#98 I'm leaving Twitter

This is a service update to let you know I’m leaving Twitter. Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform I joined in April 2007 isn’t the reason, but it is the trigger. What was once the fastest, snappiest means of communication has turned into a years-long repetition of a single fact: some people are good, some people are bad, and most people are bots.

Twitter was at its best when it served to connect globally dispersed networks. It’s a function that has been replaced by other platforms since, platforms that separate the personal and the political. If we have known each other from this time and have never exchanged email addresses or cell numbers, for the time being, you can find me at this newsletter or on LinkedIn. Please stay in touch.

I will leave Twitter, but Twitter will not leave me. My thoughts are often shaped like tweets. It is tempting to summarise complex ideas funnily and succinctly enough for them to garner likes. Alas, I’m not very good at that. My best work got maybe a hundred stars. To avoid embarrassment, in recent years, I’ve deleted more drafts than shared what’s happening.

If we’ve connected or met on Twitter, I’m glad for the 15 years I spent there. Thanks for sticking with my much longer updates. Next time will be a proper one. Until then, take care!

— Jasper