Let’s face it. Ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the platform has pretty much gone to hell. In October 2022, Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion dollars. That’s Billion with a B. The now “richest man in the world,” has made changes to the site that, in my opinion, and many others, have made it unusable, unsustainable, and frankly unbearable. You need some social media options.
I liked Twitter, a lot. It was a great place to get breaking news. I loved following celebrities and authors I loved, as well as activists, politicians, and just incredible people doing great things. I loved to tweet both important (and random) thoughts. It was great to get information in real time. By following hashtags and trending topics, you were able to form and engage with smaller communities within the platform. One of my favorites, “watching” the Met Gala, and different awards show on Twitter. It had a lot going for it. For a while.
Of course, all was not great pre-Musk. The rise in hate speech, bullying, and threats were pretty bad and caused many people to either delete their accounts, make them private, or as I saw in some cases, turn their profiles over to someone else to manage. And then, would only use them for updates on work and professional matters. There were problems, but there was still some good there. Then came Elon Musk and his changes.
He changed verified/blue check accounts for celebrities and public figures. They would now have to pay for that feature. The most recent change came on July 1st when it was announced that non-verified users would only be able to read up to 600 tweets per day. People with verified accounts would be able to read up to 6,000 posts a day. And if you are a new, unverified user, you would only be allowed 300 tweets a day.
With Twitter on the decline and going up in flames, there are some alternatives. Here are some of the options.
Threads by Meta
UKRAINE – 2023/07/06: In this photo illustration, Threads logo seen displayed on a smartphone.
Threads is the new social network from Meta Platforms which was launched on the 5th of July 2023. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the Threads app is designed to rival Twitter. As of 6th of July 2023, the Thread app already has 10 million users. (Photo Illustration by Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Threads is a new app by Meta, the parent group of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta describes Threads as:
- Threads is a new app, built by the Instagram team, for sharing text updates and joining public conversations.
- You log in using your Instagram account and posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
- Your Instagram username and verification will carry over, with the option to customize your profile specifically for Threads.
Threads has been rolled out in more than 100 countries for iOS and Android, and people in those countries can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Get all the info you need, and find out how to download Threads HERE.
Spill
This is the alternative that I’m most excited about. Spill! The beta-version of Spill was founded by two former Twitter employees, Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and Devaris Brown. It’s currently live, but the app is still invite-only. I’m currently patiently waiting for my invite-code. Spill founders say they’re not trying to be Twitter and that, the app is intended to foster a safer, more diverse community for what they call “culture drivers.”
Safety has been an issue on Twitter, and according to GLAAD’s 2023 Social Media Safety Index report, , Twitter is also considered the “most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people. Spill’s diverse developers are programming the artificial intelligence on the platform to monitor abuse or hate against communities of color.
There’s also an opportunity for creators to get proper credit and make some money. In a report from Time, “Spill differs from Threads in that it
Six months, 10K+ lines of code, thousands of testers, our first advertisers and we’re just getting started ☕️
— SPILL (@SpillMob) June 12, 2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appears to be much more gif and photo forward, and allows for monetization of viral posts. That means that Spill users can earn money for a viral post. Spill’s designers are also ensuring that creators get credit for their posts, and are using blockchain technology to track what users post.”
Proud to share the SPILL invite-only beta is now in the Apple App Store (https://t.co/tJga3QA7gF). More on where we’re at, what’s next & where to find invites 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/5B2LPjOA3LJoin the Spill waitlist HERE.
Bluesky
Bluesky comes from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. It is reportedly the closest to Twitter’s form and function, and as of now, there are no ads or sponsored content. Bluesky will be will be a decentralized system, meaning that people can build their own communities and apps within it.
Join Bluesky and get on the waitlist HERE.
cohost
cohost says they’re not finished yet and they’re building around users, not profit. Some of the main points they make are:
“cohost will never sell your data, sell ads, or sell the company to anyone who might change these policies to make a quick buck.” And “all your follows’ posts, in the order they were posted, in a timeline that goes vertically. clear and effective moderation done by humans.”
It is still in its beta phase, and you can sign up for cohost HERE.
