1/ I decided to find out more about Parler, the new social media site that markets itself as a freespeech/open-to-all-political viewpoints, but somehow only seems so to do that marketing to pro-Trump conservatives.
So I joined & thought I'd give everyone a quick tour.
So I joined & thought I'd give everyone a quick tour.
2/ First, let's start with the signup process. It's *very* easy. In fact, for security reasons, it might be too easy. When I had my Mac put in a long randomly generated password, the way I do for all sites. But Parler said it couldn't accept it because it was too simple.
3/ That seemed weird, and I tried generating a few similar passwords only to get rejected. Finally, I tried the numeral 1, the name of my cat, and a question mark. Accepted!
4/ The first thing Parler does when you sign up is give you recommendations for people and media companies to follow, and the options underscored Parler's commitment to the exchange of ideas across the political spectrum.
5/ Parler helpfully offers a range of subjects people on Parler are talking about. As it turns out, almost all of them are Parler (and Bitcoin because of course). But there were two that legit caught my eye: #gardenclub & #fatkidclub. I decided to check them out.
I chose #gardenparty first, assuming it was pics of what Parler users were doing w/ their gardens now that summer is here, a la @epicciuto. I'm still not sure what the hashtag means, but it doesn't have anything to do w/ gardens or parties. Here are the first posts I saw.
7/ I was a little more worried what I might find about #fatkidclub, for obvious reasons. But it turns out, like the garden party thread, there was no discernible theme I could parse out.
8/ Though I did find the first name I recognized in #fatkidclub: US Rep Devin Nunes, who made a playful jape immediately following a member calling themselves Jim Crow and sporting a noose as an avatar. Free speech!
9/ Scrolling down, I did find a couple of early users making observations that suggest that perhaps the trick to Parler's algorithm is that these is no actual algorithm.
10/ So with no apparent algorithm, you might be asking "well what is the point of this site?" Why are all these pro-Trump minor celebs pushing it so hard?
Well it turns out, Parler has another feature I hadn't heard about until I was browsing the site: the tip button.
Well it turns out, Parler has another feature I hadn't heard about until I was browsing the site: the tip button.
11/ On Parler, you are allowed to buy "influence" - fitting! -and then take that influence and pass the $ on to your favorite pro-Trump celebrity.
So that's it. The trick of Parler is the same as all the other pro-Trump media hustles out there: it's a grift.
So that's it. The trick of Parler is the same as all the other pro-Trump media hustles out there: it's a grift.
12/ After my tour I decided to cancel my membership, where I learned about Parler's helpful strategy to keep their #s up: you have to send a message to someone and ask them to have you taken off. Which I have! And which, al least so far, they haven't.
/end tour
/end tour
FWIW, more on Parler experience here by the great @wvEsquiress at @ordinarytimemag.
