I am cross-posting this blurb at the following, the reasons
for which will be clear enough once you read the blurb…
·
“Damned Old Crank” Blogspot - https://mexinger.blogspot.com/
·
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mike.exinger/
·
Twitter - https://twitter.com/MikeExinger
·
Post.News - https://post.news/mikeexinger
And for you Twitter readers, sorry, but you’ll have to go to
(one of) the links to read the whole thing because of the 140-character limit.
To be honest, I don’t use Social Media all that much (yeah,
I’m going to continue to capitalize it – deal). I’ve been on the Interwebs in one form or
another for almost 30 years now. I’ve
designed webpages (long live MS FrontPage!) but didn’t get on Facebook until we
had the ice cream parlor and everyone said, “OMG you have to have
a Facebook page so you can get reviews” and since it also required having a
personal page, I did that, too. I
started my blog when I started publishing my eBooks, thinking that this would
be a great advertising method AND a way to vent frustration on a variety of
topics. I got on Twitter because there
were a few people I wanted to follow and I was utilizing it’s 140-character
method for messaging Congressional reps and others about important issues of
the day (mostly gambling related – sue me).
Over time the need to tweet lessened as gambling soon became
almost ubiquitous in the states (still no online Poker in Oregon but we have a
shitty Sportsbook, so there’s that).
Facebook is great for staying in touch with old friends and posting
Wordle scores, and I haven’t blogged in over a year (a while variety of excused
I could give you, but that’s all they are).
Frankly, I use Social Media mostly to see what others are
saying – my commentary has been reduced to clicking the “like” or “care” icons
and offering responses like “Lock HIM up!” “LFG!” and “Bingo!” It’s rare that I take the time to correct a
commenter on his or her wrong-headed views of the world, of politics, of the COVID
virus or vaccine, of gas prices and what causes their rise and fall, etc.
etc. Why? See: Pig Wrestling.
So, my use of Twitter especially has been reduced to
scrolling just to see what others say, and that’s why I started looking around
for another spot to roost. Twitter’s
demise has been predicted for weeks now, ever since Elon Musk bought it and
started to “modify” content (90% of which seems to be either about Musk,
Twitter, Nazis, or “Nazis on Twitter”).
Many LIBS such as myself have been looking at other Social Media outlets
like Mastodon, Tribel, BlueSky Social, etc.
Having a communication outlet controlled by someone who is…well, use
your own description here.
For me, Musk is just another one of those incredibly rich
assholes who believe they are infallible and can do whatever they want. Worse yet, as they expand their empires, they
attempt to “control the narrative” as to who they actually are (many websites
actually credit Musk with creating PayPal, and…uh no. That’s the BS I’m talking about). Even this weekend the NY Times seems confused
as to what Musk’s political leanings, are with the article headline: “Critics
Say Musk Has Revealed Himself as a Conservative. It’s Not So Simple.”
Yeah, it is. If the “Twitter
Files” non-bombshell nothingburger, readmittance of Trump and other ultra-right-wing
coup-plotters wasn’t enough, there’s this:
“My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci”
So even if Twitter doesn’t implode like a bad-wired Tesla, I
plan to leave the platform by the end of the year. And I’ve landed, for now, at Post.News.
I don’t know if my habits will change all that much with the
move. I might post a bit more there
since the long form is “in style.” I’ve
never had big followings anywhere (and the Blog was the only place that I tried
to make that happen because of the books, and since they’re selling better now
than ever with no posting on the blog whatsoever…), so unlike a lot of Twitter
users, it’s NBD to me one way or the other.
I do admit to a morbid curiosity of wanting to watch the last days of
Twitter, like when Trump finally decides to return in his futile bid to stave
off further investigations or indictments, and/or whatever other follies occur
there. Frankly, I can’t recall seeing
any business anywhere else go through so many changes so quickly with a new
owner…and so disastrously as well. One
wonders if self-destruction was actually part of the plan. It very well might be.
If you’re on Post.News, I hope you’ll give me a follow and I’ll
return the favor.
Side note 1: Facebook has its own issues, and since Mark
Zuckerberg reads everything on FB, let me advise him of his latest F-up –
today, for some reason, whenever I “like” or “care” or choose some other icon
to comment on an existing post the cursor moves up one, two, or even
three stories from the one I “like” on so I can’t even see it in my
browser. WTF, Mark?
Side note 2: Looks like Elon might reconsider the
140-character limit and bump it up to 4000.
Problem is, Mein Kampf was longer than that.
