Not everyone is impressed with Mastodon. Some call it clunky and slow, some in the security world say it’s far from perfect, and because different servers can run differently, there’s no consistency in moderation and rules.
And maybe you’re philosophically opposed to the fact that instead of “tweets,” messages on Mastodon are called “toots.”
The case for Post, Hive Social or other networks
Post News is another interesting option; it seems built for news hounds and journalists. But it only launched at the end of November, so it’s still in beta and has a waiting list. Founded by former Waze CEO Naom Bardin, it seems aimed at enabling users to buy, comment on, and share articles from news providers and tip makers, with no limit on the number of characters on posts.
Hive Social, another new social network, is mobile only and currently ad-free. It feels a lot more like Instagram, or even a return to MySpace, than Twitter, in that it’s very media-centric and focused on connecting with friends, not discussing serious world events or getting into the office. You can add a theme song to your profile and share things like your zodiac sign on your profile.
The case against Post, Hive Social or other networks
Many of the same reasons for not moving to Mastodon apply to these other social networks. They have far fewer users than Twitter, they may lack features you’ve come to depend on, and because many of them are start-ups, they may not be around for the long haul.
Security is also iffy on the newer social networks, and we don’t know all that much about how they’ll handle an influx of users and the challenges that come with it, or if they’ll do much to moderate content.
Ultimately, it’s risky to put a lot of effort into unproven social networks that could go the way of Plurk or Google+. Instead, you could just put more energy into established platforms you already use, such as Instagram, Facebook or Linkedin. Obviously they all have their own issues, but there’s little danger of them disappearing, and they’re much more stable than Twitter in 2022.
The case for ending your Twitter career
What if you just let it go? How about accepting that Twitter was a moment, a very long period of time where people posted their microthoughts, and that those microthoughts had an unprecedented impact on politics and culture – and that time was finally over?
Instead of continuing on a path that has run its course, how about just stopping? Not looking for another way to do the same thing, but find something else entirely to do with that time and energy? What if you have a hobby where you don’t post anything at all?
It certainly feels like a lot of users have been re-evaluating their entire relationship with social media over the past few years, and that might go beyond just deciding whether or not to keep tweeting.
You could leave your Twitter account frozen in time, without deleting, or just keep your archive of Tweets for posterity, delete the account and walk away forever.
Maybe this is the moment when your life changes completely because you decide to never tweet again. If that idea fills you with nervous, excited excitement, it might just be the best, most overdue decision you could make.
