I’ve often wondered what event would happen, or what tipping point would be reached, for people to abandon ship on X formerly known as Twitter.

Since being acquired by Elon Musk in October 2022, the social network’s decline that has been going on for a number of years has accelerated in terms of, well, everything: number of users, usage of the platform, advertising revenue, trustworthiness… About all that has increased is the volume of toxic content and the increasing numbers of people using the platform who have previously been banned for hate speech and more.

Yet while trickles of influential voices have quit the platform, we haven’t seen a raging torrent of exits. As Shel and I often muse in discussion on our For Immediate Release podcast, we won’t see that unless or until the advertisers quit.

Are we now witnessing the dominoes starting to fall?

Over the past few days it’s been widely reported across the social and mainstream media landscape, led by the Financial Times, that IBM has withdrawn its worldwide advertising from X. IBM told the FT that it pulled its advertising following a report by Media Matters for America, a liberal non-profit research centre, that showed the tech giant’s advertising was placed alongside pro-Nazi content on X.

“IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation,” the company said in a statement.

FT, 16 November 2023

Media Matters’ report also highlighted that ads from major brands like Apple, Oracle, and Comcast’s Xfinity were found next to hate speech content promoting Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

IBM’s action stands out on a background of growing concerns about reduced content moderation and increasing hate speech on X since Musk’s takeover last year.

IBM’s withdrawal from X highlights the increasing concern among major brands about being associated with platforms that fail to effectively moderate hate speech and discriminatory content.

Late on Friday came news that Apple has also pulled its advertising. citing Musk’s public support for antisemitic views. While IBM’s withdrawal is big news, Apple’s move could be seismic given the hundreds of millions of dollars it reportedly spends in advertising on X.

“This could be the start of an advertising exodus. Lions Gate Entertainment is also pulling all advertising from X, a spokesperson confirmed to Axios.”

Axios, 17 November 2023

The serious challenge for X now is not only financial but also about upholding ethical standards in content moderation, which is crucial for maintaining advertiser and user trust.

The trouble is, such a challenge does not appear to matter at all to Elon Musk.

In addition to the companies mentioned, some media reports also say others including Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount, Sony Pictures, and Comcast/NBCUniversal have also pulled their advertising.

These are big dominoes.

Taking a stand is also an action in the political arena where the European Commission – the politically independent executive arm of the European Union – has stopped advertising on X because of “widespread concerns relating to the spread of disinformation,” according to an internal note obtained by POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook.

Politico.eu’s report quotes European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Dana Spinant:

“[The European Commission communications department] will consider using alternative platforms (e.g. LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook) or digital advertising on websites, as appropriate. We are also exploring new platforms to diversify our social media presence.”

Dana Spinant, European Commission, in Politico.eu, 17 November 2023

Consider the consequences of staying on X

For organisations, the big question is: where do you go if you leave X? It’s a natural question as, in the 17 years since its founding in 2006, Twitter had developed into a global media and marketing platform without equal in its structure, accessibility and function as a means of mass communication.

Twitter was already way beyond being just a social network when Musk acquired it and then turned it into X. In the second half of 2023, Musk and his CEO, Linda Yaccarino, have said they have doubled down on their efforts to address hate speech and persuade advertisers to stay and spend, even as bad actors and others have also doubled down on turning Twitter-now-X into a place not fit for purpose in the mainstream.

Meanwhile, users – especially many influential ones – have gone and left behind a wasteland of trolls, disinformation, hate and awfulness. X’s DAU numbers look most uninspiring, especially to advertisers, I imagine.

In the case of IBM mentioned earlier, this is about antisemitism, more than simply hate speech. It is a disturbing issue where X seems to have a central role in its spread.

Think about this if you hesitate in your thinking about staying or leaving:

• Presence of antisemitic content: The spread of antisemitism on X is a critical issue, affecting both individuals, organisations and the platform’s overall environment.
• Community impact: Hate speech and antisemitism are creating a hostile environment and the quality of public discourse will deteriorate further, impacting all users.
• Content and policy changes: The decline in effective content moderation following the departure of senior executives and most of the original Twitter moderation teams drastically affects the platform’s environment, making it less suitable for professional use.
• Professional and ethical implications: For professionals and organisations, the ethical implications of using a platform that struggles with hate speech, including antisemitism, are significant and will affect reputation and, potentially, brand values.

Ultimately, continuing use of such a platform might be perceived as tacit approval or indifference to the issues surrounding hate speech in all its forms, which could impact the reputation of you and your organisation, and alignment with personal or organisational values.

All, of this may be moot if falling dominoes cause X to suspend its operations – perhaps the financiers behind Musk may push him out – or, worse case, collapse entirely.

You do have your escape plan in place, right?

(One other thing to note. X isn’t the only social network where hate speech and antisemitism have a strong foothold – TikTok is another.)

Time to call time on X

I joined Twitter in the early days, in December 2006. Actually doing the deed of leaving X was quite easy once I’d realised that the original Twitter no longer existed after Musk renamed Twitter to X in July.

So in mid October, I quit X. I’d been mulling this over for some months; the catalyst to do it was the dreadful and disgusting event on X experienced by journalist Dave Lee in early October.

In the month since then, I have spent time that I would have spent on Twitter spread in a handful of different places, not purely one place. That’s one behaviour change as a result of Musk.

I’m primarily in these places:

• Threads (Meta’s surprisingly good and evolving social network startup last July with 100 million-plus users already).
• Pebble (on Mastodon, the phoenix-like successor to the invitation-only original that shut down in October, continuing its focus on being a smaller, kinder, safer, more fun platform, very niche with currently less than 500 members).
• LinkedIn (I surprise myself with how much I actually enjoy this business-focused place that I joined in 2004 and hardly used until a few years ago).
• Bluesky (the very Twitter-like potential, perhaps probable, successor to Twitter that’s just passed 2 million members, still by invitation only, with an added dash of fediverse).
• Facebook (a private account; the appeal mostly is a handful of private groups I’m in that aren’t anywhere else).

My point in mentioning these five places is to illustrate that I believe the days of a single, centralised place are over. Now, you can spread your time and attention across a handful of different places, all with different communities, values, and rules.

All this is from the user’s perspective. Most are not places for advertisers with algorithms and demographics. These are places for authentic engagement, conversation, and community. The European Commission has got the right approach with their thinking: “We are also exploring new platforms to diversify our social media presence.”

I hope that thinking also includes looking at new (old) ways to engage with people.

Welcome to the start of the time of post-X.

Related reading:

• Calling Time on X (17 October 2023
• X, Moral Bankruptcy, and the Business of Hate (8 October 2023)
• Where do we go from X? (21 August 2023)
• Bye bye Twitter bird (31 July 2023)

(Photo at top by Andre Hunter on Unsplash.)

In the fast-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, generative AI tools like ChatGPT have emerged as frontrunners, captivating the imagination of technophiles and business leaders alike.

The allure of these AI marvels lies in their remarkable ability to simulate human-like interactions, offering insights, generating ideas, and even composing literary pieces. This growing demand reflects a broader trend in technology: the quest for personalised digital experiences that resonate with individual needs and aspirations.

Now, generative AI tools have taken a leap up to the next level with GPT Builder, a groundbreaking development in the realm of generative AI from ChatGPT creator, OpenAI, released last week.

GPT Builder not only lets you imagine what creating your own version of ChatGPT would look like, but also do it tailored to your specific interests, industry and personal styles of communication. GPT Builder represents a paradigm shift from one-size-fits-all AI solutions to a more personalised approach.

With this innovative creator, anyone from a small business owner, to a creative writer, to a PR practitioner, can fine-tune the capabilities of ChatGPT, forging a digital companion that not only understands their specific context but also augments their daily tasks with a touch of AI-driven ingenuity.

I’ll say it more simply: It’s possible to make a GPT just by chatting with ChatGPT and describing what you want!

It marks the beginning of a new era in AI customisation, where personalisation is not just a feature but the very core of the user experience.

How does GPT Builder work?

