Matthew Reinbold<p>Completely anecdotal, but if the urgency and frequency of YouTuber pleas for support is anything to go by, ad revenue has really taken a dive.</p><p>One definition of a successful platform is how successful you are able to make its members. Creators having to resort to junk product sponsorships and patreon additional funding was already a canary in a coal mine. But ad revenue has also evaporated? </p><p>Guessing contraction has already begun.</p><p><a href="https://opinuendo.com/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> <a href="https://opinuendo.com/tags/streaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>streaming</span></a></p>
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#platforms
12 posts · 11 participants · 1 post today
Politico.eu (Unofficial RSS)X challenges German court decision that forces it to share election data <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/x-challenges-german-court-decision-that-would-force-it-to-share-data-with-researchers/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/x-challenges-german-court-decision-that-would-force-it-to-share-data-with-researchers/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/digitalservicesact" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DigitalServicesAct</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/contentmoderation" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Contentmoderation</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/onlineadvertising" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Onlineadvertising</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/electionsecurity" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Electionsecurity</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/consumerpolicy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ConsumerPolicy</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/dataprotection" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Dataprotection</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/transparency" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Transparency</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/socialmedia" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/algorithms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Algorithms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/regulation" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Regulation</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/democracy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Democracy</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/elections" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Elections</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Platforms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/research" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Research</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/services" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Services</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/courts" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Courts</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/media" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Media</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/data" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Data</a>
Jakob (he/him)<p>Uff ich werde in letzter zeit so oft auf Plattformen (hauptsächlich <a href="https://berlin.social/tags/reddit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>reddit</span></a> und <a href="https://berlin.social/tags/youtube" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>youtube</span></a>) ge- <a href="https://berlin.social/tags/shadowban" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>shadowban</span></a> -ed. Die scheinen jetzt alle unglaublich Zensurfreudige <a href="https://berlin.social/tags/LLMs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LLMs</span></a> zur Moderation einzusetzen. Das macht einen so unfassbar sauer, da versucht man sich zu einem Thema zu vernetzen und schreibt zwanzig Minuten einen gut formulierten Beitrag und dann ....</p><p>Und wirklich NICHTS an den Beiträgen war irgendwie problematisch.</p><p>Jedes mal schwör ich mir die komplett zu canceln.</p><p><a href="https://berlin.social/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> <a href="https://berlin.social/tags/llm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>llm</span></a> <a href="https://berlin.social/tags/ai" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ai</span></a></p>
ButterWord<p>Apple y Meta en la raza para desarrollar robots humanoides con IA - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: Meta), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AAPL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AAPL</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Apple" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Apple</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/con" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>con</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/desarrollar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>desarrollar</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/humanoides" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>humanoides</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Meta" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Meta</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/NASDAQ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NASDAQ</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/para" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>para</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Platforms</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/raza" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>raza</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/robots" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>robots</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ButterWord" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ButterWord</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Spanish_News" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Spanish_News</span></a> Comenta tu opinión 👇<br><a href="https://butterword.com/apple-y-meta-en-la-raza-para-desarrollar-robots-humanoides-con-ia-meta-platforms-nasdaq-meta-apple-nasdaq-aapl/?feed_id=6988&_unique_id=67b29026d5ac7" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">butterword.com/apple-y-meta-en</span><span class="invisible">-la-raza-para-desarrollar-robots-humanoides-con-ia-meta-platforms-nasdaq-meta-apple-nasdaq-aapl/?feed_id=6988&_unique_id=67b29026d5ac7</span></a></p>
