Goodbye to Twitter?

Another day, another Elon Musk rumour. This time it’s about plans to charge people to use Twitter (which no-one will ever call X).

From a business point of view, this is nuts. He should know that most of his user base are hanging on by a thread, under sufferance, and we’ll all be gone if that happens. It’ll probably turn out to be another attention-seeking item like the notion of removing the block function (which turned out to be illegal).

It’s weird, because for years I’ve been saying I’d be happy to pay if it meant no ads. Why? Because I valued Twitter.

Looking at it now, you might be wondering why.

Here’s why.

A blog post from 2011: Why Twitter is the new rock'n'roll 

Because, back then, Twitter was still a bit punk rock. 

A blog post from 2012: My year on Twitter, and a thank-you letter to my invisible friends 

Because, back then, Twitter was a community. 

And it still is.

One of the invisible friends I was thinking of when I wrote that piece has since died. His son posted the news, and I felt sad. Even though I’d never met him in real life, he felt like a friend. I liked chatting to him.

I still value my invisible friends. I’ve met a few and I’m looking forward to meeting another one quite soon. But the ones I will never meet are just as important.

I’ve been on Twitter since 2009, and some of my friends go back that far. I don’t want to give them up.

Yes, there are alternatives now but the audience is fractured and scattered. It will take years to build up the same level of presence elsewhere even if we all decide on the same destination.

And also, where are we going to live tweet University Challenge or Top of the Pops or the Last Night of the Proms? 

Here, I’ve got music Twitter and feminist Twitter and books Twitter and old leftie Twitter and autistic Twitter and climate change Twitter and covid Twitter and local Twitter. Some for fun, some for conversation, many for finding stuff out. On the other platforms, I only have one or two of them. 

That will leave a big gap, and I don't see it being filled by any of the other platforms.  I don't see the creativity that used to be on Twitter anywhere else, either.

Most important, Twitter is where there are people who will listen. It’s the place I go when I want to rant, and know there will be someone there who gets it. It’s the place I go when I just want to know other people feel the same as I do. This week, it’s been vital.

At times when politicians are unbelievable, or when #MeToo re-emerges yet again, I need to go somewhere for solidarity. To know that “it’s not just me”.

So, when some people are over on Threads sanctimoniously wondering why we are still with Elon Musk (er… you think Zuckerberg is OK?), that’s why.

In the end, we probably won’t leave because of what Musk does. We’ll leave because of what he doesn’t do. As I write this, Twitter is malfunctioning again, due to lack of investment.

I hope I don’t lose all my friends.