Written by the brilliant @profsunnysingh.bsky.social This is why I keep saying do not cede ground, hold the line, even if you build community elsewhere. Global Majority governments, organizations, news outlets & activists are still in the old town hall. www.opendemocracy.net/en/twitter-b... - ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

farhanasultana.com • 104 days ago

Written by the brilliant @profsunnysingh.bsky.social
This is why I keep saying do not cede ground, hold the line, even if you build community elsewhere. Global Majority governments, organizations, news outlets & activists are still in the old town hall.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/twitter-blue-ticks-elon-musk-white-people-leaving/

Comments

melina5.bsky.social•104 days ago

I'm still holding ground on Twitter. I believe we still need to fight over there.

mrkkits.bsky.social•104 days ago

I left Twitter because I will in no way support musk. I never actually interacted there much anyway. Bluesky is SO much better!! 💙

mellymel.bsky.social•104 days ago

Almost no one ever saw anything I posted there. Everyone I interacted with there is here now and I have more followers here already after years on that site!

splaystate.bsky.social•104 days ago

I guess the question here is why you want followers? Not a judgmental question, but a frank one.

What are you choosing to engage in? e.g. the Global South uses things like X to finally have their voices heard and we choose to leave when things start to feel unpleasant because they are too real?

mellymel.bsky.social•104 days ago

I don’t care about followers honestly, I just enjoy engagement and connecting with others.

mellymel.bsky.social•104 days ago

Connecting with others in a positive manner, twitter was mostly the opposite. Not something I choose to spend my time doing.

splaystate.bsky.social•104 days ago

the first thought is that people seek to develop audiences because these tools encourage us to think our thoughts are worth sharing-- but I then question what it means to do this in real life, because we don't 'follow' strangers, event if they say things we appreciate.

mssmartypanda.bsky.social•104 days ago

What about the new terms of service for X?

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

It’s why many folks are here or posting more often after being here a long while (like me). But for those us from the Global South, there are reasons for not quitting the other place while global organizations, government bodies, agencies, news sites & activists are there from our communities.

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mauiwong.bsky.social•104 days ago

Some similar points made by Alon Mizrahi, here.

kidnate.bsky.social•99 days ago

Why I'm dubious about this place.

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farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

In many ways I agree with @alonmizrahi.bsky.social as I do with my friend @profsunnysingh.bsky.social. But me posting all this has touched a huge live wire of nerves it seems.

mauiwong.bsky.social•104 days ago

The pushback just proves them both right. Liberals came here to this gated community – the Whole Foods of social media – so they don't have to confront their complicity. They don't want to question themselves.

meeraghani.bsky.social•104 days ago

I tend to agree from what I'm seeing not many posting about Palestine at all. It's mostly business as usual.

meeraghani.bsky.social•104 days ago

I say that because for me Palestine is a litmus test.

mjauwee.bsky.social•103 days ago

ironically the notion that posts and likes on twitter make a real difference is one of the most liberal-minded things i can think of

sandracarioca.bsky.social•103 days ago

Alon is also correct in that (so far) bluesy is pretty boring

hannahluff.bsky.social•104 days ago

Thank you for sharing this. I have enjoyed Bluesky time recently, but have not deleted my Twitter. As a sub 100 following account - it’s no win or lose to anyone - but as ever Prof Sunny Singh has made me think.

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

It’s all up for reassessment but for the time being I think it’s important to also support those who are still there from around the world and not fully abandon them. It’s everyone’s personal choice. I’ve shared more resources in that thread. I’m not advocating people to go back if they don’t want

amostfairchild.bsky.social•104 days ago

I left because it was no longer useful, and this was quite some time ago. It was a toilet that didn't flush. I went and found better options.

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Totall your choice, no is saying otherwise. I merely shared what scholars have said based on their research and experiences.

serola.bsky.social•104 days ago

📌 Great reading.

anvitalakhera.bsky.social•104 days ago

The folks in the Global South were never finding community on Twitter, except for a handful of English speaking liberals. They never owned any ground to cede to begin with. So why should they care if the platform exists or not? And why should anyone insist they care?

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Yet all the Global South governments, agencies, organizations, NGOs, news sites, etc are all there. They’re not English speaking liberals. It’s also the last repository of many Palestinian voices. No one is asking anyone to go or stay there but the authors in the thread make valid points.

jroberts.bsky.social•104 days ago

The nature of social internet spaces is that they’re all ephemera. They rise and fall, the base scatters, new communities and places form and the process begins again. From BBS boards to LiveJournal to MySpace, everything eventually crumbles. Nothing is ceded; Twitter is not immune to the lifecycle.

dsic.bsky.social•104 days ago

Imo It's not our problem that they continue to line the pockets of this man.

velikizeko.bsky.social•104 days ago

If we weren't seeing news organizers, sports reporters, comedians and regular people leaving en masse too I might agree. But, I can also choose to not subject myself to more fascism than the rest of the world is giving me. Abandon them to their circle jerk

jas-gar.bsky.social•104 days ago

I understand the point agree, and will likely repost this write-up to my page as well. However, my decision was taken from me by whoever or whatever made such decisions. My account was suspended on twitter-X so I had no choice really, but look for a better spot. I think you liked my post...