Liberal Currents<p>"Whatever fantasies one may entertain of using <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Musk</span></a> and <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/Zuckerberg" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Zuckerberg</span></a>’s <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> against them should be abandoned. It is very likely that on a scale never before seen, opposition will be stymied, downranked, and silenced on their platforms." <a href="https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-new-state-media/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">liberalcurrents.com/the-new-st</span><span class="invisible">ate-media/</span></a></p>
Claes de Vreese ☑️<p>Vance’s speech underlines the necessity to not have unregulated online platforms.</p><p>Being responsible for hate speech, being transparent, not allowing manipulation, and combatting disinformation are not elements of censorship. It’s common sense. And some platforms are now outright propaganda machines. </p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/msc2024" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>msc2024</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/vance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>vance</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>democracy</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/disinformation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>disinformation</span></a></p>
katzenberger<p>For every <a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/moderation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>moderation</span></a> decision that restricts or removes content or accounts, the <a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/EU" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EU</span></a>'s "Digital Services Act" (<a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/DSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DSA</span></a>) obliges <a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> to submit a "statement of reasons" (SoR) to a "DSA Transparency Database".</p><p>As of today, this affects 23 designated Very Large Online Platforms (<a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/VLOP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>VLOP</span></a>s).</p><p>(Don't get excited, SoRs by law must not contain any <a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/PII" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PII</span></a> – also, there is no "case number" that you could cross-reference to moderation decisions affecting your posts. It's more of a "Statistics Database" than a "Transparency Database").</p><p>A study that became available last week ("DSA Transparency Database: Auditing Self-reported Moderation Actions by Social Media.") looked at the database, with not so surprising findings:</p><p>»Our analyses reveal that (i) the platforms adhered only in part to the philosophy and structure of the database, (ii) the structure of the database is partially inadequate for the platforms’ reporting needs, (iii) the platforms exhibited substantial differences in their moderation actions, (iv) a remarkable fraction of the database data is inconsistent, (v) the platform <a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/X" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>X</span></a> (formerly <a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/Twitter" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Twitter</span></a>) presents the most inconsistencies.«</p><p><a href="https://arxiv.org/html/2312.10269v4#S6" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">arxiv.org/html/2312.10269v4#S6</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/DSATransparencyDatabase" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DSATransparencyDatabase</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.de/tags/SocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SocialMedia</span></a></p><p>[Updated the number of VLOPs]</p>
John Sullivan<p>And speaking of <a href="https://scholar.social/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> and culture, I also really appreciate the work of the Platform Lab at Concordia University. They are producing some fascinating reports that are easily readable for a general audience (something that we academics need to get better at doing). For some reason, though, they have a presence on the bird site but not in the Fediverse. Hmm. Time to deplatform, folks!<br><a href="https://www.theplatformlab.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">theplatformlab.com/</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
John Sullivan<p>Shout out to an important new journal, Platforms & Society, which launched last year. Some really excellent articles and perspectives on the central role of digital <a href="https://scholar.social/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> in our economic, civic, and cultural lives. Available online, open access. Check it out: <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/PNS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">journals.sagepub.com/home/PNS</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p>
Martijn Staal<p>Tot eind januari dit jaar had de <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/EersteKamer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>EersteKamer</span></a> een (goed verstopte) <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/RSS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RSS</span></a> feed van zijn nieuwsberichten (<a href="https://www.eerstekamer.nl/nieuws" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">eerstekamer.nl/nieuws</span><span class="invisible"></span></a>). Die feed is opeens gestopt met werken. Ik had er achteraan gemaild, en volgens een medewerker is de RSS feed al sinds 2020 niet meer beschikbaar. Als je de Eerste Kamer wil volgen, ben je als gewone gebruiker nu afhankelijk van de Amerikaanse <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a> X, Instagram, LinkedIn en YouTube...</p>
