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src/posts/2024-11-14_twitter-exit.md

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+---
+title: Screw the Bird
+description: Today is the day. I've been mulling over whether I should keep it around for good ol' times or to reserve the handle, but I've ultimately decided it's time to call it quits and no longer maintain a presence. Today I'm quitting Twitter, full stop.
+image:
+  src: https://cdn.sebin-nyshkim.net/-6V4ELaxuR6
+  alt: Person throwing the blue Twitter logo into a trash can
+  credit: Made with GIMP
+  width: 1200
+  height: 630
+  type: 'image/png'
+tags: ["social media"]
+---
+
+{{ description }}
+
+At first, I thought about just locking the account and leaving it to collect dust. That way, at least nobody could steal the handle and impersonate me. Then I was reminded that Twitter would start using all content on their platform for "AI" training [starting November 15](https://www.pcmag.com/news/xs-new-rules-blocked-posts-will-no-longer-be-hidden-tweets-will-train-ai). It's unclear if this means the opt-out option will be removed by then, but I'm not waiting to find out. Of course, I could have just removed all media from my account, but this thing is over 10+ years old. It would take me hours to hand pick every post I wouldn't want to get slurped up. In the end, I decided, no, this isn't worth it, and I went with the nuclear option.
+
+The writing had been on the wall for quite some time now, ever since Musk took over in 2022. To say the past two years were messy would be an understatement. And there's no sign it's going to get better. At first, I leaned hard into pushing for Mastodon, it seemed like the right thing to do, since it felt like such a breath of fresh air. The open source social network that's community owned! What I didn't realize in my fervor is that while it's a great idea in theory, the execution is alienating to most other people who aren't IT nerds. And even when people could get past the confusing parts of signing up (made confusing by a lot of bickering between Mastodon users with what instance to sign up in the first place) and the implications of choosing an instance therein, people don't enjoy their time on there[^mastodon].
+
+Meanwhile, Bluesky has been [taking off considerably](https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/13/24295484/bluesky-15-million-users-social-media-x-musk), with many of my fellow furry friends finally migrating away from Twitter. It gives me some hope that we're finally at a tipping point where we can collectively move on. It will take some time to rebuild and undo the collective damage that 10+ years of Twitter have caused. From my personal experience, though, things are looking up and the Bluesky team has been adding more and more features people are asking for and is very deliberate in also adding anti-harassment features (i.e. unlinking quote posts to curb quote dunking and dog-piling).
+
+To be honest, the most refreshing thing about all of this is the atmosphere of optimism and rediscovery. People sharing tips to get the most out of Bluesky[^bluesky] and rediscovering a sense of community that I feel was lost in the never-ending pursuit of Twitter's numbers game and how to best game the dreaded algorithm.
+
+The algorithmic web has been the cause of nothing but suffering for artists. They're the ones who make these online spaces worth our time to begin with! And I'll be damned if I'll continue to maintain a presence on a platform that wants to steal from those artists to pump more "AI" generated sludge onto the web to fuel a senseless doomscrolling frenzy that only benefits the platform.
+
+So here's to new frontiers beneath bluer skies! 🦋
+
+[^mastodon]: Specifically, continously hassling new people by telling them how they're "using Mastodon wrong" (missing alt text, CWs, hashtags), the constant air of superiority towards any other platform and belittling people just trying to figure it out for themselves certainly doesn't help make the place any more welcoming. But mention these interpersonal shortcomings on there and you get angry Mastodon die-hards in your mentions accusing you of trying to act like a "HoA", which is very ironic, given how they show very little self-restraint or self-reflection in telling other people off for their use of the platform. So after several failed attempts to get people on board and experiencing the exclusive nature first-hand, I decided after some introspection that this is not a platform or community I wanted to continue advocating for. Imagine wanting people to join your supposedly superior platform so badly, yet when they do they’re met with nothing but spite and everyone gets all surprised and huffy if those people would rather hang out anywhere else. You know you screwed up if people start saying stuff like "The Mastodon of XYZ" in a derogatory way.
+[^bluesky]: Ironically, I've seen people use alt text for image posts on Bluesky more frequently. The vibe is very much educational, emphasizing the benefits of providing alt text (beyond accesibility, alt text on Bluesky is searchable) rather than pointing out individual failures of not having it. Only NSFW labels on posts are expressly requested, and even then they are directed at the general crowd instead of picking out individuals.