take a few to express my opinions on that.
If that’s not why you use a service, that makes sense! Indeed: I’d argue I’m saying similar to what you said, in a different context (overall site goals vs. personal site usage goals).
NaijaGal
I’m really liking Mastodon but I don’t think it’s a Twitter replacement (and that’s a good thing). I enjoy my interactions there immensely but I’ve had to create lists to follow people and topics I’m interested in and would otherwise miss. Still on Twitter but now I check Mastodon every day.
The thing that makes it great (not owned by any one company or billionaire) is the thing that also drives some people crazy (no user experience team, no paid employees of any kind to report things to, steep learning curve).
I’ll take a look at Spoutable when it’s out. Not interested in Hive or Post.
Omnes Omnibus
FWIW I have always set my Twitter feed to latest tweets or most recent or whatever. I have never let the algorithm feed stuff to me. Same on Facebook. Both have remained usable and useful to me.
frosty
Since it’s an Open Thread, a question for MisterDancer – why folx instead of folks?
I use sez instead of says a lot, but I blame Thomas Pynchon.
LifeInTheBonusRound
I’ve been on Twitter since 2012. Rarely post, mostly follow. I’m able to follow (and occasionally interact with) voices who give me insight and perspective. Especially valuable to me since C19. I’ve established outposts on Post, Mastadon, and preregistered for Spoutible. I suspect one of them will emerge as either the next platform *or* a bridge to the next platform. I found @bettycracker on one, @atrios on another, @nomoremister on another. My safety net is fragmented, but I’m hoping it will catch me!
MisterDancer
@frosty: why folx instead of folks?
Ah, caught me out! From merriam-webster.com:
WaterGirl
@Martin:
It’s true, but a hundred dickheads who run Mastodon servers can roll in with feuds between the person who runs this server and that server, and then suddenly you could be cut off from a whole bunch of the people you follow. Even without feuding and dickishness, there’s plenty of room for incompetence in this model.
Redshift
@Omnes Omnibus: Likewise, though it took a long time before either Twitter or Facebook would let you permanently set your feed to chronological. They both used to automatically revert it to their algorithm after a while.
Another Scott
Thanks for this, MD!
Obligatory…
Cheers,
Scott.
Doug R
Megablock?
Well, that could explain some of the people who’ve blocked me.
Not a huge fan of blocking, makes it impossible to see if someone is an actually idiot or just showing a temporary error in judgement. Although if someone threatens me or I find out they’re mocking me after blocking me-I’ll block them.
I do use mute a lot-I’ll try to reason with someone but if they keep repeating the same talking points after I’ve made my point-that’s a mute.
Redshift
@MattF:
This seems key to any platform that wants to allow interaction without trolling and abuse. (Including here! The pie filter is brilliant.) In my opinion, the proper implementation of blocking should make it so the blocked person is not part of your social media universe. It’s not just that you don’t see them, their replies should disappear from your posts (for everyone), they shouldn’t be able to post links to you or your posts on the platform (to send other people to harass you.)
(Yeah, it’s not going to completely stop harassment, but anything that requires cutting and pasting instead of clicking on a link will reduce it.)
trollhattan
No counting that 51st seat until Wednesday, but cautious optimism seems fair.
Emphasis all mine.
Martin
@WaterGirl: Sure, but humans are inherently social creatures and people running Mastodon servers are even moreso. Those fiefdoms can be pretty easily routed around by migrating instances, or hosting your own as you can do for $6/mo and not need any real technical knowledge.
I’m not saying Mastodon is immune to any of the same problems as Twitter, but you cannot route around Musk on Twitter. If Twitter wants to straight up ban the LGBTQ community, they can just do that and there isn’t shit anyone in the community can do about it. It can also utterly fail financially and take the whole place with it.
A distributed system at least provides opportunities to deal with those problems. I mean, a big reason why Mastodon even exists is as a place for the LGBTQ and disability communities to gain control over their social space because Twitter wasn’t doing the work.