Mark Carrigan<p><strong>Academic networks need to prepare for waves of enshittification</strong></p><p>After the US election in November 2024 there was a significant movement of users from Elon Musk’s X platform, which had been <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2024/11/26/twitter-x-has-ceased-to-be-a-neutral-platform-its-time-academics-let-go/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deployed politically</a> by an owner now explicitly affiliated to a candidate. There’s a risk of overstating the size of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/15/x-bluesky-social-media-platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exodus</a>, given that at the time of writing Bluesky has <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/how-and-why-to-join-bluesky-which-now-has-30-million-users-as-a-twitter-alternative/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">30 million users</a> compared to what clearly remains a much bigger userbase on X, even if it is difficult to trust their reported numbers given Musk’s vested interest in repudiating a narrative of decline. Even so there are now thriving communities on Bluesky engaged in patterns of interaction which are eerily reminiscent of the early years of. For many academics this has clearly been a relief following the changes imposed on Twitter/X over the last two years. Even if I remain sceptical about the future of Bluesky, for reasons I will explain below, it’s hard not to be touched by the goodwill which pervades the platform, at least if you are wired into the academic networks who are now so enthusiastically using it. </p><p>So why did it take academics so long to leave X? In asking the question I realise that I’m interrogating my own motivations for remaining there until after the election. I found myself using the platform ever less frequently, eventually not logging on for months at a time, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to delete the account. In part this was because I was conscious that my university valued markers of public engagement, which a social media account with almost 10k followers constituted even if I rarely posted on there. It feels slightly awkward to explain that I was driven by the <em>appearance </em>of social capital to remain on a platform which I felt increasingly hostile to. For other academics it was the <em>reality</em> of the social capital which left them bound into remaining on X, even if they felt increasing uncomfortable with the culture of the platform and the user experience associated with it. If you built up a following on Twitter/X then leaving it unilaterally meant that you would lose your place within that network, missing out on the appearance and reality of visibility which can feel so significant in an <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2015/04/07/life-in-the-accelerated-academy-carrigan/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anxious sector</a> into a state of political and economic crisis. </p><p>In my case a prominent <a href="http://www.markcarrigan.net" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">academic blog</a>, sites where I was a regular guest blogger and a popular Linked account meant I was less concerned about losing my connections. In fact I was in the strange position of being engaged in a slow multiyear project of shrinking my online network, having become one of the most visible sociologists on Twitter during my PhD, <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2019/12/06/why-ive-deleted-my-twitter-account-exhaustionrebellion-by-mark-carrigan/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in support of my own wellbeing</a>. I felt I had the platform that I wanted but I was concerned about that platform being legible to my employers in a manner they would value. Ultimately I’m not sure it matters whether it’s the connections themselves or the appearance of them which leads academics to remain committed to a social media platform. The fact our working lives are now mediated in this way is what’s really significant, such that our professional fortunes are now tied up in our use of platforms (see for example <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42438-021-00269-x" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the role of the impact agenda in the UK</a>) which once seemed like liberating spaces free of the strategic conduct which defined university life. </p><p>This is why it’s not a simple matter for academics to move between platforms. At root these are issues posed by <em>switching </em>costs. What are the costs incurred when you move between platforms? To the extent a platform operates as a walled garden, a closed ecosystem controlled by a particular firm, there will be costs imposed on users who want to leave. Not only are the large platforms aware of this dynamic, they have actively built their strategy around it. For example in <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3035-the-internet-con?srsltid=AfmBOoqmUiTk7DD-ZN_9QsRdrTQPBbOSAq_iwmbsjE8YN4_ViEQ8aXtq" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a recent book</a> Cory Doctorow reflects on how the threat posed by Google’s nascent social network Google+ was perceived by Facebook, including correspondence from an executive which revealed a confident stance: </p><p>“[<em>P]eople who are big fans of G+ are having a hard time convincing their friends to participate because 1/there isn’t [sic] yet a meaningful differentiator from Facebook and 2/ switching costs would be high due to friend density on Facebook.”</em></p><p>Since Google+ ceased operating in 2019, eight years after launch, this executive’s confidence seems well founded in retrospect. This wasn’t simply a neutral observation about how the platforms had developed but rather a reflection of a deliberate policy to maximise switching costs, relying on mechanisms like photos to keep users locked into the platform. If you deliberately make it an ordeal for users to switch to another platform you fortify your own position at the cost of user experience. This reveals, as Doctorow puts it, “a company that is thoroughly uninterested in being better than its competitors – rather, they’re dedicated to ensuring that leaving Facebook behind is so punishing and unpleasant that people stay, <em>even if they hate Facebook</em>”. </p><p>Bluesky is distinctive because it is built on a protocol intended to mitigate this problem. The <a href="https://atproto.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AT Protocol</a> describes itself as “an open, decentralized network for building social applications”. It actually emerged from a project incubated within Twitter from 2019 onwards, reflecting former CEO Jack Dorsey’s interest in a decentralised approach to social media. The problem is that, as Cory Doctorow <a href="https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/06/fool-me-twice-we-dont-get-fooled-again/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">points out</a>, “A federatable service isn’t a federated one”. The intention to create a platform which users can leave at will, without losing their social connections, does not mean users can <em>actually</em> do this. It’s a technical possibility tied to an organisational promise, rather than a federated structure which enables people to move between services if they become frustrated by Bluesky. The promise to make it easy for users to exit in future is nothing more than a promise, unless there is a pathway to implementation. </p><p>This might not feel like a problem for a platform in this early stage but we must consider where it might be heading. What happens when investors start to pressure Bluesky to increase engagement on the platform? What happens when a certain level of user growth becomes a non-negotiable condition for funding? The