To start with, you’ll need the right version of ChatGPT, either ChatGPT4 Plus or ChatGPT Enterprise. Both are paid subscription versions – the builder does not work with the free version of ChatGPT. I use ChatGPT 4 Plus.

The GPT Builder is an interactive platform that lets you create and customise your own GPT model, ie, a personalised chatbot. This bespoke approach means that you can tailor responses to suit your specific industry needs, company ethos, or communication style. The Builder has a user-friendly interface, complete with drag-and-drop functionality that simplifies the complex process of AI programming with just a few clicks and adjustments. It shields you completely from any code.

Anyone can easily build their own GPT—no coding is required. You can make them for yourself, just for your company’s internal use, or for everyone. Creating one is as easy as starting a conversation, giving it instructions and extra knowledge, and picking what it can do, like searching the web, making images or analyzing data. Try it out at chat.openai.com/create.

OpenAI, November 6, 2023

In ChatGPT4 itself, you’ll see a new choice in the menu sidebar called ‘Explore’ that, when you click it, gives you the option to create a GPT of your own.

From this point, the Builder leads you through a series of questions where your responses guide the tool in creating the customised version of ChatGPT that will then be a choice in the sidebar menu in your ‘My GPTs’ list.

I went through the process of creating a personalised ChatGPT4. I told the Builder that my need was for a chatbot that would research potential topics to give me ideas for articles for my blog taking into account the topics focus of the blog and the chatbot personalisation I wanted. I called it ‘Idea Spark’, a name suggested by the Builder in response to the prompts I’d entered early on during the creation process.

This is the crucial part of personalising your ChatGPT that GPT Builder will create. Your instructions (answers to the prompts) are what will make your chatbot personal to you, in what it will do. Here’s a screenshot of some of the prompt/answer processes that led to the creation of ‘Idea Spark’.

Getting to this conclusive step took just fifteen minutes, and I then had a personalised version of ChatGPT4. I could leave it as this and start using it straight away, which I have done. But as this is a learning process, I will spend time tweaking ‘Idea Spark’ based on my experiences with it during the next few weeks.

Once you have your personalised GPT model, look into the ‘Configure’ section where you can make simple changes or add some content. Here is what ‘Idea Spark’ looks like today – I have made no changes yet; this is as it came after GPT Builder created it.

You’ll note in the screenshot above, at the top, it says “Published / Anyone with a link”. This means that Idea Spark is publicly accessible if you know the link. I’ve not yet made that open and likely will do so after my initial testing. But if you’d like to see it before that and give it a spin yourself (and let me know what you think of it), drop me a note on LinkedIn, Pebble or Threads.

Is a personalised ChatGPT4 better than the standard ChatGPT4?

That’s a question I had at the start, but I quickly realised that it’s not the right question to ask.

Given that your personalised version is a version of ChatGPT4, it’s technically equal. Where it differs is in its focus – what it allows you to do and what it pays attention to after you provide prompts and answers to its responses, and how it engages with you the user embodied by its tone and personality.

I see it this way:

• For general use, not narrowly focused or zeroed in on a specific industry, product range, business, etc, where you want the widest focus to produce the most wide-ranging responses, I’d use the standard ChatGPT4.
• For specific use, where you are focused on your industry or profession, and on topics of very specific interest to you and relevance to your industry or profession, I’d use a personalised version of ChatGPT4.

Therefore, one is not better than the other. Rather, each is better at the task you seek it to complete based on the wide or narrow focus you desire.

I think that time will tell if this thinking is correct or not.

GPT Builder: Communication transformer

Front of mind for me as I experiment with personalisation is how much of a game changer this will be in organisations.

First of all, the GPT Builder encourages communicators to experiment with different styles and formats, pushing the boundaries of conventional corporate communication. By offering an environment to trial innovative ideas and create personalities, it paves the way for a more adventurous approach to messaging, one that could help differentiate a brand in a crowded marketplace.

Moreover, the Builder’s capacity to blend data analytics with content creation enables the surfacing of insights that might otherwise remain buried in the depths of big data. This synthesis of quantitative and qualitative analysis can unveil new perspectives and opportunities for storytelling, helping many people across organisations narrate their data in a manner that is both enlightening and compelling.

This is equally valid in both internal and external communications. Imagine a personalised GPT for employee communication. Another one for investor relations. One more for public relations. Each of them specifically tailored for communicating and engaging with those distinct groups (let’s not just call them ‘audiences’).

If you’ve read this far, I imagine it’s quite clear to you that personalisation is at the heart of the GPT Builder’s appeal.

Standard, non-personalised, ChatGPT operates on a general model, proficient across a wide range of topics and styles. It lacks a nuanced understanding of specific industry terminologies or company-specific lingo. How could it be other than that, given its positioning as a generative AI tool that can be used by literally anyone with an Internet connection, asking it anything?

A personalised GPT created by GPT Builder can be trained on specialised datasets, encompassing industry-specific knowledge, company policies, and even the subtle nuances of a brand’s tone and voice. This enables the creation of a model that not only speaks the language of the business but also embodies its ethos and values.

Then there’s the adaptability of personalised models – truly a game-changer.

You can continuously update and refine these personalised GPTs to keep pace with the evolving dynamics of a business environment. For instance, as a company expands into new markets or adopts new product lines, the personalised ChatGPT model can be updated to include this new information, ensuring that its responses remain relevant and insightful.

This stands in stark contrast to the static nature of the standard ChatGPT Plus, for instance – while periodically updated by OpenAI, it cannot be personalised at an organisational level.

The GPT Builder gives you greater control over the AI’s response mechanisms, too. This is crucial for maintaining compliance with regulatory standards and ethical guidelines, especially in industries like finance, healthcare, and law. Organisations can tailor their personalised models to avoid specific topics, adhere to legal constraints, or align with cultural sensitivities, something that the one-size-fits-all approach of standard ChatGPT cannot do.

There are risks, of course. Data privacy and security, to name two. And there are ethical considerations, such as the potential for AI to perpetuate biases or misunderstand cultural nuances. Such important issues must be an equal part of the evaluation procedures in organisations.

All of this really just touches the surface of the capabilities and possibilities that a personalised ChatGPT can offer. More is coming from OpenAI in the months ahead such as a GPT Store from where you will be able to use personalised models created by verified builders. Read OpenAI’s Introducing GPTs for a good overview on how the company sees the immediate future.

I see opportunities for organisations where a GPT Builder-created GPT can offer a level of specificity, adaptability, and control that is unmatched. It empowers organisations to leverage AI in a way that is finely tuned to their specific context, paving the way for more effective, efficient, and personalised communication strategies.

It’s definitely worth kicking the tyres.

Additional reading:

• Personalized A.I. Agents Are Here. Is the World Ready for Them? (New York Times, November 11, 2023)
• Status report: artificial intelligence (AI) in public relations (Stephen Waddington, November 11, 2023)
• Custom GPTs: New Ways To Utilize ChatGPT For SEO & Marketing (Search Engine Journal, November 10, 2023)
• AI is about to completely change how you use computers (Bill Gates, November 9, 2023)

Related reading:

• ChatGPT, Claude, Bing, or Bard? (August 29, 2023)
• AI for global good (June 28, 2023)
• It looks like PR has its head in the sand about AI (March 1, 2023)
• As Bing AI search joins the chatbot space let’s look at some realism amongst the excitement (February 21, 2023)

(The generative AI high-definition photo at the top of the page of a woman sitting at a computer screen using GPT Builder was created with Adobe Firefly. I had also created photos using the DALLE-3 integration with ChatGPT4 that, while very good, showed a robot in the screen display every time even though I specifically asked in the prompt not to include a robot. This tech clearly makes up its own mind at times.)

If there’s one thing that’s certain in the tumult of social networks today, it is that nothing is certain. Things change, often in unexpected ways, and change fast.

The latest illustration of how fast is Pebble. Two weeks ago, the social network startup announced that it was shutting down on November 1, just shy of a year since it launched as T2 for users with an invitation code. And shut down it did to become the first major casualty in the landscape of alternatives if not successors to X formerly known as Twitter.