I’m not saying representative democracy isn’t tricky, but I’ll defend it as a better way to do things than the alternatives. Like it or not, Twitter is an autocracy. Maybe a benevolent one, maybe not, but that’s its nature and that will never, ever change.
Martin
@trollhattan: The other importance is that Manchin is up for reelection in 2024 and Dems have damn near zero pickup opportunities. Having a one seat advantage going into 2024 might allow Dems to hold a 50/50 senate, because my sense is that Manchin is almost certainly toast. WV has swung very, very hard GOP in the last 4 years.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
I don’t what is more surreal; Musk posting what claims is Hunter Biden’s dick picks, which is “big news”, shall we say (and is the press really discussing the size of politicians son’s penis?) on Twitter or Trump’s unironic, clearly frantic calls to resend the Constitution in what seems to be a reaction to that picture…. (someone thinks they don’t measure up, shall we say?)
What the fuck?
zhena gogolia
God, the New York Times. I swear every letters column has at least one letter urging that Biden not run in 2024.
TFG is four years younger than him, and in much worse shape physically and mentally. Yet there has never been word one in the New York Times about him not running because of his advanced age.
Omnes Omnibus
@Martin: Going into this election season, the Dems were going to be wiped out. Predictions and models aren’t the actual events.
Ksmiami
@Omnes Omnibus: Manchin for whatever reason is very popular with the Rt in WV… I wouldn’t necessarily predict his political Demise
oldgold
Martin: I agree WV has gone hard toward the GOP. My question is why? Hard for me to believe it is primarily coal.
BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️
@trollhattan:
I am OK with that last outcome.
MattF
OT. An amazing thread. 100 17th century works of art.
Mousebumples
I’m on Mastodon – [email protected]
Willing to reassess in a few months but I can’t handle creating so many accounts at so many places – and Mousebumples is typically available when I go somewhere.
Recommended follows I haven’t seen yet in this thread or the last one –
Recommend Debirdify to find your Twitter follows and followers (ppl you have muted it blocked) on Mastodon too.
cain
I’ve never blocked anyone on twitter – I’m just not a great target, I guess. I have no idea if someone blocked me, probably – but it could be because of tools. I don’t know.
I don’t really go outside my flight plan on the internet – so I don’t run into trouble much.
Ruckus
@Another Scott:
I have been for a few days just going on twitter once a day to see what it looks like. Today it looks like a place I no longer want to bother to see once a day. Yes there are still some reasonable people on there, people I respect and enjoy. But the level of crap is way over 50% now. Sure I can block them but it just isn’t worth the time as I’d spend 75% of my time there blocking asswipes. And the alternatives seem less appealing currently.
Ruckus
@Martin:
MaybeNo Longer a benevolent one, maybe not, but that’s its nature and that will never, ever change.As always it depends upon who is in charge and what they want, demand on the site the own. I’m now seeing exactly what em wants and it isn’t reasonable, it’s crap.
different-church-lady
Hey you lovely Jackals! Here’s a non-Twitter tech question for you savvies and savvets:
Short version: how can I find out if a modern iPhone 13 is compatible with a very old wi-fi access point?
Long version: A couple of days ago I had to go through the now-standard Kabuki with my ISP (RCN) of complaining about constant price increases in order for them to reset my monthly fee to something non-obscene. Which worked. But one of the things I have to do is turn in the ancient wifi router that I probably already bought from them six times over ($15 a month for a 10 year old router that I could replace for about $60? I am I dumb to not have complained about this years ago? They think I am, and they’re probably right…)
So, until I buy a new one, I’m trying to bridge the gap with an even *older* router that someone gave me. And I’m testing that thing out for compatibility. So far the older computers and old iPad will connect, but the iPhone 13 keeps coughing up a “wrong password” error. I suspect it’s because of a mismatch between the best security the router is capable of, which is lower than the worst the phone will allow. But how to prove this out?
MazeDancer
Started Twitter in 2009. Doing Ad Biz due diligence to explore what the thing was about.