reason other social media platforms turned out the way they did is not due to the malign influence of bad actors (though clearly they didn’t help) but rather due to the strategic logic of building a mass commercial social media platform. If you need it to operate at scale, you design it in ways which shape user behaviour to this end, even if that wasn’t the vision which initially animated the platform. Musk pursued this logic in a particularly aggressive and politically partisan manner. In doing so he gave license to others within the digital elite to shift their public profile, as can seen in the <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/mark-zuckerberg-wardrobe-facebook-maga-trump?srsltid=AfmBOopkzM0sdKV0tqXVf64PexajAkbWlTCer2soZ4fy1WDj0l24BIDe" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">political repositioning of Mark Zuckerberg in the last month</a> following a longer term rebranding exercise which laid the groundwork. He did not however create the logic he was following, instead confronting an operating environment in which the uncertain economic model of the opening phase mutated into something very different, once the <a href="https://markcarrigan.net/2023/02/26/thank-you-for-using-web-2-0-your-free-trial-period-has-ended/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial period</a> was over. </p><p>The fact Bluesky has staff with patently good intention and the firm itself is a public benefit corporation doesn’t provide us with grounds to assume they will evade this trend, at least if they want to build a commercially viable business. The problem is that, <a href="https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/06/fool-me-twice-we-dont-get-fooled-again/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as Doctorow observes</a>, “The more effort we put into making Bluesky and Threads good, the more we tempt their managers to break their promises and never open up a federation”. If you were a venture capitalist putting many millions into Bluesky in the hope of an eventual profit, how you feel about designing the service in a way that reduces exit costs to near zero? This would <a href="https://doctorow.medium.com/https-pluralistic-net-2024-11-02-ulysses-pact-tie-yourself-to-a-federated-mast-b2f89bb5b4d8" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mean that</a> “An owner who makes a bad call – like removing the block function say, or opting every user into AI training – will lose a <em>lot </em>of users”. The developing social media landscape being tied in the Generative AI bubble means this example in particular is one we need to take extremely seriously. </p><p>I could be wrong. It’s certainly a <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2024/11/26/twitter-x-has-ceased-to-be-a-neutral-platform-its-time-academics-let-go/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">much better place for academics to be</a> than Elon Musk’s X. It would be a mistake to <em>assume</em> it will stay that way, given the forces likely to drive <a href="https://markcarrigan.net/2024/12/16/the-enshittification-of-enshittification/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">enshittification</a>. It’s illuminating to compare this (partial) academic migration to Bluesky to the failed migration to Mastodon, analysed by <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2406.04005v2" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wang, Koneru and Rajtmajer</a>. While there was an “initial surge in sign-ups” following Musk’s takeover, this “did not translate into sustained long-term user engagement” because “the level of established history, as well as the strong communities established on Twitter, with some over a decade, proved too significant to overcome”. If it’s the community which holds academics in place, it raises the question of how we might better coordinate that community in future, recognising social media as the <a href="https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-views-of-the-uk-2023-2-twitter-thread/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vital part of the research infrastructure</a> which it has become. The tendency has been to see <a href="https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/social-media-for-academics/book261904" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">social media for academics</a> as a trivial feature of professional life, whereas in reality it is now central to how academic networks form and reproduce. </p><p>It can be difficult to recognise this significance because it’s far upstream from specific collaborations but the things which academics do together (empirical research, scholarly communication, public engagement etc) now frequently feature social media in their origin stories, even if not necessarily in a central role. Even though it’s become a routine feature of academic life it’s still treated as a purely individual matter, in terms of choices, training and regulation. There’s little sense of strategic purpose concerning social media as a form of digital infrastructure upon which research collaboration depends, which leaves the sector precariously outsourcing it to unpredictable private corporations. We’ve seen how badly this can work out in recent years with Twitter/X. Could we respond in a more organised and effective way to future waves of platform enshittification? I hope so but it would require universities, as well as sector-wide organisations such as funding councils and learned societies, to recognise and take a stance in relation to these issues in a way they have thus far failed to do. </p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/academic-networks/" target="_blank">#academicNetworks</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/bluesky/" target="_blank">#BlueSKy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/cory-doctorow/" target="_blank">#coryDoctorow</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/elon-musk/" target="_blank">#elonMusk</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/enshittification/" target="_blank">#enshittification</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/mastodon/" target="_blank">#Mastodon</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/platforms/" target="_blank">#platforms</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/research-comms/" target="_blank">#researchComms</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/social-media-for-academics-2/" target="_blank">#socialMediaForAcademics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/twitter/" target="_blank">#twitter</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://markcarrigan.net/tag/x/" target="_blank">#X</a></p>
Stefan Schimanski<p>So simple. So hard. <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a></p>
