Why I Remain on Twitter
When we seek information it is either because we know what we are looking for, or because we know that there is something valuable out there, but don’t quite know what it is. Known unknowns versus unknown unknowns if you will. For known unknowns, we could use a search engine (or in an earlier age consult a librarian or encyclopedia). And for unknown unknowns, we could rely on radio and television broadcasts, or newspapers and magazines. Searches are fully customized since they are initiated by us. But broadcasts are not customized at all—everyone picking up a newspaper or tuning into a radio show encounters precisely the same thing.
When I joined Twitter (after some initial reluctance) back in 2011, it dawned on me that the platform combined search and surprise in ways that were historically unprecedented and culturally transformative. Unknown unknowns could be accessed in ways that were completely customized, with each person having a unique feed. Instead of looking for specific information, we simply followed those who were deemed likely to have information that would turn out to be valuable. By facilitating this, Twitter provided an extraordinarily powerful benefit.
Of course, there were downsides. There was doomscrolling and time wasted, and interactions that sapped energy. Endless mocking and dunking and knee-jerk reactions, ranging from mean put-downs to devastating clapbacks. At times it felt like watching a multi-car collision—you couldn’t look away, but ended up feeling a little guilty and unclean. Like visiting Delhi at its most polluted, there were spectacular things to see but a cloudy haze surrounding them.
It would be nice, therefore, to have the informational value without the noise and clutter. One promising new alternative that I have discussed in a couple of earlier pieces is Post. This is hardly a Twitter clone, but it does serve some of the same functions. And the emerging culture, perhaps due to the verification process and the self-selected group of users, is really quite different. Adrian Wright has described the contrast effectively:
For me the hardest thing to adjust to on Post is the sheer absence of guile, bitterness, manipulation, and gaslighting. Like a rescue dog finally placed in a good home, I sometimes find myself recoiling from outstretched friendly hands… for no reason at all except for habit and conditioning. We’ve grown accustomed to shielding ourselves, bracing for the blow that has yet to manifest itself. Ever fearful of getting played.
Get this: There are no Carnival Barkers here. I’m not having to scroll past targeted ads. I’m not gaming algorithms. I’m just saying what’s on my mind as it comes. And sometimes that resonates.
This has also been my own experience, and it’s why I’m spending far more time on Post than on Twitter these days. But I still keep returning to the old haunt, and have no intention of leaving anytime soon. There are two reasons for this.
First, there are some very valuable accounts on Twitter than have not made the transition, and perhaps never will. Consider, for instance, Conspirador Norteño, an anonymous account from which I have learned so much about bot networks using GAN generated profile pictures to disseminate particular narratives or boost crypto prices. Or Populism Updates, another anonymous account that tracks down the strangest and wildest political developments worldwide. Unless the individuals behind these initiatives are willing to surrender some privacy and anonymity, they may not be able to meet Post’s criteria for verification.
Then there are high-value accounts that have joined Post but remain relatively inactive there. Renee DiResta, for example, who is essential reading on misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda, and whose two-hour conversation with Joe Rogan is among the most interesting and eye-opening podcasts I’ve heard. And Nicholas Christakis, an important voice on freedom of expression, whose tweet led me to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s brilliant and powerful Reith lecture a couple of weeks ago.
And then there are folks like Henry Olson, Bari Weiss, Rafael Mangual, and Kmele Foster, who offer perspectives that are currently hard to find on Post. In general, there is a dearth of libertarian and conservative opinion there, and for those (like me) who seek ideological diversity in information diets, that is a shortcoming. One of the most productive conversations I have had in recent months was with Bari Weiss and David French on her show, on the topic of gun violence. And the episode with Lara Bazelon and Rafael Mangual, guest hosted by Kmele Foster, was also extraordinarily insightful, while remaining entirely civil. These kinds of interactions are not yet taking place on Post. Even some of the more interesting and iconoclastic voices on the left, Briahna Joy Gray and Lara Bazelon among them, are missing.
I could go on, but you get the point.
The second reason I remain on Twitter is that I want to provide a glimpse of the vibrancy and value that Post offers, to those who have not yet experienced it. To show them what they are missing, and perhaps induce them to explore. There are leaders emerging in various sub-communities on Post who are coordinating efforts and consolidating information—Ken Tanahashi on photography, Debbie Ohi on children’s literature, and Seema Jayachandran on economics for instance. In fact, much of my activity on Twitter now involves links to Post.
So I remain on Twitter for both pragmatic and instrumental reasons. There is still plenty that is valuable there, and that can’t easily be found elsewhere. And the power and reach of the platform can be used to promote a direct competitor. Perhaps that will get me suspended at some point, but it’s worth the risk.
When it comes to the information ecosystem, we are currently in a state of flux. It’s not clear what will emerge strong and what will fade away even over the next few months. Substack itself may be threatened by the Post micropayments system, and local news outlets and independent journalists may find new sources of revenue. There are plenty of unknown unknowns. But there is a dynamism in this sector that hasn’t been seen in years, and it will be very interesting to see where it leads.
This may be my last post of 2022, so I’ll take the opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and wonderful New Year!