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

It’s everyone’s personal choice where they go or how they spend their time. But the racists & fascists are here now en masse. It’s not a hiding place. Vulnerable people deserve our support where they are. Will reassess with time but I’m in both places for now.

riv3th3ad.bsky.social•104 days ago

I have a curated list of journalists & media outlets over there. A lot of the members either aren’t on Bluesky or have a basically inactive account so I won’t be deleting Twitter just yet. Hell, even Gaza Funds abandoned here to stay @ Twitter

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Exactly this. This place is still very Global North and full of whiteness

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

For more info, see the research @celine.bsky.social has complied, e.g.: https://bsky.app/profile/celine.bsky.social/post/3lawqbd66s22l

13ax.bsky.social•104 days ago

Just thought I'd add this quote from the mighty Carole Cadwalla into the mix.

"So y’all know that the lead investor in this place is a crypto company founded by Steve Bannon’s ex-business partner, right" ?
@carolecadwalla.bsky.social

13ax.bsky.social•104 days ago

I'm pretty sure that Bsky isn't going to save us from much other than providing some top grade schadenfreude when (if) twitter keels over.

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

I know the new terms of service are why many left twitter. I’ve been on Bsky for 1.5 yrs, ferried hundreds of people across by collecting codes when it was by invitation only, have helped build community here. Global South community is majority still on twitter so I’m there too. This may help too:

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kevinlikesmaps.bsky.social•104 days ago

The "if you're still on twitter you're enabling nazis" view is so myopic and white-america-centric

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Welcome to blue sky I guess?

nicholasventure.bsky.social•104 days ago

I appreciate having this perspective.

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

I’m not advocating anyone returning to Twitter if they don’t want to. Many reasons to post less there. I’m merely pointing out it’s where the Global Majority still is & where breaking news still happens. This piece by @alonmizrahi.bsky.social is worth a read too https://bsky.app/profile/mauiwong.bsky.social/post/3lazotty3hc22

mvthomster.bsky.social•104 days ago

Fleeing was for mental health. Also deep distrust. And it's Musk who's trying to separate us. Etc. Etc.

But we're going need a functioning global culture (however thin) to fight fascism, so we should think hard about just how opaque we're about to become to each other.

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Fleeing fascism and fascism is following you here too and this place was never free of Nazis or racists or fascists (just that you can create your own echo chamber if you wish, which many have done). But in the process, people have abandoned vulnerable communities still there. I’m in both spaces

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Some more related points folks in here and there have made. Just sharing as they are valid points IMO & worth consideration. There’s a massive racist colonizing genocide for over a year & supporting it cost the dems the US election, so don’t think Palestine is not important globally.

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monewsdaily.bsky.social•104 days ago

Things have changed as all the migration explodes. Us OG def can help what this becomes. Thanks for trying!

arifh.bsky.social•104 days ago

Twitter is still the thing . The big minds that matter the most are still active there . Bluesky yet to get the folks but the good news is that ice has started to melt .

andreawinkler.net•104 days ago

One of the things that I value about being a white academic living in a community of people from all over the world is that my neighbors do challenge my worldview in productive ways.

andreawinkler.net•104 days ago

He makes an excellent point. Even within America, communities of color tend to be excluded from living arrangements. It's only when you live in a truly mixed community that you get people that will calmly but firmly talk back to your mindset.

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Indeed. But just see the viciousness I’ve faced just bc i shared Sunny & Celine & Alon’s points here.

ricketyshack.ca•99 days ago

It's not about hiding, it's about not giving them an environment where their antagonism is financially rewarded and amplified.

kidnate.bsky.social•99 days ago

Why doesn't Meta get any hate? They censor the biggest g-cide of our time with no mercy whatsoever. Not sure what words are allowed here on this most free of lib safehouses

ricketyshack.ca•99 days ago

Meta's garbage too.

kidnate.bsky.social•99 days ago

My 60 something lib friends & family are happy as pigs in shit over there

ricketyshack.ca•99 days ago

It's all social media. None of it's perfect. Right now this place has no ads and no algorithm, that's good enough for me. It's a tech product, eventually it'll become something else that I probably won't like. Cross that bridge when I get there.

sandipb.net•104 days ago

I get the point being made, but I think to a lot of people spending less time on Twitter is mental self care

Yes, there is a bigger representation, diversity of views, and breaking news

But I would rather read slightly stale news on a boat in a calm lake, than detailed news on a ship in a typhoon.

tomioladipo.bsky.social•104 days ago

It’s literally an app, not an entity we owe an allegiance. The user experience has worsened since the article was written with engagement bair, and bots. X claims to promote free speech but not necessarily freedom to choose what you want to be exposed to. Nothing wrong with trying to avoid that.

tomioladipo.bsky.social•104 days ago

*bait

gregred.bsky.social•104 days ago

This article from 2022 is not valid anymore. People are leaving twitter/x because even if majority might still be there you do not see their content anymore. People have been fed only with unwanted content about Trump and pure agression. You stay if you like watching that

jaanagolf.bsky.social•104 days ago

#TWEXIT!

#PutinsBitch #RussianASSet #Incel #Failure #Inept #Idiot

#MelonHusk #ElonMusk

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farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

Nice that your incoming US president is one too

jaanagolf.bsky.social•104 days ago

Not mine. I live next to Putinlandia. Our eastern neighbour...

samanthia.bsky.social•104 days ago

Many people left bc of new terms of service, is that just naive?

farhanasultana.com•104 days ago

I understand. I’ve been here 1.5 yrs and have ferried many across when it was by invitation code only. But i am active on that site still bc vulnerable people globally deserve our support where they are, and they are there. Breaking news worldwide still occurs there fastest. We can reassess in time,

walter1964.bsky.social•104 days ago

I came here on beginning and it was actually Jack that nuked me 16 times, Elon suspended me after calling him Nazi piece of shit and I regret I didn't leave sooner, I invited 50 people or more ,still have some friends I wish they were here