It’s been 8 months since I closed my Twitter/ X account.
The platform was getting filled up with hate speech, misinformation, and trolls, and I no longer wanted to be a cog for the billionaire’s virtual playground where I was one of his products.
But… I have to admit that I later regretted my decision when my account was completely swiped off the system. I really felt, then, that regardless of all the cons, what mattered the most was the real people on the other side of the digital sinkhole.
I almost felt guilty that I chose my dislike of the platform over the real people who I knew in real life and those who I’d possibly meet in the unforeseen future.
Having said that, it’s time to move on.
The problem with X was that a single powerful person (or an egomaniac?) dominated the entire platform. Unfortunately, this could potentially happen to all other centralised platforms including Meta-owned sites like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or even WhatsApp, which means pretty much all the major platforms in the world.
However, as a true “indie of indies”, I cannot do without SNS to share my work as a rakugo performer, and this has been a huge dilemma to me.
In an ideal world, I’d rather meet and chat with people face-to-face rather than only connecting with them virtually. But I’ve been told by my producer and actor friends that I must keep at least one major platform, which according to them is Instagram, Facebook, or X. In fact, one of the recent contracts that I signed said, I have an obligation to share the event that I’m involved in at least 3 times via my SNS, so I literally can’t get rid of them 😁
Then, enters the Fediverse concept.
I don’t fully understand it, but it’s basically a collection of social networking sites that can communicate with each other, therefore not bound by one single individual or company unlike other platforms.
In Fediverse, you can move around between platforms. So even if you close down your current account, you can take it with you to another platform.
WordPress, Mastodon, and Bluesky probably are the most famous ones, but recently Threads (half-) entered the Fediverse.
It seems like some instances (or servers) have rejected to connect with Meta-owned Threads as it might interfere with their internet freedom. I don’t really know enough about the consequences of their participation, but we’ll see.
But for now, to look ahead for the future, it’d make sense for me to stick with platforms in the Fediverse.
You are most likely to find my latest news and thoughts on Mastodon and Threads… for the time being.
English Rakugo NZ 
I know exactly what you mean about Twitter it has become horrible. Don’t feel bad about it I’m sure you can find some of the same people on Mastodon or another platform. I much prefer meeting people in real life too, nothing beats that for genuine friendship and connection…I hope the meeting people and Rakugo thing is going well for you, sending big hugs 🫂
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Kia ora! Great to hear from you! 😊
It’s so sad to see how it’s morphed into something that the original founder would have never imagined of 😔 It’s good that I’m still connected to many of the Twitter friends overseas whom I was close to, and as to Kiwi friends on there, I’d probably just bump into them somewhere 😁
‘Nothing beats that for genuine friendship and connection’- I 100% agree! By deleting my Twitter, I am even more aware of the real people on the other side of the internet. I try to treat them as I’d treat them in real life- that’s my internet golden rule 😊
I somehow didn’t realised the other message you’d sent me (maybe because it was locked?… sorry about my tech-unsavvyness!), but hope the speech went well! Your work is so, so, so AMAZING!!! Sending bestest wishes for your work for our friends 🐵
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That is an awesome golden rule…I love it and will adopt it myself. We are all online but I think wanting to connect in a more meaningful and real way despite this for sure.
Since I’ve started doing the animal activism a few years ago I found some incredible friends, they are remote from me physically but the shared goal to help animals and all of the associated sadness, worry, joy (when things go right) and anger we all feel together and so it bonds us strongly. I have a few people who we email each other regularly, sort of like old fashioned pen pals and this gets very deep and meaningful. I think it’s possible to have these kinds of friendships online and they will eventually spill over into real life if u can get to their part of the world. In the Rakugo community do you have friends like that? Sorry I don’t remember that other message you sent me ages ago so no worries. Sending big hugs and all the best for your rakugo too my friend 🤗
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Thank you always for your comments! I think our attitude and relationship with SNS has started changing. I wonder how it will eventually evolve into!
It’s fantastic to hear that through your activism you have connected with like-minded friends and allies with beautiful wairua! While internet can misinform and divide people, it can certainly bring people for the same cause and passion. Oh, I love having good pen pals! I learned English through my pen pals before the internet era, and it helped me appreciate diversity and also to always find common grounds as fellow humans 😊
Thank you for your kind thoughts and words! Sending big hugs to you, too! 🌟
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