Politico.eu (Unofficial RSS)Von der Leyen labels Trump’s VP an ally after first meeting <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/hinting-at-cooperation-von-der-leyen-labels-trumps-vp-an-ally/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/hinting-at-cooperation-von-der-leyen-labels-trumps-vp-an-ally/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/competitionandindustrialpolicy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CompetitionandIndustrialPolicy</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/overcapacity" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Overcapacity</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/elections" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Elections</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Platforms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/stability" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Stability</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/aluminum" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Aluminum</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/security" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Security</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/stateaid" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Stateaid</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/tariffs" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Tariffs</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/steel" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Steel</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/trade" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trade</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/trade" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trade</a>
Politico.eu (Unofficial RSS)Musk’s shadow hangs over Macron’s AI summit <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-shadow-emmanuel-macron-ai-summit/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-shadow-emmanuel-macron-ai-summit/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/artificialintelligence" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ArtificialIntelligence</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/britishpolitics" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Britishpolitics</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/electriccars" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electriccars</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/intelligence" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Intelligence</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technologyuk" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TechnologyUK</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/investment" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Investment</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/regulation" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Regulation</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Platforms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/digital" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#digital</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/macron" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Macron</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/cars" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Cars</a>
Politico.eu (Unofficial RSS)5 times politicians were humiliated by WhatsApp leaks <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/british-politicians-politicians-left-humiliated-whatsapp-leaks/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/british-politicians-politicians-left-humiliated-whatsapp-leaks/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/westminsterbubble" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Westminsterbubble</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/britishpolitics" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Britishpolitics</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/communications" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Communications</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/socialmedia" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/parliament" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Parliament</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/buildings" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Buildings</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/diplomacy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Diplomacy</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/elections" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Elections</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Platforms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/policing" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Policing</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/security" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Security</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/software" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Software</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/politics" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Politics</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/history" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#History</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/media" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Media</a>
Politico.eu (Unofficial RSS)France opens probe into Musk’s X over algorithm <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-opens-probe-into-musks-x-over-algorithm/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/france-opens-probe-into-musks-x-over-algorithm/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/informationtechnology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Informationtechnology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/lawenforcement" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Lawenforcement</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/cybersecurity" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Cybersecurity</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/socialmedia" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/algorithms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Algorithms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/parliament" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Parliament</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/technology" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Platforms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/bigtech" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BigTech</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/media" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Media</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/data" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Data</a>
