For the best part of two decades our internet shop window has mostly been on the platform formally known as Twitter. Given what has become of that site and the politics of it’s current owner, this status quo has become increasingly untenable.
Browsing (and even posting) on the site is now a deeply unpleasant experience. Even with a carefully curated feed and a hasty block/mute response, it has become impossible to avoid the sheer deluge of hate speech and grifting which Musk has gleefully encouraged. If we keep using it, we run the very real risk of seeming to endorse this bigotry.
So, like a bunch of considerably bigger companies we will wean ourselves off a dying website owned by a thoroughly odious individual.
I will continue to tweet through Christmas and leave Twitter immediately after Hogmanay. The account will remain open, with a placeholder message, but I won’t tweet or interact with anyone on there. I will not delete the profile, because that will leave the door open for scammers or imposters, but it will be functionally dormant.
In 2024 will be posting to the following social media sites. Until they all follow Twitter down the shitter.
Instagram: corneliusbeers
(this is where we have the most interactions, but I find the lack of links frustrating and I would rather have a less visual feed)
Threads: corneliusbeers
(I like this, except for the data harvesting/lack of privacy)
Bluesky: corneliusbeers
(early days - but this could be the one)
Mastodon: corneliusbeerandwine@mastodon.scot
(I have no idea what I’m doing on there and the reach is *very* limited)
Giving you advance notice and tweeting through the festive trade seems like more of a cowards option than a principled stand - but if you came across this blog on Twitter I would be delighted if you joined us somewhere less toxic.
Hope you all have a lovely Christmas,
James