Opinions vary widely as to what was the cause or causes of Pebble’s demise. In the October episode of the For Immediate Release podcast that Shel Holtz and I present, recorded on October 29, we led the episode with a discussion about Pebble in the wider context of the challenges new social media platforms face in a market dominated by established players, and the reality that X still holds a grip that’s far stronger than most people realise.

Both Shel and I were users of Pebble, in my case instead of X. I was increasingly using Pebble along with Threads, another potential alternative, launched by Meta a few months ago. I quit X entirely in mid-October.

Despite being a promising alternative, Pebble struggled to carve out a substantial user base amidst fierce competition. The rapid evolution of the competitive landscape, with many platforms offering similar features, heightened the challenge for Pebble to distinguish itself and gain traction. Ultimately, it couldn’t.

Other factors were significant in everything that transpired in Pebble’s brief play, including these realities:

• Pebble’s emphasis on creating a kinder, safer platform with stringent moderation highlighted the delicate balance required to foster open discussions while ensuring user safety and trust. However, this approach likely restricted the extent of open debates and discussions, which are often seen as vital for user engagement on social media platforms.
• In September, T2 was rebranded as Pebble. This act may have inadvertently diluted the platform’s value proposition. The change might have distanced users looking for a direct Twitter alternative, demonstrating the significance of a clear and resonant brand identity in attracting and retaining users. Branding and rebranding efforts need to be meticulously planned and executed to ensure alignment with the platform’s goals and user expectations (something X hasn’t paid much attention to following its rebranding of Twitter).
• The lack of a native mobile app for Pebble underscores the importance of having a robust technical infrastructure to enhance the user experience and engagement. Mobile applications are crucial for user discovery, accessibility, and continuous engagement, especially in a market where users have come to expect seamless mobile experiences. The absence of an official mobile app likely hindered Pebble’s ability to retain and grow its user base.
• The enduring market dominance of X – itself still evolving as Elon Musk continues remaking what was Twitter into something all-embracing in his own image – presents a formidable barrier for new entrants, especially a startup. Established platforms with large user bases and network effects continue to hold significant sway in the social media space, Meta with Threads being a good example: from zero to 100 million users in less than a week. This dominance underscores the necessity for new platforms to offer unique value propositions, innovative features, or distinctive user experiences to attract and retain users.

Shortly after the November 1 shutdown, Gabor Cselle, Pebble’s co-founder and CEO, shared his own reflective analysis of what happened at Pebble and, proverbially, what lessons can be learned.

Initially we called it “T2”, and we later renamed it to “Pebble.” We raised $1.4M from angels in December 2022. We grew it to 20k registered users who have posted 350k posts. At the peak we had 9k MAU and 3k DAU, before we stopped growing. Our traction was insufficient to raise more venture capital, and just as we were going into our fundraise, our DAUs started shrinking. We decided to end our experiment and shut down Pebble on November 1, 2023.

Gabor Cselle, November 1, 2023

And so, Pebble is no more as an independent social network startup that tried to build a presence and a community on values and beliefs that most people say actually are important to them in a social network. It wasn’t enough, though, as Cselle noted in his analysis.

Being kinder and safer is not enough of a differentiator, because kindness and safety by themselves aren’t interesting enough.

Gabor Cselle, November 1, 2023

And then, something extraordinary happened, signalled in a post from Cselle on a new social network the day before the Pebble shutdown.

If that may seem familiar to you, cast your mind back 17 years to March 21, 2006, and the start of an earlier social network.

A groundswell behind the new Pebble

In what he dubbed “an experiment”, Cselle set up an instance on Mastodon called pebble.social that would be a new home for pebblers (a great moniker for Pebble users). Perhaps, Maybe. Who knows.

Nevertheless, the diaspora of pebblers liked the idea a lot and embraced this experiment with alacrity.

Within 24 hours, a new Pebble arose phoenix-like from the ashes of what had gone before. Today, there are just under 300 users on the new network, myself included. Very small beer compared to, say, X with its apparent 300+ million at one point, but getting big numbers was never a Pebble goal from the start.

No, the goal was absolutely focused on “being kinder and safer”. There’s plenty of that sentiment demonstrated in the Pebble resurrection on Mastodon, perhaps best manifested in the selfless commitment by Blobcat, a pebbler who created a theme for the new Pebble that mirrors what the original Pebble looked like. I’ve installed the theme on my handle.

There’s brand familiarity and continuity!

Above: The new Pebble, looking just like the old Pebble

So what are the chances? Can pebble.social gain traction to become what the original Pebble couldn’t? Is goodwill enough to get started?

I think it’s far too early for such questions never mind answers.

The Pebble co-founded by Gabor Cselle and Sarah Oh was a startup, funded by angel investors. At some point, it would have been intended to become a profitable enterprise. That point never arrived. The new “Pebble phoenix” is driven by a groundswell of goodwill and positive emotion that continues less than a week after the presence was set up on Mastodon.

It’s important to recognise that X is still a significant player no matter (or maybe because of) the continuing turmoil surrounding this successor to Twitter run by Elon Musk. And Threads is steadily looking more credible every day.

Even if user numbers for X look like they’re in a terminal downwards trend, X is still here. For how long is a good question, but it’s here – until it’s not. (Radical thought: or perhaps until a new owner acquires the wreckage with serious intent and ability to rebuild it as Twitter again.)

Meanwhile, enjoy the experiment of a kinder, safer place

I very much like to think that there is a future for a social network that is all about being kinder and safer, the antithesis of X. I think Pebble has every chance of creating such a niche space, given the goodwill on show.

However, no one has an actual plan yet. This is still very much an experiment, fuelled by the goodwill I’ve mentioned a few times.

Setting up a for-profit social network on a Mastodon instance like pebble.social can be a feasible endeavour depending on various factors including goals, resources, and the community it would be aimed to serve. Mastodon is an open-source, decentralised social networking platform that allows anyone to host their own servers (known as instances) with their own moderation policies and community standards.

Lots to consider, though. A few thoughts:

• One way to monetise is to charge users a membership fee for access to the instance. Another is offering premium features for a fee.
• While Mastodon is ad-free by design, nothing prevents instance administrators from implementing their own advertising solutions. However, this will likely go against the ethos of the Mastodon community which values privacy and an ad-free experience.
• Attracting a user base could be challenging given the competition from established social networks, especially X as referenced earlier. However, a niche or unique value proposition could help in building a community – and Pebble would be starting from an already-started foundation if it can really leverage “being kinder and safer”.
• Being in compliance with data protection laws (such as GDPR in Europe) is crucial. Legal compliance in terms of content moderation and handling of illegal content is another important consideration.
• Build an advocacy framework within the use base to empower users to promote Pebble everywhere, something the old Pebble sorely lacked. This will require a well-thought-out marketing strategy and a budget to pay for it.

In these days of possibilities and realistic wishful thinking, my plan is to continue enjoying the kinder and safer place that the present Pebble resurrection, the phoenix, is enabling. It represents a particular niche, one that I value. I’ll also spend time in other places like Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn and Facebook, all different, with different objectives and different reasons for me to use them. I believe the days of a centralised, single platform that you frequent exclusively are done for, no matter what Elon Musk says.

And I’ll continue conversations with like-minded supporters. It all just could work.

Related:

• Calling Time on X – October 17, 2023

(The digital image at the top was created by DALLE-3 via ChatGPT-4 in response to my simple text prompt: “A majestic purple phoenix arises from the smoking ashes of a terminated social network”. The prompt ChatGPT-4 gave to DALLE-3 was significanrtly evolved: “Photo of a splendid phoenix with deep purple and violet feathers, rising majestically with its wings outstretched among the swirling smoke and glowing ashes of a digital platform’s remains, symbolizing transformation and the start of a new chapter”. Wow.)

For most people, it’s pleasing to receive unsolicited recognition for an achievement or piece of work that demonstrates excellence in one form or another, as perceived by those who give the recognition.

That applies to me, as I’m thrilled to see that this blog, nevillehobson.com, has been recognised in the 2023 Top 10 PR Blogs ranking from Vuelio, just published.

