Thread by @DuendeenF

Hey we've all had a minute to process, right? All done? Good.

Let's talk about some guidelines for continued use of this platform and other social media systems. This one will probably be the worst, but the same forces are coming for all of them. A quick thread. 🧵🧵🧵

1) Don't talk to bots. Don't talk to trolls.

Period. Don't give them any air. And honestly there's no point in distinguishing these - they're either a computer program designed to make you mad or a sad person that enjoys hurting others. Mute or block every time. No quote tweets.

2) Understand the basics of propaganda and disinfo.

The two big lessons are Flooding the Zone and Manufacturing Consent.

Flooding the Zone is an age-old tactic that involves flooding an information space with contradictory narratives to make discerning truth impossible.

They want to make discourse confusing and toxic so that people tune out or accept simple explanations as a way of resolving complexity.

The full quote here is "flood the zone with shit."

Here's my preferred intro to the topic: vox.com/policy-and-pol…

This sets people up for the next tactic - Manufacturing Consent.

This is a term that was popularized during the second Gulf War and is used to describe propaganda and media that seeks to shape public opinion in a way that *manufactures* permission for certain policies.

Together, these two tactics are an effective one-two punch.

First, make shit toxic and confusing. Second, provide a simplifying narrative that resolves the cognitive burden of thinking about a complicated topic and gives permission for otherwise abhorrent policy.

3) Watch out for belief traps and belief silos.

You can think of these like thought-terminating cliches. Belief traps are often pushed by nefarious forces for their own ends.

As an example, most conspiracies are a kind of belief trap.

pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

Conspiracies sideline people into parallel realities and conjecture and prevent them from focusing their energy on actual organizing or solutions.

Doomerism is another kind of belief trap. This usually sounds like "what does it matter we're all doomed."

theguardian.com/environment/20…

Similarly, belief silos are communities that develop around these beliefs.

These communities are often sustained by bad-faith types and fellow travelers to prevent coalition building and organizing. These are best understood as "divide and conquer" tactics.

4) Take your ego out of it.

If you're posting for engagement or to be a big Resist Account, you're posting for the wrong reasons. I usually avoid interacting with these accounts because they're prone to clickbait that seems more about self-aggrandizement than action.

5) Social media is not enough.

Social media can help. Occasionally tweets go viral and screenshots wind up on other platforms. This can be good.

Social media can also be educational and put people in contact with scientists and journalists that know what they're talking about.

But we shouldn't mistake social media use for focused organizing. In many ways, social media ITSELF is a kind of belief silo, with people pouring their energy and analysis here instead of IRL organizing.

And I understand some people have limitations. Do what you can.

6) Don't rely on one platform.

Social media systems are largely owned by capricious oligarchs that want to preserve the status quo. These are not level playing fields.

Build networks and organize broadly.

7) Change your media diet.

This will take work, but try to get in the habit of reading longer form media. I'd recommend subscribing to a few blogs or substacks or following journalists covering tech and disinformation.

If you're looking for recommendations, I like @TaylorLorenz, @LauraJedeed , @brainnotonyet, @ErinInTheMorn, and @BrynnTannehill.

Dan Loxton (@Daniel_Loxton) also has an excellent list of disinfo researchers and journalists that you can follow on the other site.

8) Make room for hard conversations.

This is difficult and seems contrary to rule #1, but... if you find someone that's not a troll and sincerely seems confused and you think that there's room for a conversation, try to make time for it.

And if you do this, understand that it's HARD to change someone's mind and arguments tend to harden opinions.

I'd recommend listening, asking questions to clarify and steel-man their opinions, and trying to stake out common ground. Finding any common ground is a win.

I spent a lot of time having these conversations in 2020 and 2021 and I'm going to write more about this in the future.

I'd also recommend following @_Shan_Martinez_ if you want to learn more about derad in general. Someone should hire her.

9) Don't give up.

Like I've said, Doomerism is its own belief trap. Don't give up. Don't let hate harden your heart. The people around you are worth fighting for.

In summary:

Don't talk to trolls. They just want to hurt you. Understand the basics of online disinfo. Watch for belief traps and silos. Understand that social media is not enough and organize. Try to broaden your media diet and read more.

And don't give up.

Addendum:

Please be patient with each other. I'm tired of seeing progressive spaces descend into conflict and infighting over small issues. Also understand that bots and provocateurs try to create conflict in these spaces to break coalitions and prevent organizing.

And if you move to the other site, I'll be there doing the same thing.