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It looks like the #Twitter API changes towards a mostly paid model have been pushed from today to February 13th, but I didn't want to take any chances and I went forward and deleted all my tweets yesterday night, as well as severing my #Friendica connector.

It definitely feels different than when my #Facebook account was frozen in 2016 for using this pseudonym I've worn for 17 years now. Back then, I was just brutally faced with the facts, I didn't have any agency which made the move to the #Fediverse straightforward, I didn't have any other choice.

This time, I've had to actually make up my mind about leaving Twitter and stick to my plan in the face of an ever-volatile platform constantly backtracking their most unpopular decisions. It wasn't an easy decision, I had made a few organic connections on there, but I guess even I had to draw a line in the sand.
#twitter #friendica #fediverse #facebook

Lorraine Lee reshared this.

Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan If that really happens, I'll probably do two things.
Twitter is far too important to ignore completely, you get news almost in real time. But I will also keep up my Friendica instance, because this part of independent communication is also important to me.
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick Elon Musks's regular nods to fascists doesn't bode well for continuing to use Twitter as a news source. You just can't trust it as much as before the purchase.
@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan I think Twitter is far too complex to be completely controlled by either one side or the other, the truth always bends its way.
On the subject of fascism, I think the left is much closer to the fascists than the so-called "right".
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick I don't care what you think about fascism, there is enough historical precedents for your opinion not to matter in the slightest.
@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan What is the opposite of fascism? I think I have a very healthy sense of justice and it has told me over the last 2 years that we are being led around by the nose, to put it mildly.
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick The opposite of fascism is anti-fascism, often abbreviated as "antifa". I'm not sure what you exactly mean by "being led around by the nose" but I can assure you it's been going on for more than 2 years. Propaganda has always existed, what changes is the degree you notice it.
@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan In any case, I'm glad that state influence on Twitter has been exposed and I hope it has decreased, because only freedom of expression can preserve democracy.
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick These are textbook talking points coming straight from Musk's mouth. Neither "state influence" have been significantly proven despite hand-picked journalists being provided privacy-invasive access to internal data, nor Musk is in favor of freedom of speech as the number of journalist accounts banned has skyrocketed after he took over. As for democracy, he famously replied "We'll coup whoever we want" to someone criticizing the US government about the US-backed coup in Bolivia to safeguard lithium deposits for private US companies instead of being nationalized as announced.

I hope things get better in your alternate reality because in the real world, they certainly haven't benefitted from Elon Musk purchasing Twitter.
@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan It has been proven that the FBI and the leadership of Twitter were "good friends" and in constant contact.
I agree with you that in the USA, even before Trump, the motto was "America first".
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick Of course they were good friends and in constant contact with a law enforcement agency, Twitter is a platform prominent enough that people were using it (and still do) to publish and search for illegal material (like child sexual abuse material), harass and threaten people, including prominent public figures like US governors, senators and House representatives.

What influence do you think the FBI has or had on Twitter beyond their law enforcement duties?
@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan In German, what the leadership of Twitter has done is called anticipatory obedience.
You must have taken a close look at the Twitter files, if you don't recognise the FBI's influence beyond the law, then I can't help you. The FBI preferred to deal with the political opponents of the Democrats instead of taking action against child pornography. That's why Roth is now answering questions before the investigating committee.
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick Unfortunately I can't look in the "Twitter Files" for something that only exists in the mind of conservative conspiracy theorists unless I preventatively agree with them, which I most certainly don't. The Hunter Biden laptop scandal is embarrassing, but none of it constitutes a worrying attack on freedom of speech able threaten democracy in the US or elsewhere. And Twitter was (and maybe still is) fielding moderation requests from both Democrats and Republicans, which makes the claim that the FBI in general would somehow be working for the Democrats absolutely laughable.
@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan Higgins to former Twitter executives:
"You, ladies and gentlemen, knowingly and willingly interfered in the United States presidential election.
Here comes the bad news... it gets worse, because that's the investigation part, later comes the arrest part!"

https://meld.de/attach/39

@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan Well, all conspiracy theories have come true so far, I think this one will too.
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick I can see that I'm not getting to you, and you won't get to me with these crude graphics which are meant for people who are already buying in the fantasy. Let's leave it at that.
@Rick
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick I don't have access to it (Permission Denied), and the way you phrase "let it work" tells me I have to suspend my disbelief like I do for fiction, so it isn't a great intro.
@Rick
Rick
Rick  
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@Hypolite Petovan Why could you see the first video but not the second? I didn't change the rights when I uploaded it.
@Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@Rick I couldn't see the first one either, I had enough to react on with your commentary that I didn't need to report it.
@Rick
grin
grin  
Uh, which planet was this?
I mean, half of the conspiration theories marked stuff were well known in Europe for years, and other half is still con-theo. At least outside the rightwing circles.
★Miller
★Miller  
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If you would write this in a CounterStrike-Game, evereybody would answer "Stop whining!".
Birne Helene
Birne Helene  
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To whom are you talking?

I can see only your comments and the @Rick you're addressing seems to be rick@meld.de whose last activity was three years ago.
.. ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ bitPickup mʕ•ﻌ•ʔm
.. ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ bitPickup mʕ•ﻌ•ʔm  
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@Birne Helene
https://friendica.mrpetovan.com/display/735a2029-1863-e539-3fcb-3ba604352637

(you have to use the long url ID of the post on diaspora together with the original server to see all the public visible answers)
@Birne Helene
.. ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ bitPickup mʕ•ﻌ•ʔm
.. ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ bitPickup mʕ•ﻌ•ʔm  
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@Rick
I will go on following this thread instead of lurking on twitter cause it's utterly funny ..
@Rick
Birne Helene
Birne Helene  
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I'd say we're clearly looking at a grave bug in friendica. It's haemorrhaging content uncontrollably.
OutsourcedMath Friendica Server Admin
OutsourcedMath Friendica Server Admin  
What's with people that can take a benign personal opinion about the economics of APIs and drag it into the mammalian-manufactured-mud of Spy vs. Spy?
Hypolite Petovan
Hypolite Petovan  
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@OutsourcedMath Friendica Server Admin To be fair, my decision to leave Twitter was politically motivated, the announced changes to the API were just the final straw I needed to make the jump. It had a deadline, drastic changes that could have impacted my experience, it was the perfect reason, whether they were going forward with them or not.
@OutsourcedMath Friendica Server Admin
Scifijunkie
Scifijunkie  
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Yeah, I just waiting for the day I get banned from Facebook and Twitter. Hell, I don't even remember why I started a Facebook account but I remember why I started a Twitter. It was to be like all the other streamers but now it seems to have no real purpose. I do however tweet at AT&T about how shity their service is and it does seem to work.
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