02DA7: Multi-Platforming

Monday - Ma La Tang

Now that blocking users on X/Twitter no longer hides your posts from the blocked person, it seems this is motivating people to leave the platform (again). It's because of shenanigans like this that Threads even exists as a platform along with a whole host of other similar social media sites. I've had accounts on both Threads and Bluesky for a while, but haven't really used them all that much beyond cross-posting links to my blog and a few other items of interest. 

With this latest semi-exodus of users (who are still on X, but also re/exploring alternative sites), I'm trying to make a more earnest effort to engage with friends there versus always defaulting to X. It's hard to decide to do this for content that has been duplicated across the different platforms. But there have been cases were particular contacts have been trying to differentiate how they are on X versus other platforms, and that merits a positive response or something. And I see more of that on Threads versus other platforms, probably because it was easier to get on it thanks to its shared Instagram login.

Bluesky is an interesting outlier because it used to be an invite-only platform, which severely curated its initial user base. I joined right before it went fully public and barely knew anyone there but managed to start making connections with fellow board game fans and those who appreciate franchises like Star Trek. Thus my engagement on that platform, while still rather limited, has been more interests-driven. It kind of reminds me of the early days of Google+ where everyone was trying to make sense of things and connect with anyone with the same interests. Bluesky didn't feel as forced and seems to have some very strong fandom users who are still on X but have also mirrored their content here, which really helps. 

I don't think X is going to die out anytime soon as a lot of the people who are announcing that they're also on Threads or on Bluesky or whichever app are still defaulting to posting and engaging on X more than other platforms. That's the challenge of any new social media effort - you need to reach a particular critical mass of friends on the platform before it becomes actually useful. And just having friends who have reserved usernames without actually posting stuff means nothing in the short term. 

So that's also why I'm trying to engage with people on the different sites just to see what sticks and to encourage activity there. It's sort of how I legitimately try to use Telegram as a messaging medium even though most default to Messenger or Viber (at least in the Philippines) and that's about it. In the end, Telegram still isn't a viable default messaging app because everyone is active in other places.

But hey, come find me on any of these apps, and let's have some meaningful conversations or something. I promise there'll be more to me than just my mirrored content, which admittedly is still a lot for now as I wait and see what'll stick as well.

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