Part of the thrill for me is that this is the ninth consecutive year that such recognition has been bestowed on this blog. Thank you, Vuelio.

So how did this blog get so much recognition over the years? It would be simplistic just to say because I’ve been blogging for years (since 2002) although that may well be a big part of it. It’s not only the longevity, though, but also the content that matters to the people who read the posts published in this blog, either directly, via email or RSS, or syndication elsewhere.

And that content comes about through my own thinking. Indeed, I’ve always seen this blog primarily as my public place for thinking out loud. It’s refreshing and sometimes quite cathartic. It may prompt others to share their opinions on a topic I write about, whether in agreement or not, often to amplify the original thinking with additional views and so extend the conversation. And increasingly, such engagement has been moving away from the blog itself to the wider scope and scale of social networks.

The days are long gone when such recognition procedures were carried out entirely by people. In the case of Vuelio’s rankings, people do play an essential role (they have the final words) but the leg work is algorithmic, as Vuelio explains:

Vuelio uses a proprietary algorithm to rank all the media in our database. For the rankings, we (usually) put the ten most influential blogs in order after the automated results have been carefully reviewed by our team of in-house researchers. The methodology takes into consideration a vast number of factors including social sharing, topic-related content, post frequency, engagement, social media influence, traffic and interactivity.

The 2023 ranking includes people in the PR and associated professions who selflessly share their thinking and ideas in posts to their blogs for others to read, share, comment on and, broadly, help enrich our professional lives.

In ranked order, here are the Top 10 PR Blogs for 2023. Check them out, read them, join the conversation:

1. Wadds by Stephen Waddington
2. Famous Campaigns by James Herring and others
3. Comms2Point0 by Darren Caveney
4. All Things IC by Rachel Miller
5. NevilleHobson.com by Neville Hobson
6. Ronke Lawal by Ronke Lawal
7. Scott Guthrie by Scott Guthrie
8. Dan Slee Blog by Dan Slee
9. Amandacomms’s Blog by Amanda Coleman
10. UK Black Comms Network Blog by Kamiqua Lake and others

(The digital image at the top was created by DALLE-3 via ChatGPT-4 in response to the simple text prompt: “A computer monitor sits atop a table. The monitor screen shows what looks to be a website or blog. The room where the table is placed is in near-darkness. Two spotlights from above bathe the monitor in light, in the manner of a movie star being lit up when receiving an award.”)

Something has changed recently with regard to X, the social network that used to be Twitter until Elon Musk arbitrarily rebranded it to X last July.

Since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter closed in October 2022, the social network has endured constant upheaval and chaos as Musk set about dismantling its structure and remaking it in his own image. During the whole time since then, there has been strong and growing criticism of the platform and Musk in particular over its stance on extremism, disinformation, fake news and more unsavoury characteristics now prevalent on X.

FUD for users and advertisers reigns supreme.

So what has changed? Has there been a shift in the space-time continuum?

Actually, I don’t think X has changed. Everything going on is just a continuation of what’s been going on ever since Musk came on board.

I think what has changed is me.

I’m no longer willing to actively use, promote and support a social network that I no longer trust or believe in. There hasn’t been a sudden tipping point, it’s more a slow burn of alarm, concern and disillusionment in a place I joined in December 2006, almost 17 years ago, as may be apparent from many of my posts here during this year.

This decision was made a little easier when I came to the realisation that what we have now is not Twitter at all. Twitter disappeared in July. Now it’s just X, a place at the whim of its capricious proprietor and his manipulating algorithms to do with what he wishes no matter the consequences or effects on anyone else.

Some recent events have had a strong impact on my thinking, notably the role of X as an amplifier, promoter and monetiser of hate and vileness in the grim experience described by Dave Lee last week.

There’s also a long list of relatively smaller but troubling things that collectively add up to my saying “Enough!” And there’s even more.

Out with X, In with Peace of Mind

As of last Thursday, October 12, I stopped sharing content on X in the form of original posts (previously known as tweets). No more.

I’m now focused on developing my presence on Pebble and Threads, two new social networks that offer different but good alternative choices for connecting and engaging with others in a pleasant environment. I’ve written about Pebble before when it was known as T2; I’ll post some opinions about Threads soon.

I’m not closing my accounts on X (I have three handles there) as I do need to access that network from a business perspective that will continue until I don’t need to do that. But I will not be posting any original content there, concentrating instead on Pebble and Threads along with other places I like to visit (here’s my list of connections: https://linktr.ee/nevillehobson).

I’ll keep to this plan unless something prompts me to change or stop it. A new owner, perhaps, one who believes in Twitter’s original purpose to serve the public conversation on a platform for free-flowing discussions among users. Maybe it’s too late for that now, though.

And what of the community I’ve built up over the years, now comprising over 13,200 followers? I have met some amazing people over the years and developed some good friendships. In the early days, Twitter brought me consulting business. And I learned a lot about online engagement and influence. Now, many of the people I closely followed on Twitter – influential voices, journalists, business leaders – have gone. I will miss all the positive aspects of my Twitter experience, there is no doubt.

Making this move proved less difficult than I had thought once I’d arrived at the conclusion I mentioned earlier – Twitter ended in July, it’s all X now. And that’s not a good place.

Related reading:

• X, Moral Bankruptcy, and the Business of Hate – October 8, 2023

(The AI-generated image at top was created by Bing Image Creator and customised with Microsoft Designer to my simple prompt, “Create a dark feature image for a blog post with a large menacing-looking X. Use black and red colours to make it more ominous. Add the text ‘Out with X, in with Peace of Mind'”.)

An opinion article by Dave Lee published on Bloomberg on 5 October has ignited a conversation about the ethical implications of using X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.

Despite the platform’s increasing notoriety for promoting violent and divisive content and its prominent role in the spread of fakery, disinformation, and hate, millions of people continue to engage with it daily even though user numbers are declining since Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022 according to reports.

Lee shares an unvarnished perspective on why he believes X is now a place to avoid. And it raises the question: Why do people still use X when it’s clear that it’s becoming a breeding ground for extreme views and behaviours, driven in large part by algorithmically curated timelines and manipulated recommendations?

In his article, Lee describes the grim landscape he encountered in his X timeline following a brutal murder in his New York neighbourhood. A video of the attack, obtained initially by the New York Post, was soon seized upon by haters and trolls on Musk’s platform.

As I rode the subway home to Bedford-Stuyvesant, I watched as the video clocked 1 million views, then 2 million. Up up up. Disgusting replies flooded in by the thousands: That’s what you get for supporting woke policies; should have carried a gun; looks planned. By the time I got home, I had deleted the app from my phone.

Dave Lee, 5 October 2023

Lee makes a compelling case against the ethical standing of X. He argues that the platform’s new incentive structure encourages the sharing of violent and hateful content, thereby degrading the quality of online discourse. Posted on Threads, his personal decision to disengage from the platform serves as a call to action, urging users to reconsider their participation in a space that monetises and amplifies harmful content.

So why do people continue using X despite its ethical quandaries?

I’m still a user (since 2006), and I have been grappling with this troubling question for many months. Like Dave Lee, I tell myself that not clicking on the ads, not posting as much as I used to, and not liking or sharing others’ posts so much is fine and kind of justifies my reasoning for continuing on X.

Yet I realise this may all be an illusion, even a masquerade. I may feel I’ve taken a path to the moral high ground, but it’s not really true: all I am doing is, in Lee’s words, continuing to put money into the pockets of haters, trolls and others who use X with evil intent, facilitated by what Elon Musk has created over the past year.

Reality Checks

I see five reasons that might help explain why people who use X continue using the platform in spite of the mounting evidence that this is not a place you really want to be in. This applies, too, if you’re an advertiser.

1: The Illusion of Connection

Social media platforms have become an integral part of our daily lives, offering a space for social interaction in a pervasive digital world. The fear of missing out can be a powerful motivator, keeping people engaged even when they are aware of the platform’s darker aspects (see 4: Cognitive Dissonance below).

