this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2023
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It’s reductive to say that it was just shit. Like any social media tool of course it had shit content. It was also the lifeblood of many journalists and intellectuals, scientists and activists. Go listen to Land of the Giants on podcast and you’ll get the full, two-sided story. (I know you won’t, that comment was for others)
Musk only took an interest in Twitter when it began trying to better manage damaging content. They did a lot in previously undefined territory - and before you tell me that moderation wasn’t new, Twitter had to face issues like whether to ban a sitting president. No forum had to face that before.
Musk’s “freedom of speech” campaign is about protecting the hate speech he loves. So while he sinks this tool that was flawed but trying hard to make itself better, it’s riddled with hate even while it sinks. I’m glad the former Twitter shareholders got a payout at Musk’s expense, but I would have preferred if they hadn’t rushed to hand the platform over to him so they could enjoy that payout.
The platform was powerful. That power worked both bad and good things. Now it’s just powerfully shitty. The shit is now unleashed, and degrading the platform’s potential for good, which was always high even if the realization of that potential was mixed.