Ever-Changing Social Media Landscape
Most of my editor friends mourned the loss of Twitter back in late fall of 2022. We met that way, the majority of us, and when we heard that a certain manbaby offered to buy the site, we accelerated plans for an alternate discussion platform for women (cis, trans) and nonbinary editors to talk. It’s really useful. But as I said in a late-2020 post on tweeting, Twitter was where I could build my career.
My first year of Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) tweeting, 2021, was fun. In my second year, I became the Twitter team lead. And before that year finished, Twitter had imploded. I returned to LinkedIn. I returned to Facebook. I look in on those only occasionally. Twitter had an advantage: I could learn from editors about editing, from scientists about the pandemic, from a diverse group of board gamers about gaping diversity holes in board game development. I could mix and match interests on the same thread. I haven’t yet figured out how to get LinkedIn to show me the stuff that interests me. I don’t fully expect that from FB, because there it’s mostly people I know and, presumably, am already interested in.
I created a Mastodon account. Checked in several times. Thought I might be able to go with it, but I couldn’t seem to find purchase. I let a couple of other platforms go by. Got interested in blending my Instagram, heretofore entirely about crafts and embroidery, with other parts of my life. That felt surprisingly normal.
Last month, I became leader of the social media team for the EFA. We’ve been discussing getting out of Twitter. I haven’t yet heard any dissenting voices among the people making up the social media team. The kicker for me is that the values on New Owner Twitter don’t match the values the EFA promotes. Just as I wonder whether we should go back, Twitter announces something else that drives nails into its coffin. Limits how much you can see without paying. Bans people for using the term “cis.”
And then yesterday, Twitter changed its name. Squashed the bird with a big X. Seemed like a good time to get the X out of there, so I deactivated my account.
Today I’ve joined Bluesky, an alternative with a Twitter-like feel. No real conclusions so far, but I’m still learning. There’s another one I’m considering, too.
Why all the social media? For one, I’ve always loved the professional development aspect of Twitter. New guide is out: Oooh, yeah! Chicago and AP are now on board with capitalizing Black? I heard it here first. I noticed this back when I was in public health, too. One way to keep up was to follow organizations that were changing things.
I do, however, miss the interesting people. I’m looking for them. I made a conscious effort over a period of years to follow a diverse group of people and organizations on Twitter. I want to know what the disability rights people are experiencing. I want to be conscious of how national policies affect Black women. I want to be challenged on my lifelong casual use of terms like “crazy” until I stumble over them and try to eradicate them from my speech. I want to know what podcast hosts talk about when they’re between episodes. I want to see photographs of the birds I play in Wingspan. I know I can see stitching on Insta and dancing on FB, but where do I bring together all my interests?
It’ll take time to rebuild.