2: Lack of Alternatives

Long before Elon Musk appeared on the scene with his Twitter rebranding to X, Twitter had established itself as a major global player in the social media landscape. For many, it was the go-to platform for news, social interaction, business and political networking, and more, and this continues for them with X. The absence of a comparable platform with the same reach and features makes it difficult for users to disengage, whether partly or completely.

3: Algorithmic Manipulation

The role of algorithms cannot be understated. Like many other social networks, X’s algorithm is designed to keep users engaged, feeding them content that elicits strong emotional reactions. This creates a cycle where users can be continuously exposed to more extreme content, normalising it over time and desensitising them to its impact. (X is far from alone here: look at Facebook, for example.)

4: Cognitive Dissonance

Users may recognise the ethical issues surrounding X but find ways to justify their continued use. This could range from believing they can avoid the negative aspects to thinking their individual usage doesn’t contribute significantly to the larger problem especially if they don’t engage much or at all with the content they see in their timelines.

5: Business and Professional Obligations

For some, the decision to continue using X is not entirely a personal choice but a professional necessity. Journalists, marketers, and influencers often rely on the platform for their livelihood, making it challenging to disengage without potential career repercussions. Organisations, governments, non-profits and many others have built a valuable presence on Twitter over many years that cannot easily be replicated somewhere else.

Undoubtedly there are other reasons but these five strike me as the most apparent. And I admit that numbers 4 and 5 resonated pretty strongly for me.

While it’s easy to assume that some people don’t care about the ethical implications of using X, the reality is far more complex. A combination of social, psychological, and practical factors as I’ve outlined here contribute to its continued usage.

Still, I think we’re at the hard-choice moment where each of us defines what matters to us in our use of social networks. Ethics and morality must be part of our defining moments so that we make informed decisions about our online engagement.

If you’re in a quandary about what to do, a first step could be retrieving your entire Twitter/X archive that writer and filmmaker Emma-Jane describes in a Threads post. She was a Twitter user for 12 years.

It might be a hard step but it’s necessary sooner or later. I did this last week.

Related reading:

• Where do we go from X? – 21 August 2023
• Bye bye Twitter bird – 31 July 2023
• T2: a new microblogging champion – 3 July 2023
• Early days experiences on Bluesky – 6 June 2023
• The Twitter end game – 30 April 2023

(Photo at top by Jessica Irani on Unsplash)

The hashtag has become ubiquitous on social media as a means of connecting conversations, topics and events. But 16 years after its invention, Chris Messina, the man who started it all, believes it’s time for an upgrade.

In episode 355 of the For Immediate Release podcast I co-host with Shel Holtz (who’s away at present), I discuss proposals Chris published in a Medium post last month to address problems like spam, abuse and manipulation, and improve the user experience. He lays out six ideas to simplify hashtags, enhance their discoverability, and give more control to creators.

With hashtags now a mainstream social media tool, is it time for their next evolution? As I explore, I believe Chris makes a compelling case. Listen to my 7-minute assessment in the podcast, right here or on the FIR website. If you prefer to read rather than listen, continue here with the transcript below.

Transcript:

Welcome to episode 355 of For Immediate Release. I’m Neville Hobson in the UK, recording solo as my co-host Shel Holtz is away.

In this episode, published on the 25^th of September, I’m going to talk about hashtags. Undoubtedly you have heard of hashtags, and use them on social networks.

But hashtags today have a problem, according to Chris Messina, the inventor. More than one, actually. Let’s start at the beginning.

In August 2007, Messina proposed using hashtags on Twitter to categorize and connect conversations about events and topics.

They started trending organically without any promotion from Twitter, whose initial response to the idea was negative. Messina helped popularize hashtags by using them consistently. They allowed users on Twitter to search for and participate in conversations about specific topics. They act as metadata tags.

Over the years, the use of hashtags spread to other social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Hashtags became a standard tool for connecting online conversations no matter the platform.

For the most part, Messina says, hashtag creation hasn’t changed since. You type a # character immediately followed by a word or phrase without spaces; you publish, and any added hashtags are turned into links.

Simple. Optional. Unobtrusive. Sufficiently dumb, he said.

But in August this year, 16 years on, Messina proposed that it may be time for a change. In an article he posted to Medium, he reflects on the evolution of hashtags and how, as social media grew, they also became a tool for spam and abuse, manipulated by algorithms to promote content, leading to a loss of their original purpose.

He lists examples of how hashtags have been abused to make their content more appealing to algorithms and gain visibility. For instance:

• “Hashtag stuffing”, where spammers flood popular hashtags with irrelevant or inappropriate content to gain attention or promote their products or services. This can disrupt conversations and make it harder for users to find meaningful content.
• Marketers may use popular and trending hashtags that are unrelated to their content in order to piggyback on the existing popularity and gain visibility. Known as “trend hijacking”, this can mislead users and create a negative user experience.
• And there’s “hashtag manipulation”: Marketers may create their own branded hashtags and encourage users to include them in their posts, often as part of contests or promotions. While not inherently abusive, this can lead to an oversaturation of branded content and diminish the authenticity of the hashtag.

Messina writes that Mastodon plans to move hashtags that appear at the end of a post into a dedicated “hashtag bar” below the post. It aims to visually separate the tags from the main content of the post.

He outlines several problems with Mastodon’s proposals:

• Hashtags placed at the end of posts can appear spammy, he says, and may not be visually appealing.
• The proposed changes to hashtags may interfere with creators’ intentions. The article suggests that the proposed design may prioritize how hashtags look over their functionality, which can be regressive.
• And hashtags were originally designed to be easy to create. However, the proposed changes may make it more challenging for creators to add hashtags to their posts.

To address all of these issues, Messina offers six ideas to improve hashtags on Mastodon and other platforms. I’ll outline them in brief:

1. Simplify and standardize hashtags to make them more user-friendly and consistent across platforms. It promotes a more seamless and intuitive user experience.
2. Enhance hashtag discovery and search to help users find relevant content more easily. This idea is applicable to all social platforms, as it can enhance content discoverability and user engagement.
3. Optimize hashtags for local instances to foster community engagement and coherence. This can be relevant to other social platforms by encouraging the use of hashtags within specific communities or groups.
4. Elevate metadata creation with user experiences. Messina emphasizes the importance of providing user-friendly interfaces for adding metadata like ALT text and location information to posts. This would enhance the accessibility and richness of content on many social networks.
5. Crowdsource accessibility by involving the community in adding accessibility hints and information to posts, making content more accessible to all users. It would promote inclusivity and accessibility in content creation.
6. In the fediverse, err on the side of creators by recognising the importance of their preferences and empowering them to choose how hashtags are displayed. Whatever the platform, this would give creators more control over their content and foster a sense of ownership.

We’ll have links to Messina’s articles in the show notes – the one I’m referencing here plus one other he wrote earlier this year – so you can read the six ideas in detail in the context of the complete story. He dives deep into backgrounds referencing Mastodon’s and Bluesky’s proposals and treatment of hashtags that add much context to the overall picture. Worth reading.

For me, Chris Messina raises important issues about a tool that has underpinned much utility and value for 16 years in how people connect topics, conversations, and other people on social networks, not only on Twitter, where hashtags originated. His suggestions deserve wider attention, discussion and consideration.

What are your thoughts about hashtags? Do you think there’s a need for the changes as Chris Messina suggests? Share them with us and other listeners. Email your comments to fircomments at gmail dot com. You can record your comment up to three minutes and send us the audio file. Or record right on the FIR website, go to firpodcastnetwork dot com slash for immediate release. And you can leave a comment on the FIR Community page on Facebook.

Shel will be back well in time for us to record the September long-form monthly episode that we aim to publish on October the second.

In the meantime, thanks for listening.

Transcript of FIR #355: The Future for Hashtags, published 25/9/23.

Related:

• How to report Twitter hashtag spammers – 27 April 2012
• It’s easy to focus your attention with a Twitter hashtag, wherever you are – 30 March 2010
• Switching off the Twitter hashtag overload – 16 March 2009

(Photo at top by Jan Baborák on Unsplash)

In countries around the world, 2024 will bring elections. And something new is causing a lot of worry – disinformation generated by AI. How worried should we be about AI disrupting elections?

