Twitter Slides Further into Irrelevancy

 

Twitter used to be interesting. I signed up a decade ago and quickly became addicted. You could meet smart people with similar interests, funny people with disturbing interests, and get breaking news a day before the cable nets got around to it.

A lot has changed in 10 years. Today, Twitter is mostly dumb people yelling at each other and self-appointed hall monitors trying to shut down accounts they don’t follow. On Saturday, feminist Meghan Murphy was permanently banned for stating that men aren’t women. Sunday, conservative commentator Jesse Kelly was permanently banned for … who knows? Twitter gave no explanation. In response, ur-blogger Instapundit deactivated his account and others are likely to follow.

With every dead account, Twitter gets a little less interesting. And since the social media site hasn’t been very interesting for years, that’s something CEO Jack Dorsey can little afford. There’s an obvious anti-conservative bias at play — most of the big names are booted for disagreeing with leftist narratives. Meanwhile, charmers like Louis Farrakhan say whatever they want.

Perhaps in a few years, everyone on the site can agree with each other about everything. Problem for Twitter is, there’ll only be a dozen members.

I’ve considered deleting my Twitter account a few times in the past year. Instead, I just spend less time there. I’ll tweet a joke or two, toss in a couple of links, then disappear for a few days. Sometimes, a few weeks. Then I enjoy real life, whether reading, writing, or hanging out with friends and family. (I also enjoy napping.)

Hopefully, Twitter will restore Murphy and Kelly’s accounts soon and Instapundit will return. But for their sakes, it might be better if they don’t. Real life is a lot more interesting than a dying social media service.

For those of us seeking intelligent conversation online, we know where to sign up.

Published in Technology
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  1. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Doug (View Comment):

    Thanks to Jon’s post on Twitter I discovered Ricochet.Thanks for the heads up. Presently learning my way around here.

    Welcome indeed; you’re among friends. 

    • #31
  2. DonG Coolidge
    DonG
    @DonG

    RightAngles (View Comment):
    Twitter is digging its own grave. And Facebook is pretty much already there.

    I think the MSM has realized that Facebook is the competition and they are now treating it/Zuckerberg as the enemy.  I have heard some MSM folks saying variations of “Facebook is the new cigarettes”.  And not the cool, rebel kind of way of 1950, but the cancer and must be banned kind of way of 2000. 

    • #32
  3. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):
    What is this “real life” of which you speak?

    It hasn’t launched yet, but you can sign up early if you’re so inclined.

    I’ve heard the graphics are pretty boring. 

    • #33
  4. aardo vozz Member
    aardo vozz
    @aardovozz

    Hartmann von Aue (View Comment):

    Thanks for providing me all the more reason to be glad I never signed up for Twitter in the first place.

    I also am now very glad I never signed up. #Nevertwitter😜

    • #34
  5. Chris Campion Coolidge
    Chris Campion
    @ChrisCampion

    Doug (View Comment):

    Thanks to Jon’s post on Twitter I discovered Ricochet.Thanks for the heads up. Presently learning my way around here.

    Well.  This will go right to Jon’s head.

    • #35
  6. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Chris Campion (View Comment):

    Doug (View Comment):

    Thanks to Jon’s post on Twitter I discovered Ricochet.Thanks for the heads up. Presently learning my way around here.

    Well. This will go right to Jon’s head.

    Oh, great, the new guy goes and gives Dobby a sock. 

    • #36
  7. Roderic Fabian Coolidge
    Roderic Fabian
    @rhfabian

    I got tired of waiting to be banned and so went ahead and deactivated my account.

    • #37
  8. Brian Watt Inactive
    Brian Watt
    @BrianWatt

    I don’t have many followers on Twitter and have been using it to follow what’s happening in the Catholic Church of late or to watch Jonah Goldberg’s dogs or enjoy the occasional Ben Shapiro tweet.