Have so many online friends with whom I have been interacting for 13 years!
Muting Elon’s name in every permutation has certainly improved my experience. Unfortunately, you can’t do that with a list, So, still have some Musk exposure.
Post.news is my likely refugee retreat. Set up my account. Seems easy to use.
But do not want to leave Twitter until forced.
ian
@oldgold: I’ll venture 3 theories, of which I think all are playing a part.
Media: In small red areas (such as W.V., but lets not kid ourselves there is like 15 states similar to this) the only media outlets are owned by Sinclair/other right wing orgs and they push garbage into peoples’ brains all day long. I live in Wyoming, and we have this garbage here called the Wyoming News Network. Spoiler alert, it pushes right wing garbage into peoples’ brains all day long, in the guise of radio commercials that seem like news blurbs.
Cultural: young people, particularly LGBTQ or liberals in general, move out of these areas. Why would they stay? Some do, because they love where they live, but many go elsewhere.
Economic: the people with the most education (and that correlates with voting patterns) move where there is opportunity.
1 is fixable, it is a problem liberals have known about for a long time, albeit one we still haven’t figured out how to solve. I don’t know what to do about 2 or 3. In my mind, this is going to require structural reform, or else the population disparity between Wyoming (500,000 people) or West Virginia (1.5 million) will continue to manifest in the senate, where the population of California (40 million) is given the same 2 votes.
Geminid
@Ksmiami: I think Manchin could win reelection if he wanted. I suspect he’ll tag off with the current Governor, Jim Justice, though. Manchin will retire, Justice will beat a more conservative Republican in the primary and then take Manchin’s place in the Senate. Justce, who started his political career as a Democrat, will be like another Manchin, but with an R next to his name instead of a D.
As to the question of why West Virginia is so Republican now, I think demographics accounts for a lot of this. It’s very white, and while the “white working class” looms larger in people’s minds generally than it is in actual numbers, in West Virginia they actually are the largest demographic group.
It’s a very poor and economically stagnant state that does not attract immigrants or even keep college grads, much less attract them. Growth in those two groups helped neighboring Virginia go from red to purple in the last 25 years, but they are a very minor factor in the Mountain State.
Census figures show that West Virginia is the only state whose population now is no bigger than in 1950. They had six Congressional districts going into 1960, when John F. Kennedy won its 8 electoral votes. They will be down to two in the next Congress, and a Democratic Presidential candidate might not win the state in this century..
cain
@different-church-lady:
I’ve been playing with this AI chat bot called ChatGPT see: https://chat.openai.com/chat and I asked your question – here is what they said:
how can I find out if a modern iPhone 13 is compatible with a very old wi-fi access point?
To determine if a modern iPhone 13 is compatible with a very old wireless access point (AP), you can check the specifications and technical requirements of the iPhone 13 and the wireless AP. The iPhone 13 is likely to be compatible with most modern wireless APs that support the 802.11ac wireless standard, which is the latest and most advanced wireless standard for local area networks (LANs). However, if the wireless AP is very old, it may not support 802.11ac or any newer wireless standards, and it may only be compatible with older wireless standards such as 802.11b or 802.11g. In this case, the iPhone 13 may not be able to connect to the wireless AP, or the connection may be slow and unreliable.
Central Planning
@different-church-lady: I suppose it depends on how old the old technology is. In general, the iPhone should support an old router.
Maybe make sure the encryption is WPA2 and not solely WPA. If you don’t have neighbors, turn off the pw requirement and then you should be fine.
AJ of the Mustard Search and Rescue Team
MisterDancer, thanks for giving everyone more context for Bouzy’s excellent (imo) work. I follow him on Twitter and someone with his intelligence, values and wit are the reason I like(d?) the platform.
I’m hoping his new thing will work well for many of us.
Also thanks for pointing out the mega-blocking tools. I’m not targeted but I can’t imagine the pain of being at the receiving end of some much organized hate online.