All good points re: Twitter and for now, I'm staying on as well (so is the group I work for, NRDC). But I've never felt that Twitter had much value in really organizing climate/enviro campaigns -- always good to collectively spur on the 100 or so colleagues/allies in the heat of a fight, but, well, as you said, it was the hive, not the world, that heard us. Those old tech comms systems worked best in the fracking wars and the Williams pipeline firefight -- phone calls, emails, door knocking. Have to keep them tuned up as Elon+his scary friends demolish the twitterverse.
Glad you're hanging on, Bill. I'm running a Columbia Climate School community webinar Wednesday on Twitter and alternatives and will point to your reasons for staying (so far) and Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb's reason for leaving. Here's how I replied on Post.news to Cobb's key point: "Like you I've been torn, but I'm staying for several reasons, one being a variant on your rationale for leaving. You wrote, "To the extent that people remain active on Twitter, they preserve the fragile viability of Musk’s gambit." I'd say, "To the extent that [constructive] people remain active on Twitter, they preserve the fragile viability of the (still unique) platform's power to build global solution communities, refine ideas and even save lives." https://www.openweb.com/share/2IEWVHOryQZ1tmVP0x3fugKh4J4 Lots more here: https://revkin.substack.com/?sort=search&search=twitter%20elon%20musk
An individual's relationship with social media has always appeared--superficially, at least--to be a symbiotic relationship (I create thoughtful content for you, you direct readers to me.) But there are different forms of symbiosis.
What once felt like a mutualistic relationship where both parties benefit has rapidly given way to blatant parasitism (I create thoughtful content for you; you direct hateful, uniformed attacks to me.)
At this point, I feel like a very unwilling host. Maybe I'll enter a new saprophytic relationship by joining Project Mushroom instead ;)
That temperature map is a good idea, but doesn't work where I live. The entire of Cape Cod is already experiencing up to 30 days a year of temps over 32˚C.
You make good arguments for why you staid. But, I left. The algorithms used to control my feed didn't allow me to communicate, it can be overwhelming when bots reply to your posts.
Bill - I just signed up for this after learning who you from Ezra Klein's podcast. THANK YOU. I am super inspired by your work, your writing, your framing. I've given your organization more money than I've ever donated to anything else before. I'm a passionate and knowledgable lay person whose a tech executive and comedian. How else can I help you and 350.org?
Social Media, Twitter included, was deeply problematic long before Musk's takeover. While we may have previously noticed less overt toxicity in our feed, we were nevertheless subject all along to profoundly sophisticated - and evolving - surveillance, data harvesting and algorithmic nudging. And, of course, Twitter famously formed part of the ecology enabling Trump to incubate his base and prime for Jan 6.
Musk is more obviously malign, but arguably not fundamentally different to the prior surveillance capitalist regime. So why be on Twitter?
Decades back, Jared Diamond suggested large civilisations like India and China were better able to repel colonialism because they possessed similar technologies (e.g. writing, bureaucracy) and scale to the oppressors. In my experience here in Australia, the Indigenous crew most able to push back are those who've mastered the tools of the oppressor (e.g. language, institutional power) and repurposed them for emancipation. It's a fatal compromise, perhaps, but what's the alternative? Our task, as it has always been, is to either invent equally effective tools (Project Mushroom?), or else to bend the master's tools from their intended colonising purposes.
Great stuff, Bill as always. Please have a look at my new short film: Twice Upon a Time, I have a hunch you would enjoy it https://youtu.be/BanqTNbTotU (it depicts 2 x 2030 scenarios -- the lousy future and the good future)
I don't know Bill. I just went on Twitter, and saw some uplifting tweets from Rafael Warnock, saw an uplifting tweet from Nancy Pelosi about the importance of voting for Rafael Warnock, saw an absolutely entrancing photo of a beautifully shimmering metallic green beetle from Caitlin Henderson in Australia, which is the kind of thing she tweets (Caitlin Henderson (She's got Legs) @gotlegsmacro)... saw a tweet from Laurence Tribe that deserved a retweet, and one piece of nonsense from Musk. I don't like him any more than you do. I'm not wedded to staying on twitter, but I've had a bad day and most of the posts I saw left me feeling better (except the one from Musk). Mind you, I did not go looking for Musk and his ilk.
Hi Bill, just wanted to flag one small grammar issue in case you didn't already catch it:
+Speaking of invaluable, Michael Northrop argues that the global climate banking alliance set up a year in Glasgow is failing, and calls for a smaller High Ambition group of banks to set a real pace:
'ago' should follow year in the above:
+Speaking of invaluable, Michael Northrop argues that the global climate banking alliance set up a year ago in Glasgow is failing, and calls for a smaller High Ambition group of banks to set a real pace:
All good points re: Twitter and for now, I'm staying on as well (so is the group I work for, NRDC). But I've never felt that Twitter had much value in really organizing climate/enviro campaigns -- always good to collectively spur on the 100 or so colleagues/allies in the heat of a fight, but, well, as you said, it was the hive, not the world, that heard us. Those old tech comms systems worked best in the fracking wars and the Williams pipeline firefight -- phone calls, emails, door knocking. Have to keep them tuned up as Elon+his scary friends demolish the twitterverse.
