Twitter/X reminds me more and more of a dive bar in the 1980’s. Sticky bathroom floor for reasons best not contemplated, and, when you finally leave, you’re covered with the stink of cigarettes.
Having said that, I spent a non-inconsequential time in 1980’s dive bars (including the one pictured above) and I continue to spend time on Twitter today. I’ve been on Twitter since 2008 and so my feed is highly curated. As long as I block all advertisements, don’t ever read any replies, and don’t post anything – the experience is tolerable.
Here’s some things that keep me coming back:
Jim Koenigsberger tweets baseball anecdotes. They’re usually stories you’ve never heard and often delightful.
Dan Wuori is a PhD specializing in early childhood care and learning. He posts baby videos and describes the skills the baby is learning at that exact moment.
Rodney Smith mows lawns for the elderly, veterans and disabled people. He also recruits kids across the country to do the same. At any point he has hundreds of kids mowing lawns for free in their neighborhoods.
Stuart Humphryes (also known as BabelColour) cleans and republishes color autochrome photographs from a hundred years ago or even more. The results are breathtaking.
Dr. Fry is WW II historian specializing in women in intelligence. Her tweets are little history lessons of brave women and the risks they took during the war.
Finally, some Twitter tidbits
A lot of people just tweet good news out into the universe. I got my degree! I got a job! I’m in remission! I’m sober! I try to like all of these tweets.
I tried Bluesky and it’s very earnest, to the point of being humourless. Twitter still has the occasional funny tweet.
And finally … cue the laughing babies!
