So, and perhaps inevitably (?), I’ve been kicked off Twitter… oh, sorry, I mean ‘X’.
The platform, which I’ve been on for about 11 years, has locked my account and immediately deleted my profile/timeline.
I was actually really surprised by how immediately my timeline was completely wiped out: I thought there’d be a little delay maybe, where my account was locked but my actual content/page would still be visible for a while.
But, nope: they couldn’t remove me quick enough, apparently.
I wasn’t given a reason for the deletion of my account either.
At this point, I’m not all that bothered, as I was barely active on the platform – or any social media – anyway.
But it’s still another censorship hit: which I’ve gotten used to by now, of course.
Here’s what actually happened. I logged in, posted some links to my recent articles, and then was asked to input my date of birth in my profile.
It gave me the option to decline: so I declined, as I don’t like sharing personal information if it isn’t necessary.
As soon as I declined, my account was locked.
And within less than three minutes, my entire timeline and everything I’ve ever posted was completely gone.
That is some very efficient deplatforming, right there. Free speech platform, my arse.
In fact, the platform had been doing weird things to my account for months by now, indicating I was likely flagged for deletion some time ago: my account got locked twice previously, but then unlocked.
I’ve been asked on several occasions to share personal data – which Twitter never used to do.
I also know for a fact that ‘X‘ has essentially been shadow banning me for over a year: the disparity between my number of followers on the one hand and the extreme lack of response or engagement with my posts hasn’t been making sense for years now.
The engagement stats have been showing me for months and months now that basically *no one* had been seeing my posts, indicating that the platform itself has been suppressing or hiding my content.
Which has meant essentially that I’ve been completely wasting my time on ‘X’ ever since Elon Musk took over and started changing things.
So at this point in time my being kicked off the platform is actually no great loss to me, as it was essentially a dead space anyway as far as meaningful activity was concerned.
I was only even logging in maybe once a month anyway.
The platform had already become unbearable to engage with several years ago, even before it became a train-wreck.
The sheer volume and relentlessness of the inane chatter, general toxicity and sheer boredom of the Twitter-verse made it a dying platform even before Elon Musk ran it into the ground.
It is also overrun by bots: it seems like there are more bots than real people active on the platform now.
Which is why I barely used it in recent years. I’d actually been thinking about not using it anymore anyway.
It was a lot more fun ten years ago. But then *most things* on the Internet were more fun ten years ago. The web is more like just another sterile, corporate controlled system now.
But this does demonstrate how little regard these platforms have for their users. The fact that I’d had that account for over ten years apparently had no bearing on things. I assume if I was upgraded to a premium account, I might’ve been safe. But fuck that.
But I guess that was very much the case with WordPress too, when it unceremoniously and without warning deleted my original website four years ago
Likewise, this total deletion on ‘X’ was instantaneous: with no reason given and no means of appeal.
I may or may not look at setting up with an alternative platform. If it seems worth it.
But I’m pretty convinced Facebook is going to deplatform me soon too: given the strange way it’s been behaving lately.
On Facebook, my links to my articles haven’t been posting properly. Followers on the Burning Blogger FB page have also said they haven’t been seeing my posts: indicating possibly that FB has been hiding the posts from people’s feeds.
I’ve had problems with Facebook before (several years ago Facebook actually installed spyware onto my computer, which I talked about at the time), but now it’s becoming more frequent.
Which might be a precursor to the Burning Blogger Facebook page being deleted some time in the near future.
I think social media will be a no-go area for me entirely soon. I’m not very good at it anyway.
All my energy goes into this site and the articles: I’ve never had much patience for the social media aspect.
And said social media platforms are evidently not a safe space for someone like me anymore anyway.
This era of suppression and information control is sucking all the life out of the online spaces anyway.
Even Google Searches are a heavily censored and manipulated process now too: geared towards limiting or suppressing the presence or reach of smaller or independent content producers.
The Internet is not what it once was. It’s been more or less fully brought under control of the same forces that control traditional media.
And Elon Musk is an idiot.
Bye bye, Twitter. And bye bye Internet, as it used to be.
TikTok. Yes, I know it may sound like it’s for dancing tweens but there I imagine you can create some great 60sec short clips and what not and have a call-to-action that directs viewers to this site.
Truly, go for it.
Alright, Mumra: I’ll explore that.
If you, Awan, have been expelled from x, perhaps it is because you have exposed Tommy Robinsson and you would spoil the ongoing elite setup to foment gang and counter-gang unrest to divert attention from their escalating wars in Gaza and Ukraine etc
I appreciate that thought 🙂 And it’s great seeing you comment here: it’s been a while.
No surprise sadly. I’m amazed how many fools still think the billionaire war-mongering transhumanist Musk is on our side. PT Barnum was obviously right, unfortunately.
Actually, James and petergrfstrm both: stay tuned, as the article I’m publishing next is all about Tommy Robinson, Musk, and this whole race baiting unrest in the UK.