    But just a word to the wise for those on Twitter: Examine your new Twitter followers regularly as you get notified of them. I delete faux conservative followers routinely. How do I know they’re faux? Typically, they’ve joined Twitter in the last month or two; have tweeted less than a dozen times and of those, their tweets are actually retweets from obvious conservative personalities like Mark Levin or Sean Hannity; they’ve never added any substantive comments on their own…but simply have typed something like: “Yes!”; and finally they’re often stunning looking women with enormous breasts and in skimpy outfits. I’m not sure who is behind this effort but my guess is that it’s funded by someone on the Left to eventually discredit conservatives. Don’t be a sucker.

    • #38
  9. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    I thought it was telling to realize that Tom Arnold was able to tweet about his visitation from the Secret Service regarding his earlier tweets about President Trump. What is it gets you banned?

    • #39
  10. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.:

    I’ve considered deleting my Twitter account a few times in the past year. Instead, I just spend less time there. I’ll tweet a joke or two, toss in a couple of links, then disappear for a few days. Sometimes, a few weeks. Then I enjoy real life, whether reading, writing, or

    I disappeared permanently about 2 weeks after I signed up. Just never seemed to be any point to it.

    I’m with you.  I had an account I signed up for god knows how long ago and never really used.  It just seemed stupid to me (even though you can’t go anywhere these days without hearing about who tweeted what to who).  This post just motivated me to figure out my password and delete the account though.  I’ve been surviving just fine without it and maybe my deletion will appear in a data set about how many users they’re losing, which would be at least something worthwhile.

    As an aside, I’ve been an avid Facebook user.  I’d even have called myself a fan.  But I find myself less and less drawn to that site too.  I unfollowed or did the 30 day pause thing with half my “friends” in the run up to the election.  Now there’s nothing interesting there.  I doubt I’ll delete that account.  I really like that it’s been a useful tool for reconnecting with friends from earlier periods in my life.  But there’s a lot of stuff there I don’t need to be wasting my time with either.

    • #40
  11. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    From over at RushBabe49.com:

    Why I’m not on Facebook or Twitter

    Never regretted either decision.

    • #41
  12. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.:

    I’ve considered deleting my Twitter account a few times in the past year. Instead, I just spend less time there. I’ll tweet a joke or two, toss in a couple of links, then disappear for a few days. Sometimes, a few weeks. Then I enjoy real life, whether reading, writing, or

    I disappeared permanently about 2 weeks after I signed up. Just never seemed to be any point to it.

    I’m with you. I had an account I signed up for god knows how long ago and never really used. It just seemed stupid to me (even though you can’t go anywhere these days without hearing about who tweeted what to who). This post just motivated me to figure out my password and delete the account though. I’ve been surviving just fine without it and maybe my deletion will appear in a data set about how many users they’re losing, which would be at least something worthwhile.

    As an aside, I’ve been an avid Facebook user. I’d even have called myself a fan. But I find myself less and less drawn to that site too. I unfollowed or did the 30 day pause thing with half my “friends” in the run up to the election. Now there’s nothing interesting there. I doubt I’ll delete that account. I really like that it’s been a useful tool for reconnecting with friends from earlier periods in my life. But there’s a lot of stuff there I don’t need to be wasting my time with either.

    I’ve had people on both the left and right on Facebook either cut down severely on their postings or get off the service entirely due to politics (those on the right because they see Facebook being biased against conservatives; those on the left because they see Facebook as having helped Trump win, and other outlets on the left have decided that it, not Twitter, is the social media platform to demonize right now).

    • #42
  13. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Jon1979 (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.:

    I’ve considered deleting my Twitter account a few times in the past year. Instead, I just spend less time there. I’ll tweet a joke or two, toss in a couple of links, then disappear for a few days. Sometimes, a few weeks. Then I enjoy real life, whether reading, writing, or

    I disappeared permanently about 2 weeks after I signed up. Just never seemed to be any point to it.

    I’m with you. I had an account I signed up for god knows how long ago and never really used. It just seemed stupid to me (even though you can’t go anywhere these days without hearing about who tweeted what to who). This post just motivated me to figure out my password and delete the account though. I’ve been surviving just fine without it and maybe my deletion will appear in a data set about how many users they’re losing, which would be at least something worthwhile.

