[Air-L] Will Academic Twitter Exist Under Elon Musk?

Piotr Siuda piotr.siuda at gmail.com
Mon Oct 24 14:25:32 PDT 2022 

Please, count me in as well.

--

*Piotr Siuda* (PhD, Professor of Media Studies)

piotrsiuda.com

Institute of Social Communication and Media

Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland


*Recent papers:*

*--** Darknet imaginaries in Internet memes: the discursive malleability of
the cultural status of digital technologies*, *Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication*, https://doi.org/10.0.4.69/jcmc/zmac023

-- *Toward Successful Esports Team: How Does National Diversity Affect
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Video Games*. *Proceedings of the 56th
Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences*.

*-- **Microtransaction politics in FIFA Ultimate Team: game fans, Twitch
streamers, and Electronic Art*, in*: **EA Sports FIFA: Feeling the Game,
Bloomsbury Academic Press*.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/ea-sports-fifa-9781501375347



pon., 24 paź 2022 o 23:02 Will Mari via Air-L <air-l at listserv.aoir.org>
napisał(a):

> Same here!
>
> On Mon, Oct 24, 2022 at 3:54 PM Fenwick Mckelvey via Air-L <
> air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
>
> > Hi all
> > I am very much interested in the Mastadon opportunity. Please count me in
> > too.
> >
> > Be good,
> > Fenwick
> >
> > On Mon, 24 Oct 2022 at 13:52, Robert W Gehl via Air-L <
> > air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
> >
> > > Count me in on this, Aram. (no surprise there, I imagine!)
> > >
> > > As far as I'm concerned, there is academic microblogging beyond the
> Musk
> > > site -- it's on the fediverse. I'll be talking about it a bit in my
> > > presentation at AOIR.
> > >
> > > - Rob
> > >
> > > On 10/24/22 13:21, Aram Sinnreich via Air-L wrote:
> > > > I’ve been thinking that AoIR should launch its own Mastodon instance,
> > > open to all members. Something like aoir[dot]social.
> > > >
> > > > Glad to discuss in Dublin.
> > > >
> > > >> On Oct 23, 2022, at 4:42 PM, Richard Forno via Air-L <
> > > air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> External Email: Use caution with links and attachments.
> > > >>
> > > >> Hi Stu -
> > > >>
> > > >> Like many, I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst for
> > Twitter.
> > > >> I find Twitter a fantastic tool for staying in-touch and updated on
> > > >> colleagues' research/ideas/musings, sharing ideas of my own and
> > perhaps
> > > >> soliciting feedback/contributions, following conference hashtags
> > (hello
> > > >> #AOIR2022!), some current events and socialization...and the odd dog
> > or
> > > >> nature photo  I'd hate quit it, but I've not ruled it out ... but I
> > > >> could live w/o Twitter, even after 13 years.
> > > >>
> > > >> Without getting too deeply into politics here (which can be hard
> given
> > > >> the broader issues raised) -- as to your last paragraph Stu, I'm
> with
> > > >> you.  Since 2001 I've been increasingly concerned about the future
> of
> > > >> America's lttle-d democracy, view 2016 as a populist
> > > >> accident/experiment, saw 2020--1/6 as a test run. feel 2022 will be
> a
> > > >> good indicator of where things are heading having learned from 2020,
> > and
> > > >> firmly believe that 2024 likely will be *the* pivotal point for our
> > > >> country one way or the other.   (Though politically, I think this
> > > >> political decline started in the mid-90s when one party decided to
> > treat
> > > >> the other as the 'enemy' and embraced a scorched-earth brand of
> > politics
> > > >> that considered compromise akin to treason, which got cranked to 11
> > > >> thanks to silo'd cable news and SM platforms in ensuing years.)  And
> > > >> that's all I will prognosticate about here politically -- other than
> > to
> > > >> conclude by saying I'm worried not just about now, but that we will
> > not
> > > >> be able to fix things and get "back on track for the future" anytime
> > > >> soon.  :/.
> > > >>
> > > >> I do admit that despite being an old-school geek/hacker, in recent
> > years
> > > >> I've wrestled with the warm-and-fuzzy nostalgic notion from the '90s
> > > >> that "information wants to be free". In some ways, it's been great
> for
> > > >> individuals and society -- in other ways, as Borat might say, "not
> so
> > > >> much."  Of course, that change in thinking also could be a function
> of
> > > >> midlife as well as current events.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
> > > >>
