Twitter is basically just a worse version of Facebook where all the users are replaced with bots.

Meanwhile everyone thinks it is better simply because there is less drama because no one is real.

I'll take the quality interactions of the Fediverse anyday over that.

@freemo many academics on twitter. Easy to ask questions and get answers, less formal than email, public posting means public benefit for answers. Can't do this on fb (need friend request, private) or on fedi (those users not here or unlisted).

I'd like to see more people like that use fedi, but, it's just really very small, and the convoluted shadowban structure frustrates attempts to use it this way. Also, PM usage is frustrated from lack of frontend UX.

Therefore, I don't agree that fedi has higher quality interactions, or even that it can outside of local extrema. Principally I think its best use case is cuteposting.

@fluffy Thats exactly what I'm talking about though. Most people who are there arent there to be themselves they are there to sell themselves as a brand, or are a brand themselves.

The academic on twitter sound more like politicians in how they conduct themselves than living breathing humans. Their mindset is to get followers and behave in a way that will make them popular, not in a way that actually reflects their personality.

Thats the very issue to me, it feels like one big advertisement, sometimes of your personal brand sometimes not. But never people being themselves really.

@freemo > like politicians
yes, but you can blame cancel culture for this. Look at what happened to rms. So I don't think you can get this sort of living breathing human being interaction in any public platform with strong identity.


> Most people ... a brand themselves.
sure but i think this is not the source of the formality you mention.

> But never people being themselves really.
Isn't this something that comes up even in personal chats?

Perhaps the only reason people on here are real and genuine is because they are called bloblobster or puniqt and if there is some meltdown you can just walk away. Not so if you are using a strong identity.

@fluffy While it may be counter culture to blame, or any other number of factors. Who or what is to blame is less of concern to me than what is or is not. The truth is, the qualities I describe are inherent to twitter regardless of blame, and are far less evident in the fediverse or Facebook. Reasons to avoid the platform even if the company isnt to blame for the effect.

Yea people being "fake", in the sense of trying to put on a political front (usually called being professional) is something you can see in any context. But it is far worse in twitter than other mediums. Its a matter of degrees not absolutes.

As for identity. You can pick any identity on twitter you wish, just as you can here. Neither platform requires you to identify yourself.