Thread by @kakape

Judging by the influx of new followers I am getting over at Mastodon, a lot of people are starting to think that Twitter's future looks really bleak. So a few thoughts on #RIPTwitter, the future of #sciencetwitter and all that:

First of all, I have no insight into what is going on at Twitter. I am simply someone who has been addicted to this particular platform for many years, really loves what it has allowed me to do and hopefully has contributed the kind of content that made Twitter valuable to many.

As others have pointed out Twitter is as unlikely to go up in flames tomorrow as it is to become a well-run, nicely moderated global town square. But like @oneunderscore__ I find it increasingly hard to see any good outcome at the end of all this

https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1593608165488312320?s=46&t=P690HlEHTzU_rBk9cqco2w

@oneunderscore__ Twitter has treated people working there in a disgusting way these past weeks and has lost a ton of trust.

Whatever you think of Musk as a manager, there is a fundamental disconnect between his stated goals for the platform ("most accurate source") and the way he is behaving.

@oneunderscore__ He is retweeting conspiracy theories, wreaking havoc on people’s abilities to tell real from fake accounts and if you look at who he has been interacting with here (and how) it’s clear that the twitter he wants is not the one I love to be a part of

https://twitter.com/adamdavidson/status/1593598264791760897?s=46&t=P690HlEHTzU_rBk9cqco2w

@oneunderscore__ Twitter has been invaluable for me as a journalist to connect with scientists and other people, to learn and to share what I have learnt. I will miss it if it changes into something else, but as @karaswisher and others have said: Life goes on.

https://twitter.com/karaswisher/status/1593590144979943424

@oneunderscore__ @karaswisher I have set up a presence over at Mastodon and it has been an interesting experience. I am surprised at how much of #sciencetwitter is already reconstituting there. but there are other communities and functions that will not easily be replicated. And it does make me sad and angry.

@oneunderscore__ @karaswisher Yes, things are different at mastodon, by design. You can hate some stuff or miss things, but the basic architecture of having small online communities that essentially organise themselves and then interact with other communities makes a lot of sense to me. We will see!

@oneunderscore__ @karaswisher But whatever you think: I’ve always liked beginnings more than endings and there is a sense of something beginning over there. Either way, if you want to try it out you can find me here:
mas.to/@kakape

@oneunderscore__ @karaswisher I have also signed up to be on the waiting list for Post, purely on the basis of it sounds interesting and if @karaswisher recommends it I am willing to give it a try.

https://twitter.com/karaswisher/status/1593585849324609536

@oneunderscore__ @karaswisher Let me end with what @STWorg told me when I was writing my piece on the #Twittermigration: "What this shows is how important it is to get public spaces under public control, so if there is anything good that might come from this it's that more people might begin to realize that."

@oneunderscore__ @karaswisher @STWorg And now back to science and infectious diseases, here and on mastodon and wherever you meet me...