> > > >> But one of the world's dominant modern comms mediums transitioning
> > into
> > > >> an unaccountable private entity run by a person .... however you
> view
> > > >> Musk .... definitely is concerning on *many* levels.[1]. By
> contrast,
> > at
> > > >> least FB is a regulated public company and has the appearance of
> some
> > > >> 'objective' review of controversial things via its Oversight Board.
> > > >>
> > > >> As for aca-Twitter?  As I said, I'm still in wait-and-see, but it
> > > >> wouldn't surprise me to see many tweeps both from academia and
> > elsewhere
> > > >> posting their final tweets either due to protest or for professional
> > > >> reasons / protection by year-end or early next year, depending on
> what
> > > >> 'innovations' are introduced to the platform post-acquisition.
> > > >>
> > > >> Stay tuned, I guess...
> > > >>
> > > >> -- rick
> > > >>
> > > >> [1] WaPo reported Friday that DOD/DOJ 'might' be investigating the
> > > >> Twitter deal and SpaceX-DOD contracts due to national security
> > concerns
> > > >> with Musk's public views and his foreign investors.  Could be
> > something
> > > >> there, could be a flash of desperation to block the sale ... but
> > again,
> > > >> the question of accountability comes up.
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> On 21 Oct 2022, at 7:43, Shulman, Stu via Air-L wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >>> Will academic Twitter exist under Elon Musk? Will there be more or
> > > >>> less
> > > >>> data? More or less urgent issues to study? Will the "Fail Whale"
> show
> > > >>> up
> > > >>> again after 75% of the staff is gone? Who will do content
> moderation?
> > > >>> Is
> > > >>> this a FastTrack to the next violent uprising in the US?
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I am curious what people on this particular list think is about to
> > > >>> happen.
> > > >>> After 12 years featuring the formal study of Twitter data I am
> > > >>> completely
> > > >>> burned out. Not on the challenges, nor the art and science of the
> > > >>> tasks. I
> > > >>> still love talking to students and faculty who have chosen Twitter
> as
> > > >>> the
> > > >>> object of their research. The data has never been more widely
> > > >>> available and
> > > >>> the positive uses of it can be inspiring.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> It's the voluminous amounts of hate I see in my own research. Also
> > the
> > > >>> systemic weaponization of Twitter against democratic systems of
> > > >>> government
> > > >>> globally. As an original Board Member and the Treasurer of a 501
> > > >>> (c)(6)
> > > >>> called "The Big Boulder Initiative" I was working as a liaison to
> > > >>> academia
> > > >>> with a group of industry people on the "long term preservation of
> the
> > > >>> social data industry." The industry survived, but the ideals
> aspired
> > > >>> to
> > > >>> have not. We offered this 2-minute Lawrence Lessig-inspired vision
> of
> > > >>> the
> > > >>> challenges about 7 years ago:
> > > >>>
> > > >>> "Why Texifter Joined the Big Boulder Initiative"
> > > >>>
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://vimeo.com/129423037__;!!IaT_gp1N!0Ghlkf1rWCTGT5MfqPFpLm-cdX_SBpmFHVzAbi7e_nr3KCSBblNWocRhIbpOHQGFDd5ZOBbVTyp2WHk_ow$
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Lessig was right. On the Internet, architecture is the most
> powerful
> > > >>> regulator. The architecture of Twitter, with corporate ads featured
> > on
> > > >>> insurrectionist and other problematic timelines, is now a
> persistent
> > > >>> threat
> > > >>> to democratic systems of government without a single day of Musk
> > > >>> governance. The insurrection January 6, 2021 was planned in the
> open
> > > >>> on
> > > >>> Twitter. There were advertisements from familiar brands in every
> > > >>> seditious
> > > >>> timeline. Evolving tactics using Twitter trains (tagging 30
> > > >>> like-minded
> > > >>> users), notification-rich replies, the ReTweet functionality,
> > > >>> gamification,
> > > >>> domestic and foreign meme warfare, the idolatry of influence via
> > > >>> misinformation, bots and trolls, as well as paid amplifiers of all
> > > >>> manner
> > > >>> and variety. The "digital soldiers" we found in the Canadian
> election
> > > >>> of
> > > >>> 2019 (fake Americans who hated Trudeau but liked RT, Russia Today
> and
> > > >>> Southfront) were openly planning a QAnon-inspired "storm" which
> > > >>> ultimately
> > > >>> was the first coup attempt in two centuries of American democracy.
