Twitter, or X (ten in Roman numerals – don’t credit me for that joke) has been undergoing rapid changes of late. Monetisation seems to be in, checks on rude conduct out. Ever since Musk took over it seems to be going in one direction, and that is downwards. Although it still functions as a useful conduit among scientists and between scientists and others, it does not feel like it once was. Its nastier, tackier, and with the new make-over soon to be much uglier.
As a result, I (David) have decided to simply stop using my Twitter account. I’ve enjoyed it, starting back in 2013 I think, but I’m going for a clean break to avoid being caught up in Musk’s “mega app” and any other hateful changes he makes to the place.
Instead, you can find me using a Mastodon server; I’ve chosen ecoevo.social. My handle is the same, so my account is at ecoevo.social/@dfoffreedom. I’m intrigued by the “federated” structure and already like the idea of having an immediate community of the other folks using ecoevo.social. I will miss the cross over to sport and politics, and imagine it will take a long time to build up a follower base again. But then perhaps a bit less time on social media will be good. Ciao Twitter.
Evolutionary Ethology Lab 