I MIss Twitter

 I can't tell you how much I miss Twitter.  I miss the friends I made there.  I miss being connected to the Air Traffic Controllers I met there.  But more than anything, I miss the news. 

I don't know how you use(d) Twitter but I mostly followed journalists and columnists.  There were the usual suspects: James Fallows, Fareed Zakaria and Paul Krugman.  But I also followed a lot of reporters I don't know well from the New York Times.  As a matter of fact, it's really the way I read The Times.  I have an online subscription but I still don't find the news I want on their web site.  I always found the stories I really wanted to read on Twitter.  I followed the authors of books I read and liked.

I was also using Twitter to get up to speed on Alabama.  It's odd:  I've lived next door to Alabama (in Georgia) most of my life and I know next to nothing about it.  I know a lot about South Carolina because I was born (and lived) there.  I know a good deal about Western North Carolina because I wanted to live there.  I even know a little about Tennessee.  But I know nothing about Alabama.

Mostly, Alabama is shocking.  And most of that is in a bad sense.  It's a lot more beautiful than expected.  And Huntsville is better than I expected.  It's shockingly progressive (for Alabama) and there is so much to do.  The best part is that there is so little traffic you actually go out and do it.  A walk in the park.  I joined the art museum.  Eating at the sidewalk cafes.  Going to concerts at Lowe Mill.  And that's during the COVID pandemic. I'll be doing even more now that is seems to be over. (???)

But the State of Alabama?  Whoa.  First, you don't EVER want to be in jail in Alabama.  A lot of people die in Alabama jails.  People in jail for relatively minor things -- like being mentally ill.  (Is that a crime?)  The corruption is off the charts. Like so many Southern States, they won't expand Medicaid (aka adopt "Obamacare") so their medical system is retreating to the cities.  And lest you forget, I learned most of this by following folks (Moon, Whitmire and Archibald) on Twitter.  (Yes, this post is about Twitter.  I'm getting there.)

So I really, really miss Twitter.  But I'm not coming back.  At least not as long as Elon is there.

You see, I quit because of his actions and I'm staying away because of his actions.  One of the things I have time for now that I'm not doom scrolling on Twitter anymore is listen to a new podcast called Americast on the BBC.  There's a young lady presenter on there named Marianna Spring and she tracks social media -- including Twitter.  As a matter of fact, she (and the BBC, I assume) has created a few fake accounts to see what Twitter's algorithms feed these fake (political) profiles.  It's enlightening.

In addition to that, she has been after Elon Musk for an interview.  Elon has ignored her.  Then she was on the BBC show "Panorama" with an investigation of Twitter. (That link won't play here in the States.) That got Elon's attention and he -- true to form -- turned his troll army loose on her.  You can hear about that in this episode of Americast.  (That link *will* play.)

Congratulations Elon.  You made a young lady cry.  I'm sure your mamma would be proud.  Let me know when you leave so I can come back.  You aren't the first whacko that knew how to make money and you won't be the last.  (That's right, I won't be buying a Tesla either.)

This isn't a call to arms.  I'm not asking you to follow me up this hill to die on it.  I learned a long time ago that I don't have that magic.  But I do have a conscience.  And I do know how to follow it.  As I told my daughter one time, if you feel so strongly that Chick-fil-A has bad policies you shouldn't give them your business.  If you don't have the moral strength to do that -- to deny yourself a delicious sandwich in a clean, efficient restaurant staffed by well-trained people -- I can't help you.  And you won't change a thing.

I may not change anything either but I won't be a party to making Elon Musk rich.  I don't want to be associated with him.  Guess I'll be missing Twitter for a while.

Don Brown
March 22, 2023