Monday, December 2, 2024

Nothing But BlueSky From Now On

It has become the fashion to leave Twitter/X and take up social media residence on BlueSky. This in reaction to Elon Musk who was once a staunch Democrat but has left the Democratic Party with a vengeance. The assumption is that as a Trump supporting Republican, Elon has completely tainted the Twitter/X platform, rendering it unpalatable for liberal Democrats. As a Twitter/X user since 2011, I disagree. (In a small gesture of defiance I will henceforth just refer to the platform as Twitter.) 

Goodbye To All That


Twitter is all things to all people. I can only compare it to Facebook as I have no other social media vices and of the two, Twitter is more versatile. Facebook has more users by far than any other platform and is primarily used for posting to real friends and family members but usually also includes "Friends" the user doesn't personally know but had some connection to, as in six degrees of separation to Kevin Bacon. Other platforms, Twitter included, are better suited for following sports, celebrities, a wide range of influencers, and news.   

The beauty and strength of Twitter is that it can be completely customized to fit the user's interests and intentions. People of influence and would be influencers count success by number of followers whereas I have no interest in gaining followers and routinely block or get rid of random strangers who attempt to follow me. My sole interest as a Twitter user is to be informed about breaking news and the political implications. I only follow about 200 people of influence and I choose them carefully. I want to hear from Independent and often dissident voices so that I don't end up in a tribal bubble on either end of the political spectrum. It doesn't surprise me that the majority of Twitter users have a similar intention. 

Why People Use Twitter

X/Twitter is predominantly used for getting the news. Other commonly reported activities on the platform include researching brands, looking for entertaining content.

Here’s the complete list of commonly reported activities on Twitter among users aged 16-64 worldwide:

ActivityShare of respondents
Keep up to date with news and  current events60.6%
Follow or research brands and products34.9%
Look for funny or entertaining content34.8%
Post or share photos or videos27%
Message friends and family19.2%

Source: DataReportal


Liberal Democrats remember the glory days of Twitter when it was owned by Jack Dorsey, a Democrat whose employees were predominantly and not surprisingly, also Democrats. There was definitely a bias as to who got censored and banned; Donald Trump being the most controversial banning since he was President of the United States at the time. Twitter was a congenial club for liberals but still very much considered a world-wide platform for serious political discussion and debate as well. 

The take over by Elon Musk in 2022 was like an online earthquake felt round the world. Elon vowed to end the censorship practices of former Twitter staffers and he introduced a different and more eccentric methodology that is more difficult to decipher than the one replaced. While Twitter still includes news and debate from across the political spectrum, Democrats understandably don't feel the same level of comfort. Hence the fleeing to BlueSky where they hope to recreate the agreeableness of pre-Elon X while making a political statement by leaving.  

The shock and severity of the Democratic Party loses in the 2024 election made clear how little the Trump and Harris voters understand each other. Conventional news sources are so slanted to one view or the other that they represent two separate realities. Twitter/X may be messier than Democrats would enjoy but it does still feature all political viewpoints and allows for real discussion and debate. When users fleeing Twitter/X say they are looking for more civil discourse, perhaps they are really saying they want to stay within tribal guidelines on heated topics.  

It all comes back to Jack Dorsey. He cofounded both Twitter and BlueSky. He presided over a kinder, gentler Twitter with enforced moderation to rein in what his staff considered too much freedom of speech. Elon Musk's X is rough and tumble. No one can ever comfortably be sure of Musk's true agenda, but X is the wild west of social media while Dorsey's BlueSky is those gently rolling hills of home. 










 

 


Monday, May 27, 2024

The Graduate

 

My granddaughter, Makenna, has just graduated from high school. Not that long ago, she graduated from pre-school. I did a lot of childcare for Makenna and her little sister Sophia at our house in those early years. 

Sophia decided she'd wait awhile to start talking, leaving the conversation to a very chatty Makenna. Coincidentally, I was an active and prolific blogger during that period and I dedicated a few blog posts to Makenna's imaginative ramblings.   