    As an aside, I’ve been an avid Facebook user. I’d even have called myself a fan. But I find myself less and less drawn to that site too. I unfollowed or did the 30 day pause thing with half my “friends” in the run up to the election. Now there’s nothing interesting there. I doubt I’ll delete that account. I really like that it’s been a useful tool for reconnecting with friends from earlier periods in my life. But there’s a lot of stuff there I don’t need to be wasting my time with either.

    I’ve had people on both the left and right on Facebook either cut down severely on their postings or get off the service entirely due to politics (those on the right because they see Facebook being biased against conservatives; those on the left because they see Facebook as having helped Trump win, and other outlets on the left have decided that it, not Twitter, is the social media platform to demonize right now).

    I’m not blaming Facebook.  It’s the users.  I’m just sick of the hair on fire hysteria.  It’s a buzzkill.

    • #43
  14. Suspira Member
    Suspira
    @Suspira

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    I’m not blaming Facebook. It’s the users. I’m just sick of the hair on fire hysteria. It’s a buzzkill.

    I don’t have this experience on FB, probably because I post no politics, none, zero. I have a few friends who do, which I just scroll past if it isn’t too annoying. If it is, I hit the button to block the flaming site they are reposting, or, worst case, I mute the offender for 30 days.

    I now see very little anger or hysteria.

    • #44
  15. TallCon Inactive
    TallCon
    @TallCon

    TBA (View Comment):

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):
    What is this “real life” of which you speak?

    It hasn’t launched yet, but you can sign up early if you’re so inclined.

    I’ve heard the graphics are pretty boring.

    Oh come on.  The ray-tracing, real-time subsurface scattering, and level of detail is truly next-gen!  I mean, even the COFFEE looks photo real!  Don’t get me started on the frame rate!

    Oh, and I’m told that it’s the only place you can get a decent meal.

    • #45
  16. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    TallCon (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):
    What is this “real life” of which you speak?

    It hasn’t launched yet, but you can sign up early if you’re so inclined.

    I’ve heard the graphics are pretty boring.

    Oh come on. The ray-tracing, real-time subsurface scattering, and level of detail is truly next-gen! I mean, even the COFFEE looks photo real! Don’t get me started on the frame rate!

    Oh, and I’m told that it’s the only place you can get a decent meal.

    I’m not signing up until they get Smell-O-Vision working right.

    • #46
  17. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    TallCon (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):
    What is this “real life” of which you speak?

    It hasn’t launched yet, but you can sign up early if you’re so inclined.

    I’ve heard the graphics are pretty boring.

    Oh come on. The ray-tracing, real-time subsurface scattering, and level of detail is truly next-gen! I mean, even the COFFEE looks photo real! Don’t get me started on the frame rate!

    Oh, and I’m told that it’s the only place you can get a decent meal.

    Dude, I tried beta. Check into an inn for healing and you’re still down most of your hp the next day. The GUI isn’t adjustable either. 

    • #47
  18. TallCon Inactive
    TallCon
    @TallCon

    TBA (View Comment):

    TallCon (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    Joseph Stanko (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):
    What is this “real life” of which you speak?

    It hasn’t launched yet, but you can sign up early if you’re so inclined.

    I’ve heard the graphics are pretty boring.

    Oh come on. The ray-tracing, real-time subsurface scattering, and level of detail is truly next-gen! I mean, even the COFFEE looks photo real! Don’t get me started on the frame rate!

    Oh, and I’m told that it’s the only place you can get a decent meal.

    Dude, I tried beta. Check into an inn for healing and you’re still down most of your hp the next day. The GUI isn’t adjustable either.

    I am waiting for the “Beer Gut Adjustment” algorithms to get easier to use.

    • #48
  19. MichaelDaudel Inactive
    MichaelDaudel
    @MichaelDaudel

    Twitter is idiotically banning its way into boring irrelevancy- productive, efficient, and tidy.

    • #49
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