The truth reveals itself eventually in such observational nuggets like the above quoted tweet by @thenation's @joanwalsh.
But really this is a fact of life on @Twittet that women, particularly those from the left like Walsh, have been forced to grow accustomed.
2/
But really this is a fact of life on @Twittet that women, particularly those from the left like Walsh, have been forced to grow accustomed.
2/
The ways and the frequency with which the kinds of incidents Walsh describes take place is, of course, of great concern. More troubling, however, is the now predictable non-response/inaction @TwitterSupport so often answers these complaints.
3/
3/
Unfortunately, this inaction by @jack and Co. has led to too many incidents going unreported. Why take the time to report an incident that you will either be told was not what you experienced not worthy of their time from the very community resource meant to protect you.
4/
4/
"Everyone can see, what's going on.
They laugh 'cause they know they're untouchable.
And not because what I said was wrong."
-- Sinead O'Connor
Asking any of us to give @jack the benefit of the doubt assumes that we have any left to give.
Fresh out.
5/
They laugh 'cause they know they're untouchable.
And not because what I said was wrong."
-- Sinead O'Connor
Asking any of us to give @jack the benefit of the doubt assumes that we have any left to give.
Fresh out.
5/
While general trolling is endemic to social media, the kinds of attacks lobbed from inside @Twitter at a specific group of women is telling
"Through their own words,
They will be exposed.
They've got a severe case of
The emperor's new clothes."
6/
"Through their own words,
They will be exposed.
They've got a severe case of
The emperor's new clothes."
6/
From the Spring of 2015 onward attacks against prominent women on the political left on Twitter began to ramp up considerably. These attacks became increasingly toxic & numerous.
It didn't take long to recognize another shared trait among the women being attacked.
Clinton.
7/
It didn't take long to recognize another shared trait among the women being attacked.
Clinton.
7/
Almost immediately the women bring attacked noticed that internal support from @Twitter was lacking both urgency and consistentcy.
Male trolls, studied Twitter's terms of service closely, and found creative ways to express threats and personally attack women.
8/
Male trolls, studied Twitter's terms of service closely, and found creative ways to express threats and personally attack women.
8/
Clinton supporters, particularly women, became blank canvasses onto whom aggressive male attacker's could paint all of the sins they imagined Clinton was guilty.
Gaslighting.
Exaggeration.
Manufactured Outrage.
Ridiculous expectations applied to no one else.
9/
Gaslighting.
Exaggeration.
Manufactured Outrage.
Ridiculous expectations applied to no one else.
9/
Twitter became both the testing ground for new attacks and the frontiine for the tried and true attacks against her by exploiting the long arsenal Clinton's political enemies had developed.
10/
10/
It's a bitter pill to swallow to realize that Clinton's enemies used many of her online female supporters to push and exploit the growing public anxieties about her emails & her candidacy.
They attacked well-known supporters viciously & called bot armies to overwhelm them.
11/
They attacked well-known supporters viciously & called bot armies to overwhelm them.
11/
Throughout all of this @twitter allowed the constant harassment of Clinton's most influential allies and supporters, both male and female.
Twitter began silently shadow banning many Clinton supporters, myself included.
A process we joke about as being put in jail.
12/
Twitter began silently shadow banning many Clinton supporters, myself included.
A process we joke about as being put in jail.
12/
Each time @TwitterSupport fails to caution, warn, or suspend an account whose primary objective is clearly to identify, troll, or harass women then they are choosing to create an atmosphere of hostility and distrust.
It has failed to do its one job.
It has failed itself.
13/
It has failed to do its one job.
It has failed itself.
13/
I have watched women I care about deeply on this site be called horrific names, receive inappropriate content via pictures and video, be sexually harassed or propositioned and, despite multiple reports being sent, no action is ultimately taken against the attacker.
14/
14/
As usual, I doubt anyone from @TwitterSupport, @Twitter, or @Jack himself will be willing to step into a thread like this and answer for some of the OBVIOUS racism and misogyny that was written into even the darkest corners of its algorithms.
Hannity gets a call in.
But.
16/
Hannity gets a call in.
But.
16/
In June, Twitter lost a powerful voice for the #Resistance, for woman, and for POC because of its unjust & racist meting out of discipline here @jack.
There are no words to describe how disappointed @Only4RM & I were to watch our dear friend Kimberly (@outerbororoyal) exit.
17/
There are no words to describe how disappointed @Only4RM & I were to watch our dear friend Kimberly (@outerbororoyal) exit.
17/
And why did she choose to leave this platform, and more importantly friends and allies?
Well, after enduring a long conversation with a white man who, while defending family separations, was dealing in the worst kinds of racist tropes, And she told him to "Drop dead."
18/
Well, after enduring a long conversation with a white man who, while defending family separations, was dealing in the worst kinds of racist tropes, And she told him to "Drop dead."
18/
The result was the black woman reported the racist white man, who received no punishment @jack.
But the racist white snowflake reported that the black woman had threatened his life and created an unsafe environment and @TwitterSupport agreed and suspended her.
19/
But the racist white snowflake reported that the black woman had threatened his life and created an unsafe environment and @TwitterSupport agreed and suspended her.
19/
Apparently calling Mexican people "lazy river rats" is creating a safe environment from someone in @TwitterSupport's opinion.
It's jaw-dropping and profane. Its exactly the type of thing one would expect to happen in a country about to give way to authoritarian rule.
20/
It's jaw-dropping and profane. Its exactly the type of thing one would expect to happen in a country about to give way to authoritarian rule.
20/
Recently, in a tweet that had gone viral before Twitter forced me to delete it, I also felt the burn (pun intended) from angry straight white dudes with snowflake egos.
I suggested that before they sat down and shut-up that they maybe punch themselves in the face for me.
21/
I suggested that before they sat down and shut-up that they maybe punch themselves in the face for me.
21/
My friend Kimberly had used a perfectly innocent idiom @jack in response to real ignorance and racism, and I issued an obviously unserious request that some dumb white guys punch themselves in the face and wewere both suspended.
We should never have nice things again.
22/
We should never have nice things again.
22/
I could point to numerous, and I mean numerous, examples of actions (or lack of them) taken by @TwitterSupport / @Twitter that, when taken in totality, suggests an institutional or at least department level of support for Trump, misogyny, and racism.
23/
23/
But Twitter's problem with women goes beyond just @TwitterSupport, however, @jack.
Recently I've noticed that several younger male friends have been issued verified status. From my perspective they each deserved the distinction.
24/
Recently I've noticed that several younger male friends have been issued verified status. From my perspective they each deserved the distinction.
24/
What troubles me is that there are several women who deserve the distinction more who have not received it. Among them are bestselling authors, award winning journalists, and entertainers.
The optics are bad. @SusanBordo, @Karoli, @VABVOX, & @GottaLaff deserve verification. 25/
The optics are bad. @SusanBordo, @Karoli, @VABVOX, & @GottaLaff deserve verification. 25/