This was a terrific topic for Shel and me to discuss in a short midweek episode of our For Immediate Release podcast, which we did in episode 352 on 5 September.

In the past, disinformation has always been created by humans. Advances in generative artificial intelligence, or Gen AI mean there are models that can spit out sophisticated essays and create realistic images from text prompts. This makes synthetic propaganda possible, says The Economist in an analysis published last week.

Fear looms large that disinformation campaigns may be supercharged in 2024, just as countries with a collective population of some 4 billion — including the US, the UK, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Taiwan — prepare to vote.

How worried should citizens be? Consider these points that The Economist makes:

• Generative AI models like ChatGPT can create sophisticated text and realistic images, raising concerns about their potential to spread disinformation and sway elections.
• However, voters are hard to persuade on major political issues. Existing campaigns only produce small shifts in voter behaviour.
• Tools to make fake images and videos have existed for years. Generative AI makes it easier, but effort was not previously the limiting factor.
• AI-generated disinformation could undermine trust between citizens, but it’s unclear if it benefits one party systematically.
• Social media platforms and AI firms say they are trying to address risks, but voluntary regulation has limits.

In sum, panic is unwarranted, says The Economist – people spread terrible ideas without new technology. The 2024 US election will see disinformation at major scale, The Economist adds, but the source will be Trump, not AI.

Do we agree with that conclusion? Listen to episode 352 to hear our discussion on this issue.

(Image at top by Bing Image Creator to this simple prompt: “AI disinformation creator”)

Related:

• FIR #348: The consequences of AI panic (17/8/23)
• FIR #344: Sloganeering with AI (24/7/23)
• FIR #340: Will AI destroy the Web? (28/6/23)
• Keep an open mind about AI (21/6/23)

In July I bought a new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable phone. Since it arrived at the beginning of August I’ve been delighted with it and enjoy using it daily. At the time, I said it was a giant leap forward in foldable smartphones. I still hold that view, perhaps more so, especially because of its large front cover screen, the Flex Window, and what you can do with it.

Today, though, I want to talk about protective cases.

If ever an expensive mobile device needed protection from damage, accidental or otherwise, it’s the Z Flip 5. It’s lovely to hold in your hand, but it’s very slippery indeed with a high risk of damage through accidental drops. So a protective case is a must.

But when it comes to protective cases for the Z Flip 5 – indeed, for all flip phones – the market is flooded with options. There’s one case I’ve tried, though, that really does stand out from the crowd, and that’s the Benks ArmorAir Case for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, pictured here.

Here’s why:

1. Sleek Minimalist Design: In an era where most cases are bulky and overly decorative, the ArmorAir case offers a refreshing minimalist design. It’s simple, yet sophisticated, ensuring that your phone looks elegant without compromising on protection.
2. Kevlar Material: The use of Kevlar in its construction is a game-changer. Not only does it add to the case’s durability, but it also gives it a unique texture and appearance. Kevlar is known for its strength and resistance, so you can be sure that your phone is shielded from potential damage.
3. Snug Fit: One of the most impressive features of this case is its precise fit. It hugs the Z Flip 5 perfectly, ensuring that every corner and edge is protected. The case aligns seamlessly with the phone’s ports and buttons, providing an uninterrupted user experience.
4. Excellent Feel in the Hand: A protective case can often change the way a phone feels in your hand, but the ArmorAir case enhances it. The case is smooth and silky to the touch, and its ergonomic design ensures a comfortable grip, reducing the chances of accidental drops. With this case on your Z Flip 5, you’ll have a protected foldable phone that is what I describe as ’eminently grippable’.

To give you a good visual tour of the Benks case in action, as it were, I recorded a short video that you can watch right here or on YouTube.

So, if you’re in the market for a protective case for your Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Benks ArmorAir case should be at the top of your list. It’s not just a case: it’s a statement of style, durability, and functionality.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

• Related reading – Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: A giant leap forward (15 August 2023)

(Disclosure: Benks sent me their ArmorAir case without cost in the expectation that I’d review it, which was my intent anyway. I have not received payment for this review. The links to their website in this article are clear links with no affiliate codes.)

Believing that what you see, read and hear is real and truthful has never been under such a challenge as it is today.

While technology plays a big role in creating this state of affairs, most egregious is the human faker, someone who sets out to deceive and profit with methods that long pre-date today’s sophisticated technology, like AI.

In scientific research, this manifests itself in areas like data and image falsification. Uncovering such dishonesty isn’t easy. When you do, challenging it can be tricky as well.

So how do you combat it?

To find out, I had the pleasure of speaking to David A. Sanders, an associate professor at Purdue University in the US, who is the guest in episode 20 of Ideas to Innovation Season 2, a business podcast from Clarivate that I host, and published last week.

While Sanders is indeed a university professor, he has also built a reputation as a “scientific sleuth” where his ability to identify falsified data and images in published academic research is quite uncanny. His findings have led to numerous retractions, highlighting how this type of misconduct directly damages scientific integrity.

The case that launched Sanders-the-sleuth in 2017 was bringing scientific misconduct in the Croce Laboratory at Ohio State University into the public spotlight, which included image and data manipulation and plagiarism.

He discusses how papers containing manipulated images copied across multiple papers were published. When Sanders exposed this issue, many publishers were reluctant to retract the flawed papers even when provided with evidence. Allowing falsified research to stand uncorrected erodes public trust in science.

Advancing technology is making it easier to generate fabricated images and data that appear authentic. AI systems can now produce fake images, text and data that humans struggle to identify as false. As Sanders remarks in our conversation, this could lead to a proliferation of high-quality fraudulent research flooding both predatory journals and reputable publishers.

He notes that the sheer volume of research data combined with an overwhelmed peer review system is also contributing to the system pressure, adding that post-publication review is just as valid as pre-publication review.

And he warns that AI will become a greater challenge with new tools that will make it increasingly difficult to detect fakes and plagiarism.

From our conversation, I can see three broad ways researchers and publishers can work to protect research and publishing integrity:

1. Researchers must thoroughly review data and images for errors and falsification before publication. Curbing misconduct before publication is ideal.
2. Publishers need to dedicate more staff to pre- and post-publication review to identify fraud. Swift retractions maintain credibility.
3. Universities should expand training on research ethics, data credibility, and fraud detection. Growing a community of “scientific sleuths” is critical.

Maintaining research integrity in the face of increasingly sophisticated falsification will require vigilance across the entire academic community.

Listen to the conversation:

Ideas to Innovation S2:E20 – AI and the ‘Scientific Sleuth’

Read the transcript.

• See also: AI for global good, a Clarivate podcast published in June 2023, where Jaron Porciello and I discussed her research centred on programmes that use machine learning to aid humans in making better decisions.

For as long as many of us can remember, the Internet has been a single entity, a vast digital sea where we could navigate freely between its various islands. Social networks stood tall and united, giving us separate but unified spaces to connect and share.

Yet, it seems that unfettered freedom of expression and connecting openly with others on the assumption of trust in the pursuit of sharing information and opinion that expands the overall human experience – the era of the social Internet these past twenty years we’ve grown so fond of – is coming to an end.

This sentiment introduces an article in The Verge last month by editor-in-chief David Pierce that I’ve been thinking quite a bit about. Pierce writes that there’s a notable shift in the way we use the web, particularly when it comes to social media.

The once-dominant public platforms, which garnered billions of users globally, are now witnessing the rise of smaller, private, and more tailored networks. The migration is evident, Pierce writes: from mainstream spaces like X formerly known as Twitter, to niche platforms such as Mastodon, users are actively seeking communities that cater to their specific interests, needs, and values.

So, why the shift? Privacy concerns, platform fatigue, and the desire for genuine connections are among the major factors pushing users towards these more exclusive spaces. With constant reports of data breaches and misinformation campaigns, very bad actors and relentless and irrelevant advertising, people have grown wary of the broader platforms. In addition, the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of massive social platforms often dilutes personal connections. By contrast, smaller communities offer a curated experience, which many find more meaningful.

I think, too, that Twitter/X after October 2022 when Elon Musk took over is a huge catalyst for the type of change Pierce describes.