Jon Fazzaro<p>"Just because it's called a 'platform' doesn't automatically mean it reduces the cost of effort. It's relatively easy to (unintentionally) design a platform that makes productivity worse"</p><p><a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/developerexperience" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>developerexperience</span></a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/productivity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>productivity</span></a> <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>platforms</span></a></p><p><a href="https://jchyip.medium.com/bad-idea-platforms-automatically-improve-productivity-ed8f15ce2c41" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">jchyip.medium.com/bad-idea-pla</span><span class="invisible">tforms-automatically-improve-productivity-ed8f15ce2c41</span></a></p>
Politico.eu (Unofficial RSS)How Germany found itself holding an Italian election <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-italy-elections-federal-cdu-csu-olaf-scholz-spd-vote/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-italy-elections-federal-cdu-csu-olaf-scholz-spd-vote/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/germanelection2025" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Germanelection2025</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/regions" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Regions</a>/Cohesion <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/democraticparty" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DemocraticParty</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/germanpolitics" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Germanpolitics</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/negotiations" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Negotiations</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/competition" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Competition</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/immigration" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Immigration</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/parliament" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Parliament</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/education" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Education</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/elections" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Elections</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Platforms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/farright" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Farright</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/politics" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Politics</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/finance" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Finance</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/opinion" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#opinion</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/crisis" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Crisis</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/rights" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Rights</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/data" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Data</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/poll" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Poll</a>
Politico.eu (Unofficial RSS)Trump agrees to 30-day pause on Canada tariffs <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-30-day-pause-canada-tariffs-goods-justin-trudeau-x-mexico-claudia-sheinbaum/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-30-day-pause-canada-tariffs-goods-justin-trudeau-x-mexico-claudia-sheinbaum/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/uk" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UK</a>-Mexicotradetalks <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/bilateraltrade" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Bilateraltrade</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/socialmedia" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/migration" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Migration</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Platforms</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/tariffs" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Tariffs</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/tradeuk" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TradeUK</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/media" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Media</a> <a class="hashtag" href="https://social.espeweb.net/tag/trade" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trade</a>
David Zappelli<p>🇪🇺 <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/Euro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Euro</span></a> & 🇨🇦 <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/Canadian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Canadian</span></a> <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/SocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SocialMedia</span></a> & Digital <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/Platforms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Platforms</span></a><br>1️⃣ Mastodon (Germany): <a href="https://joinmastodon.org" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">joinmastodon.org</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>2️⃣ Pixelfed (Canada/Europe): <a href="https://pixelfed.org" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">pixelfed.org</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>3️⃣ PeerTube (France): <a href="https://joinpeertube.org" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">joinpeertube.org</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>4️⃣ Vivaldi Social, browser, email, etc. (Norway): <a href="https://social.vivaldi.net" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">social.vivaldi.net</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>5️⃣ Lemmy (Austria): <a href="https://join-lemmy.org" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">join-lemmy.org</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>6️⃣ Hive Social (Germany): <a href="https://www.hivesocial.app" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">hivesocial.app</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>7️⃣ XING (Germany: <a href="https://www.xing.com" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="">xing.com</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>Others: Ravelry, Shopify, Wattpad, Peanut.<br>Note emphasis on the fediverse and open-source</p>
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