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

Fri Oct 28 13:09:11 PDT 2022

I would second Sarah and also add moving ~7000 periodic users of a listserv
to a private space or many distributed spaces does not address some of the
questions initially raised. Super interesting idea of a break away digital
republic, but what of the 100 million daily users left behind on Twitter?

My questions were about the future of democracy and academic research using
Twitter data. Will the academic research team at Twitter (small) and the
quota of 10 million Tweets per month via a web interface from the full
undeleted history of Twitter (large) be here in 30 days?

On Fri, Oct 28, 2022 at 1:10 PM 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
>
> *Support the UMD Student Crisis Fund
> <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*
> > > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > > >> The Air-L at listserv.aoir.org mailing list
> > > > >> is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers
> > > >
> > >
> >
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> > > > >>
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-- 
Dr. Stuart W. Shulman
Founder and CEO, Texifter
Editor Emeritus, *Journal of Information Technology & Politics*