Elon's Out. Should We Be, Too?

The future of 'Dot Chat' and social media

The world’s richest man doesn’t want to buy Twitter anymore, and his decision impacts www.rockoftalk.chat.

A year ago, with more than a little wariness, we launched a Twitter account, to expose our research, analysis, and commentary to a larger audience.

The results have been … mixed.

We’ve developed a loyal, if modest, following. But it’s clear that algorithmic trickery is afoot. Sometimes, a post will receive significant attention. Sometimes, an entire week’s worth of posts will receive neither a like nor a retweet. (Given how we aggressively challenge “progressive” thuggery, that’s hardly surprising.)

But even if Elon Musk had taken control, and made the platform free-speech friendly, would maintaining an account have been wise? As the Pew Research Center has repeatedly documented, on Twitter, “a relatively small share of highly active users produce the vast majority of content.” The blue-checks dominate, and perhaps The Rock of Talk shouldn’t be wasting our time.

So we’re asking your advice — where to go from here? Keep the account? Scrap it? Start (the horror) a Facebook account? Go all-in on alternative platforms, such as Minds, Gettr, Parler, MeWe, Gab, Mastodon, and Truth Social?

We know, we know — this is a minefield, and it’s tempting to eschew all social media. But we’re in the business of reaching more readers, listeners, and viewers, not less. Like it or not, as a powerful tool of communication, social media is not going away anyway soon. Using it to promote our work can be done right. Or can it?

There’s a strong cohort of tech-savvy folks in our community, and we’re eager to get your feedback. Weigh in with a comment below, and don’t pull punches!