High School graduation night

Pre-school graduation day



From June, 2011, Excessive Personal Service


Since becoming the treasurer for my homeowner's association, I'm spending more time at my local bank than I did before. I recently took Makenna on a banking excursion with me; hopefully an exciting prospect for her.

"I'm just going to deposit a check," I told her. "Won't take long at all."


Immediately upon entering the bank, Makenna and I are approached by an earnest-looking young man in a perfectly fitting, dark suit. He is eager to help us, and leads us to his intimate little banking table. There's no line at the tellers' window but the bank guy is apparently looking for something to do.

While I'm digging in my purse for the envelope with check and deposit slip, the bank guy starts a conversation with Makenna. She tells him she's nearly five, she tells him about pre-school and how it's hard to listen to the teacher, and then about some of her misgivings concerning kindergarten. The young man is charmed and seems to forget me entirely. He calls over a fellow banker person to bring round the basket of lollipops. Makenna is clearly impressed that banks carry lollipops. She comments that her favorite flavor is pink, and that her little sister, Sophia, can not have lollipops because she might choke.

The bank guy is finally ready to take my deposit, and he now makes the trip over to the teller himself presumably to save me the long walk. He doesn't wait for the teller to do this simple procedure, but comes back to the table and pulls up our HOA account. He begins to advise me about things I already know regarding required signatures and such. Slow day at the bank; excessively personal service. I do have a question about online banking and we take up bank talk.

Makenna decides it's time for full disclosure.

"She's not my mother," she informs the bank guy, "She's my grandmother." Makenna is not sure he understands, so she appeals to me, "Tell him I don't live at your house; I live at my house."

The young banker is fully in banker mode now and doesn't comment on this surprising news. He remembers to take the long walk back over to the teller's window and pick up my deposit slip. My won't take a minute bank deposit, turned comprehensive banking experience, is over and we're out the door.

"Well," I said, "Now you've been to the bank."

"Yes, but there were no fish in there."

"You were expecting fish?"

"You know, swimming around in tanks."

"I'll take it up with the bank guy."

Makenna with fish at the zoo
Makenna with fish at the zoo



From October, 2010,  Highbrow Halloween



On a recent drive home to Makenna’s house, she informed me that she wants to be an opera singer when she grows up. She followed her announcement with a logical question.

“What is an opera singer, Grandma?”

I’m probably not the right person to ask. I don’t properly appreciate opera myself, but I did attend the opera for two seasons at one point in my married life because my husband had always wanted to go. I thought it might at least be interesting to see what the moneyed class was wearing to the opera, but instead of getting to flounce about in the lobby, I spent every intermission in a very long line for the ladies’ bathroom. I did enjoy the flashy arias that even common people like, but the rest was filler. Hence, in response to Makenna’s question, Nessun Dorma, an aria from the final act of Puccini's opera Turandotimmediately came to mind.           

I did my best opera singer impression, trying for that shaky voice quality, vibrato, which of course, is always done at top volume.  

Makenna’s assessment, “You are a terrible opera singer, Grandma.”

I admit to her that I am a terrible opera singer. I’m also thinking that she’s just had an early childhood experience that might forever ruin her ability to appreciate opera. Apparently not; she says she’s going to be an opera singer for Halloween. I’m relieved that she hasn't lost her enthusiasm, but I thought she was going to be a cat. The idea of an opera singing cat costume was probably my suggestion. 

I’m inspired to launch into Nessun Dorma again, this time substituting meow for lyrics I don’t know anyway. I did keep the volume down as a concession to Makenna’s sensibilities. She doesn’t like this performance any better than the first but is nevertheless getting more and more excited about being an opera singing cat for Halloween. She can’t wait to tell her mother. I leave it at that; let her mother sort it out. 



Ready to sing the aria

Opera Singing Cat






























O