X is rapidly evolving into a place that is rife with untrustworthiness. From the capriciousness of its proprietor making significant platform changes on a whim to anxiety over trust and safety issues on that platform following its change from being called ‘Twitter’, it’s fast becoming a place that increasingly edges more people towards searching for an alternative.

Is there life instead of or after X?

Such concerns and the evolution underway prompts an essential question: Where should we go next to connect and engage with our friends that is trustworthy and where we’d feel safe? The reality is that there might not be a singular answer. Instead of one unified digital space where everyone congregates, the future could see a fragmented social web. Indeed, I would say this is more likely than not.

The early social web enabled open conversations between strangers, but over time large tech companies took control and optimized their platforms for profit and growth rather than users and authentic engagement. Many people wonder now if the open social web is ending.

Some have moved to decentralized apps like Mastodon and would-be successors to Twitter/X such as Bluesky with 668K+ members as of August 20 and the very niche T2 which currently has less than 15,000 members, seeking to regain the spirit of the early Internet. But such niche apps lack the reach and familiarity of the major platforms. They require you to be willing to experiment and to be part of literal start-ups that are rapidly evolving where you might not know if the lights will still be on from one day to the next.

Not only that, we must remember that new niche platforms are not charities or non-profits: they need to be profitable to continue operating and grow especially if users want to be able to do the kinds of good things they could do on other, established platforms. Traditional business models see advertising as a revenue mainstay, which collides with what users want which is no advertising of the type that currently is rampant in quantity and the relentless pimping dressed up as opportunity for users.

Instead, they suck in your personal data and use the insights gleaned from behavioural and other analyses to pimp more stuff at you.

I would seriously consider paying a subscription to a social network I believe in if that were a model on offer without any advertising.

The question going forward is where should people turn to have meaningful connections and share ideas online when the dominant social platforms no longer seem to serve that purpose. More decentralization and user control may be the answer, but getting there requires rethinking how we connect and engage online.

It might seem challenging at first, navigating multiple platforms instead of just one or two. But there’s beauty in this fragmentation, Pierce writes. Each platform can be more dedicated, more focused, and more attuned to its community’s needs, he says. This means fewer blanket algorithms determining what you should see and more genuine, user-driven content.

While the idea of a fragmented social web might sound daunting, perhaps it’s a chance for us to rediscover the roots of the Internet. In its early days, the web was a series of isolated communities. Over time, these communities were overshadowed by tech giants and massive platforms. Now, as we potentially circle back to a web of diverse, smaller communities, we might just find a more authentic, personal online experience.

As we witness and experience the twilight of the first Internet era, it’s worth contemplating that there might not be a singular next big thing. The future could hold myriad platforms, including X, each catering to different needs and interests. It’s likely to be survival of the fittest over time.

So what would it be for you? Truth or Consequences as the road sign in the photo at the top of the page indicates? It’s a good metaphor for the choices confronting us. Perhaps we don’t need to choose one or the other when we can, actually, embrace the meanings and have both. And you’ll get help if you ask: the ‘Socorro’ that’s also mentioned (as an aside, both are cities in the US state of New Mexico).

It’s a brave new world out there, and maybe it’s time we embrace the changes we’re seeing and explore the mosaic of the fragmented social web that is emerging, and that we can help shape.

• Read “So where are we all supposed to go now?“, The Verge, July 3, 2023.
• If you are curious and would like to kick the tyres with T2 or Bluesky, I have some invitation codes available. Ask for one by emailing this address with your request, stating which social network (this is an either/or choice), and with a concise explainer of why you would like to experiment. This offer is valid until 11:59pm UTC on August 31, 2023 and will end sooner if all codes are asked for before then.

(Photo at top by Lachlan Donald on Unsplash.)

It’s hard to avoid the hype and buzz about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable smartphone that’s been building over the past few months. It reached a crescendo before, during and in the days following Samsung’s huge “Galaxy Unpacked” launch event in Seoul, South Korea, on July 26, when it went on pre-order in a dozen countries.

That buzz is building again now that the device went on general worldwide sale on August 11.

I pre-ordered a Z Flip 5 in July and I’ve spent the past ten days experimenting and test piloting as I got to know the new device that arrived on August 4.

You can read many, many articles, reviews and more on every aspect of this new fifth-generation model that have already appeared worldwide since the July launch announcement.

As part of my own research leading up to deciding to trade in my Z Flip 4 and buy the new Z Flip 5, these are the top features described by Samsung that I see making this model pretty compelling:

• Flex Window: Probably what most people will see as the standout feature of the new Z Flip 5 is the Flex Window, the large 3.4″ interactive and responsive cover screen pictured at the top of the page, and almost twice as large as the 1.9″ screen on the Z Flip 4. It lets you interact with the device even when it’s folded, eg, reply to messages, make and receive calls, take selfies, and access various apps and available widgets. You can customise it with video wallpapers, different clock faces, and more. I’ve included further comment, below, about my experiences so far.
• Design and Innovation: The Z Flip 5 is a marvel of modern engineering, combining the nostalgia of flip phones with cutting-edge technology. Beautifully made, charmingly compact, and far easier to carry in your pocket or purse, it’s available in eight unique shades plus a selection of street-art design cases that enables the Z Flip 5 to make a statement and cater to individual styles. And there’s the huge after-market industry that has many other options to personalise the appearance of your phone.
• Performance and Durability: Powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, Samsung says that the Z Flip 5 promises smoother graphics, faster AI, and improved battery performance. Its 3700mAh battery supports up to 57 hours of listening and 20 hours of watching. The device’s latest foldable technology includes a new tear-drop hinge mechanism that will ensure durability (and no hinge gap).
• Camera Capabilities: The camera system is designed for stunning selfies and wide, bright low-light videos. The Wide Camera brings more of the scene into the frame, and with Nightography video at 60 fps, you can capture quality content even in low light.
• Ecosystem and Sustainability: The Z Flip 5 can be paired with other Galaxy devices like the Galaxy Watch 6 for a seamless experience (I have a Galaxy Watch 4 that pairs as well). Samsung also emphasizes its commitment to sustainability, with components made from recycled materials.

There is a huge amount of information about the Z Flip 5 that I could dissect and comment on in this article. I’m resisting that idea as I want to focus on just a couple of the things that resonate most strongly with me and which validate for me my act of upgrading to this latest model.

Z Flip Comparisons

Any of the links above will take you to some of that huge amount of information about this phone. Two things I will share. First, this specifications comparison between the Z Flip 5 and Z Flip 4 by GSMArena. I found this most useful in understanding what really is different between the two and what that meant when deciding whether to buy the new model.

The screenshot below gives you an idea of what you’ll discover on the website. Much of it is quite technical, but all of it will illustrate precisely what’s different between the two where most of the differences are technical.

Finally on the Z Flip 5 and Z Flip 4 comparison, I recorded a short video of the two devices just after I received the 5 and had spent 24 hours getting to know it. Seeing both together, the different cover screens are apparent. I also showed the difference between the two when you fold them shut – no more gap with the 5 because of the new hinge.

The new hinge mechanism really is an excellent improvement on the Z Flip 5 compared to the Z Flip 4 (which itself was an improvement over the Z Flip 3). Samsung has pulled off quite an engineering feat to ensure that the hinge on the 5 is more robust and reliable than before. This enhancement not only provides a smooth and effortless folding experience but also offers increased durability, addressing issues about the hinge on the Z Flip 4 that some users had experienced.

I said earlier that the Z Flip 5 is beautifully made and charmingly compact. Indeed, it’s something to admire and get appreciative comments from your friends about your great choice :) But there is a flip side (poor pun, sorry) to this glamour.

The Z Flip 5 is very slippery in your hands. As you’ll know if you own any recent high-end smartphone, protecting your investment from accidental damage through being dropped, for example, is an essential task from the start. This is no different so a good protective case is a prerequisite.

There’s quite a marketplace for cases, not only directly from Samsung but also from Amazon and Etsy to name but two markets so you have plenty of choices. Expect to pay a premium price to protect a premium device.

