- despite having never interacted with most of my mutuals on here, i love seeing everyone's lists. i feel like i know some of you better than many of my mutuals elsewhere who i've known for years because there is actual content getting posted (as opposed to capital-c Content that is just for idle consumption)
- no commenting means i find interesting lists to read through actual exploration, instead of getting people just commenting so i'll comment back
- seriously, it is so nice that we are essentially talking to ourselves, but then occasionally overhearing each other and stopping by to listen to one another
- introspection but make it quasisocial!
- no algorithm means when i hit the "explore" button, i don't get taken to neo-nazi shit because i once liked a post about norse mythology or something
- also: no algorithm = no reward (engagement) for being abrasive/argumentative/cruel/controversial/full of deliberately bad takes
- so many people have taken this relatively inflexible medium and used it for very different and creative purposes, and that is both awesome and art
- so many people here using nicknames, fake names (like me!), first name only, username only; no expectation of tying everything to your full, government ID name
- no but for real this is so important to me, i could not freely share little details about my life here otherwise
- like not just because of job stuff and/or stalkers (though those are very present concerns for me, especially the latter) but also because of context collapse: i end up with an audience of people who all know me in different contexts and thus i act differently around them, and my posting gets fake and watered-down and infrequent and very, very boring as i try to be a version of myself that can seamlessly co-exist around my boss and my mom and my exes and my high school graduating class and my professors and my customers
- actually it's kinda like hosting a party for every person you've ever met. which sounds like a nightmare, and it is, except nightmares end. but this is 24/7 and also forever
- and all of that means i actually end up being reasonably authentic here, because there are no real expectations of me
- the inability to discuss things means i am way less reactionary when someone posts something i disagree with or feel hurt by
- i'm not talking hateful stuff here, just the kind of stuff that turns up in dislikes lists, or someone being dismissive about something important to me
- because i cannot interact directly, it gives me a little space and time to tell myself "they're reacting to experiences they've had, you do the same thing in your own lists, it's healthy and normal to vent a little or to talk without thinking about a perspective you haven't encountered yet, this isn't about you (and even if it was, that would be ok)"
- like for all that people talk about the need for discourse and dialogue and criticism on social media, i think what we really need is breathing room before that can happen? again, not talking about hateful stuff here, or actual urgent things for that matter, but the internet populace in general needs to be put in time-out every now and then
- that said, i do like how we do find ways to communicate on here!
aug 8 2024 ∞
sep 1 2024 +