> I
> > > >>> briefed the US/UK Intelligence Community (staff from the Joint
> > Chiefs,
> > > >>> JSOC, etc.) February 12, 2020 via the Strategic Multilayer
> Assessment
> > > >>> using
> > > >>> open source information from Twitter. Things have since gotten much
> > > >>> worse,
> > > >>> not better, since that briefing. These were the slides in early
> > > >>> February
> > > >>> 2020:
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://tinyurl.com/huntingbotsandtrolls__;!!IaT_gp1N!0Ghlkf1rWCTGT5MfqPFpLm-cdX_SBpmFHVzAbi7e_nr3KCSBblNWocRhIbpOHQGFDd5ZOBbVTyq6oRe2Xw$
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Looking at the current threat-relevant data, I have a
> > > >>> sick-to-my-stomach
> > > >>> feeling about the next 60 days in U.S. history. We may be late to
> > > >>> notice
> > > >>> the end of small "d" democracy is imminent or inevitable because of
> > > >>> the
> > > >>> Internet effects we cannot fully see, capture, measure, or control.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> --
> > > >>> Dr. Stuart W. Shulman
> > > >>> Founder and CEO, Texifter
> > > >>> Editor Emeritus, *Journal of Information Technology & Politics*
> > > >>> _______________________________________________
> > > >>> The Air-L at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
> > > >>> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://aoir.org__;!!IaT_gp1N!0Ghlkf1rWCTGT5MfqPFpLm-cdX_SBpmFHVzAbi7e_nr3KCSBblNWocRhIbpOHQGFDd5ZOBbVTyrSzTcSZw$
> > > >>> Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at:
> > > >>>
> > >
> >
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> > > >>>
> > > >>> Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
> > > >>>
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aoir.org/__;!!IaT_gp1N!0Ghlkf1rWCTGT5MfqPFpLm-cdX_SBpmFHVzAbi7e_nr3KCSBblNWocRhIbpOHQGFDd5ZOBbVTyoTxrXpEA$
> > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > >> The Air-L at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
> > > >> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers
> > >
> >
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> > > >> Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at:
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> >
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> > > >>
> > > >> Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
> > > >>
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aoir.org/__;!!IaT_gp1N!0Ghlkf1rWCTGT5MfqPFpLm-cdX_SBpmFHVzAbi7e_nr3KCSBblNWocRhIbpOHQGFDd5ZOBbVTyoTxrXpEA$
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > The Air-L at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
> > > > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers
> http://aoir.org
> > > > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at:
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> > > >
> > > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
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> > > _______________________________________________
> > > The Air-L at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
> > > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org
> > > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at:
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> > >
> > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
> > > http://www.aoir.org/
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Be good,
> > Fen
> > _______________________________________________
> > The Air-L at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
> > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org
> > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at:
> > http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
> >
> > Join the Association of Internet Researchers:
> > http://www.aoir.org/
> >
> --
> Dr. Will Mari
> Assistant Professor of Media Law and Media History
> Darlene and Thomas O. Ryder Professorship
> Manship School of Mass Communication
> Louisiana State University
>
> Corresponding editor, *Journalism History *
> Author of:
> https://upress.missouri.edu/9780826222329/the-american-newsroom/
> (2021)
>
> https://www.routledge.com/A-Short-History-of-Disruptive-Journalism-Technologies-1960-1990-1st-Edition/Mari/p/book/9780815367918
> (2019)
>
> https://www.routledge.com/Newsrooms-and-the-Disruption-of-the-Internet-Internet-A-Short-History-of/Mari/p/book/9780367342975
>  (2022)
> _______________________________________________
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>
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