Glad you're hanging on, Bill. I'm running a Columbia Climate School community webinar Wednesday on Twitter and alternatives and will point to your reasons for staying (so far) and Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb's reason for leaving. Here's how I replied on Post.news to Cobb's key point: "Like you I've been torn, but I'm staying for several reasons, one being a variant on your rationale for leaving. You wrote, "To the extent that people remain active on Twitter, they preserve the fragile viability of Musk’s gambit." I'd say, "To the extent that [constructive] people remain active on Twitter, they preserve the fragile viability of the (still unique) platform's power to build global solution communities, refine ideas and even save lives." https://www.openweb.com/share/2IEWVHOryQZ1tmVP0x3fugKh4J4 Lots more here: https://revkin.substack.com/?sort=search&search=twitter%20elon%20musk
An individual's relationship with social media has always appeared--superficially, at least--to be a symbiotic relationship (I create thoughtful content for you, you direct readers to me.) But there are different forms of symbiosis.
What once felt like a mutualistic relationship where both parties benefit has rapidly given way to blatant parasitism (I create thoughtful content for you; you direct hateful, uniformed attacks to me.)
At this point, I feel like a very unwilling host. Maybe I'll enter a new saprophytic relationship by joining Project Mushroom instead ;)
Went for our 5 mile morning walk in beautiful 72F Florida sunny weather. No Climate Crisis here!
But, we are hedging bets with the new ClimateArbitrage.com app recommended by Bill McKibben.
It suggests we consider Mars. When will Musk have his spacecraft available?
Hi Mr McKibben, here's a memo from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on the hyphenation of "antisemitism". AP style guide also recently changed to the unhyphenated spelling. https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/sites/default/files/memo-on-spelling-of-antisemitism_final-1.pdf
That temperature map is a good idea, but doesn't work where I live. The entire of Cape Cod is already experiencing up to 30 days a year of temps over 32˚C.
You make good arguments for why you staid. But, I left. The algorithms used to control my feed didn't allow me to communicate, it can be overwhelming when bots reply to your posts.
Bill - I just signed up for this after learning who you from Ezra Klein's podcast. THANK YOU. I am super inspired by your work, your writing, your framing. I've given your organization more money than I've ever donated to anything else before. I'm a passionate and knowledgable lay person whose a tech executive and comedian. How else can I help you and 350.org?
Social Media, Twitter included, was deeply problematic long before Musk's takeover. While we may have previously noticed less overt toxicity in our feed, we were nevertheless subject all along to profoundly sophisticated - and evolving - surveillance, data harvesting and algorithmic nudging. And, of course, Twitter famously formed part of the ecology enabling Trump to incubate his base and prime for Jan 6.
Musk is more obviously malign, but arguably not fundamentally different to the prior surveillance capitalist regime. So why be on Twitter?
Decades back, Jared Diamond suggested large civilisations like India and China were better able to repel colonialism because they possessed similar technologies (e.g. writing, bureaucracy) and scale to the oppressors. In my experience here in Australia, the Indigenous crew most able to push back are those who've mastered the tools of the oppressor (e.g. language, institutional power) and repurposed them for emancipation. It's a fatal compromise, perhaps, but what's the alternative? Our task, as it has always been, is to either invent equally effective tools (Project Mushroom?), or else to bend the master's tools from their intended colonising purposes.
Bill, I’m on board! But don’t see where to pay for my subscription 😳
Great stuff, Bill as always. Please have a look at my new short film: Twice Upon a Time, I have a hunch you would enjoy it https://youtu.be/BanqTNbTotU (it depicts 2 x 2030 scenarios -- the lousy future and the good future)
I don't know Bill. I just went on Twitter, and saw some uplifting tweets from Rafael Warnock, saw an uplifting tweet from Nancy Pelosi about the importance of voting for Rafael Warnock, saw an absolutely entrancing photo of a beautifully shimmering metallic green beetle from Caitlin Henderson in Australia, which is the kind of thing she tweets (Caitlin Henderson (She's got Legs) @gotlegsmacro)... saw a tweet from Laurence Tribe that deserved a retweet, and one piece of nonsense from Musk. I don't like him any more than you do. I'm not wedded to staying on twitter, but I've had a bad day and most of the posts I saw left me feeling better (except the one from Musk). Mind you, I did not go looking for Musk and his ilk.
I've got one foot out the TwitterMess door and created a Post.News account today. Bill, I'm eagerly waiting to follow you anywhere.
Hi Bill, just wanted to flag one small grammar issue in case you didn't already catch it:
+Speaking of invaluable, Michael Northrop argues that the global climate banking alliance set up a year in Glasgow is failing, and calls for a smaller High Ambition group of banks to set a real pace:
'ago' should follow year in the above:
+Speaking of invaluable, Michael Northrop argues that the global climate banking alliance set up a year ago in Glasgow is failing, and calls for a smaller High Ambition group of banks to set a real pace:
Hope this helps.
Build Back Better; Post.news looks like a good landing pad.