Over 70,000 people abandoned Twitter for Mastodon after Elon Musk took over
- It was only when the hum became a deafening ding that the flights out began. For that hum to ding evolution the bird-site – that is Twitter in Mastodon slang- had a big impact
- Governments, democratically elected and otherwise, in our part of the world have always been trigger happy to stamp out dissent and a Twitter that is in the hands of an arbitrary control freak will just come in handy for them
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, there has been so much attention on the microblogging platform. At least twice in the last two months, I have received official communications hinting at
organisations I am affiliated to seriously considering quitting the platform.
I am yet to quit. But, I am also one of those who has set up a profile on Mastodon, the platform that is closest to emulating Twitter. For now, what I have been doing is cross posting content in both platforms. I still find Twitter, the fire-hose it always was. It is where I go to find information, misinformation and disinformation. It is, for me, the crucible of virtual information.
Mastodon is quieter, more decent in content and discussion. But the absence of bile also means that it still remains a restricted niche at least in these parts of the world.
The question is not whether we should leave Twitter. The more penitent question for these parts of the world should be what can replace it. If Mastodon is the solution; it is not clear yet, then how do we get the millions who use Twitter to migrate to it.
I am not talking of the tech savvy crowd, I am talking of those who are committed to a free society with respect for others who use Twitter because it is the easiest way they can get information in or out.
The question is not whether we should leave Twitter. The more penitent question for these parts of the world should be what can replace it. If Mastodon is the solution; it is not clear yet, then how do we get the millions who use Twitter to migrate to it
These are the millions who spread across communities like Sri Lanka. Last week I cross posted the following on both Twitter and Mastodon.
#Twitter has historically played an important role weakening the hold repressive regimes have on public information. The latest was during the #Aragalaya public protests in #SriLanka. These arbitrary changes taking place in the platform will have an impact at ground level on the free flow of information, especially in communities lacking access to, awareness on alternative platforms.
Look at the Aragalaya, or the protests going in Myanmar two years since the military coup, without Twitter. By intent or otherwise, it fills a specialised function – that of being the fire-horse of information and disinformation and everything in between. For someone who has chosen to be in the thick of this relentless information onslaught there is no place that matches up.
Without Twitter, at least without the Twitter of pre-Musk takeover, the free flow of information stands to suffer. Now think of the Aragalaya without the 1000s of messages flowing instantaneously on the protests, on attacks, on besieged politicos fleeing the country – where would we be? What would be the impact?
Governments, democratically elected and otherwise, in our part of the world have always been trigger happy to stamp out dissent and a Twitter that is in the hands of an arbitrary control freak will just come in handy for them.
Look at the Aragalaya, or the protests going in Myanmar two years since the military coup, without Twitter. By intent or otherwise, it fills a specialised function – that of being the fire-horse of information and disinformation and everything in between
So how do we get the bulk who make Twitter the firehose of information to make the transition? Because it is not only about free speech, it is also about who gets to practice free speech.
If it is a select few, who have access to the technology and the evolving conversation, then for all purposes it becomes free speech of the select few. That may sound and feel great for those in that circle but will not make nothing more than an annoying hum in the background for all those despots and want to be despots. Annoying, still easily ignored.
It is when the hum becomes a chorus that change happens. Like what happened during the Aragayala.
For years, that annoying hum on the despots in the seats of power has been constant. It was only when the hum became a deafening ding that the flights out began. For that hum to ding evolution the bird-site – that is Twitter in Mastodon slang- had a big impact.
The writer is a journalism researcher and the Project Lead at the Dart Centre Asia Pacific. He can be contacted on amantha.perera@cqumail.com
