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

Fri Oct 28 10:18:18 PDT 2022

Agree - if we are going to shift to another platform it needs to be
accessible.
Emma

On Fri, 28 Oct 2022 at 13:09, Sarah Ann Oates via Air-L <
air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:

> BTW I went on Mastodon today and was ... baffled. There is even a "see help
> section below" ... with no help section below. I get that it is a
> collaborative thing and I very much appreciate the concept etc. but it's a
> bit of a closed world ... Couldn't even figure out where to start. OK,
> probably should have tried harder but if the interface is baffling to
> someone who spends a lot of time studying social media ... what would it be
> to a more casual user?
> Sarah
>
>
> Sarah Oates
> Pronoun: she/her
>
> Professor and Senior Scholar
> Philip Merrill College of Journalism
> Distinguished Scholar-Teacher
> University of Maryland
> College Park, MD 20742
> Email: soates at umd.edu
> Phone: 301 455 2332
> www.media-politics.com
> Twitter: @media_politics
>
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> <https://giving.umd.edu/giving/showPage.php?name=crisis-funding> today. *
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 28, 2022 at 12:36 PM supriti malhotra via Air-L <
> air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Some have started using Tribel as an alternative... Any
> thoughts/experience
> > using the platform?
> >
> > Warm Regards,
> > Supriti
> >
> > On Fri, 28 Oct 2022, 20:43 Eugenia Siapera via Air-L, <
> > air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
> >
> > > Super interested in this Aram and all!
> > >
> > > Btw you may know about this already but a few years ago there was an
> > effort
> > > to buy Twitter on behalf of its users and turn it into a cooperative.
> > There
> > > is now a movement to see if there is scope to imagine an alternative
> > > platform - see here
> > > <
> > >
> >
> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEhpgWBcg5v-pw2jgNQeBioABJaO5l-hl_lhDh88CYfzi8sw/viewform?link_id=0&can_id=ef7bc98d850063290e9a252158eab395&source=email-test-10880&email_referrer=email_1719107&email_subject=twitter-users-lets-imagine-a-platform-where
> > > >
> > > for more details. Disclaimer: I am not involved in running this
> > initiative
> > > but I plan to participate.
> > >
> > > All the best, Eugenia
> > >
> > > On Mon, Oct 24, 2022 at 6:32 PM Aram Sinnreich via Air-L <
> > > air-l at listserv.aoir.org> 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*
> > > > >> _______________________________________________
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> > >
> >
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-- 
Dr Emma L Briant

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