The Flex Window and the new UX

And now let’s talk about that new large cover screen referred to by Samsung as the Flex Window. Did I mention it’s extraordinarily immersive and versatile?

When I had the Z Flip 4, I really did try hard to make the most of the small cover screen that was, at best, not bad for showing a couple of lines of notifications. At a pinch, you could install some widgets with a workaround to run apps but what a process and on such a comparatively tiny screen it was hardly worth it.

In reality, I found the small screen of little use or value, so I ignored it for the most part other than as a clock with a date that also popped up calendar reminders and app notifications. Then, I’d open up (unfold) the phone to read them fully.

With the Z Flip 5 we now have something of genuine utility and value, a tool that makes this device truly an interactive means of communication: you don’t just receive content to view and dismiss it, you can also engage with that content on the cover screen in the same manner as you would when the phone is unfolded and you have the full 6.7″ screen to use.

And therein lies the beauty of this setup. Already this has changed my behaviour in how I use a foldable smartphone.

Now, I do message-checking activities only on the cover screen. I don’t unfold the phone at all unless some activity needs me to do something on the phone that is best done with it unfolded.

The cover screen does much more, though, than simply let you engage with messages, etc. For example, you can run apps on the small screen as you would on the full screen. The image at the top shows one of the available widgets that I’ve configured with the primary social networks I use – I can interact with content there on the cover screen, perfect for quick reading and posting messages or replying to them. You get a small but full keyboard on the cover screen that is surprisingly good, not the hunt-and-peck experience you might have expected.

One of the most useful cover screen features is also one that isn’t yet fully supported by Samsung – the means to use installed full apps on the small screen, not just widgets, such as the example I mentioned that’s in the photo at the top. To enable this, you must use a workaround via an add-on app called Good Lock that you get from Samsung’s Galaxy Store. It enables a separate widget called CoverScreen OS that lets you deploy apps directly on the cover screen.

Check the image carousel for photos I’ve taken of my Z Flip 5 showing examples of the different ways you can use the cover screen. There are many customisation options to explore.

I should also mention the fact that not every app you can install on the device has the ability to be used on the cover screen.

I see all this as steps in the overall evolution of this device and what it lets you do, in some areas in a rather kludgy way at the moment. In the context of running apps more seamlessly, this would be version 0.9. I would expect software improvements from Samsung and app developers in the coming months as being able to run regular Android apps this way is something competitors already have enabled on their foldable devices.

Looking to the Future

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 represents a significant step forward in the foldable phone market. Its large Flex Window cover screen adds a new layer of functionality, making the device more versatile, user-friendly and very compelling.

The design improvements, including the new hinge and the enhanced cover screen, make the Z Flip 5 an irresistible choice if you’re interested in a contemporary flip phone. The device’s performance, battery life, and storage options further solidify its position as a strong leader in the foldable phone category.

As for how the Z Flip 5 succeeds and what it means for Samsung’s overall success, three key points arise in my mind:

1. A New Era of Foldable Phones: The Galaxy Z Flip 5 represents a significant step in the evolution of foldable smartphones. How will this innovation impact the broader mobile industry, and what can we expect from future iterations of foldable technology?
2. Sustainability in Tech: With components made from recycled materials, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 aligns with a growing trend towards sustainability in the tech industry. How will this commitment to environmental responsibility influence other manufacturers and the industry as a whole?
3. The Return of the Flip Phone: The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s design harkens back to the era of flip phones but with a modern twist. What does this say about consumer nostalgia, and how might this design influence and shape the future of smartphone aesthetics?

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is not just a device but a statement of style, innovation, and sustainability.

“Today we deliver the future of foldables”.

TM Roh, President and Head of MX Business, Samsung Electronics, July 26, 2023.

It is at least a very clear glimpse into the future of mobile technology, where the lines between form and function continue to blur, and where the past and present converge in a sleek, foldable design.

Related reading:

• How robust will the screen be in the next-gen Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone? – April 24, 2023
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: making foldable phones mainstream – June 13, 2022

[Disclosure: My research into the subject for this article was ably assisted by ChatGPT 4 and Claude. Their AI-generated output to my prompts was reviewed, edited and rewritten, and added to in parts by me for factual accuracy and to improve the story. I added links to relevant online sources where such links to related information would aid the reader. Note also that none of the URLs on this page contain any affiliate links so feel free to click/tap away in confidence!]

Are you still on Twitter? I am although I’m becoming more and more exasperated with the vandalism I see being done by Elon Musk as he continues to remake Twitter in his own image.

Just a week ago, he posted a series of tweets indicating that the very name of the social network would be changed to ‘X’ with imminent effect. In one fell swoop (pun not intended) the social network was thrown into confusion and uncertainty. The roll-out of this re-branding began in haste that, over the course of this past week, saw the name changed to X (just the letter), and the familiar blue Twitter bird symbol being ditched as quickly as possible although the laws of physics and time made it so that this was a far from smooth, seamless and uniform act.

The new X symbol is an ugly, threatening-looking piece of work, in my view, Trumpian in its aggressive appearance. Musk took a very Darth Vader approach when he celebrated the unveiling of the black-and-white X atop the Twitter headquarters building in San Francisco last Thursday night PDT. All that was lacking in the video clip he posted was the Imperial March soundtrack.

There’s an irony here as you’ll note the text in the embedded tweet above saying “Watch on Twitter”. The original naming and imagery is everywhere and at scale so don’t expect to see single branding with the new X for a while: it will most likely roll out little by little and certainly not everywhere all at once.

It’s a far cry from the friendly blue bird that has become one of the most widely-recognised positive symbols of a brand although that image began a journey of tarnished reputation from Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter late last year. The blue bird is everywhere, from the obvious apps, social share buttons on websites and other online places, to a social address on a plumber’s van, to customer support channels, to just about anywhere you can think of where people connect with others.

It stood as a recognisable symbol of social connectivity around the world for over a decade, and its demise was marked by Martin Grasser, one of the team of three who designed the logo in 2012, in a Twitter thread.

The overall branding change prompted an outpouring of reactions such as the handful below and many more which you can find via the #TwitterBird hashtag.

I think it’s fair to say that reaction to the re-branding is mixed at best and falls mostly on the side of disbelief and non-understanding. The logo change has produced a huge outcry as the sampling of comments above indicates. And not liking it at all is a clear message from a user on Threads, Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter competitor, that he succinctly expressed.

Of course, Musk is free to do whatever he wants with Twitter, and he’s doing precisely that. This is a man who does not align with accepted conventions and ways of doing things preferring instead to ignore if not actively trash behaviours that others comply with and that he dislikes.

By many reports, Musk is intent on converting Twitter into a one-stop super-app with features ranging from social networking and messaging like the old Twitter, to financial services including mobile payments and more such as those WeChat offers its one billion monthly active users in China (although that’s small beer compared to Facebook’s three billion monthly active users globally according to parent Meta).

Twitter/X CEO Linda Yaccarino articulated the benefits of the branding change in a series of tweets (and what do we call those now? Xeets? Xosts?) that have attracted tens of millions of views. The corporate messaging talks big but what, exactly, is the business strategy she’s explaining, and what does it all actually mean? One Mastodon user ran the messages through ChatGPT to get an analysis, and it makes for amusing if not pretty reading with the polite phrase “corporate waffle” springing to mind.

The post-Twitter era

As Musk’s latest act is not yet complete, much of what’s next is speculation and guessing, some of which no doubt will be poorly informed.

There is so much being changed that getting an understanding of what Twitter/X is becoming is hard. Maybe start by understanding what’s happened that has led to where we are now – TechCrunch has done a good job with a timeline of change to date.

It is clear that Elon Musk does have a grand vision for what he wants X to be – not simply a social network but the one-stop super-app I mentioned earlier – however poorly it’s being articulated. In terms of what to call this, the road ahead is littered with obstacles that might even challenge Musk’s steamroller approach to getting his own way without any compromises.

For instance, the very name ‘X’ has already hit some copyright and trademark buffers in Japan, while Reuters reports that hundreds of companies hold trademarks in various countries to the same letter. And Apple’s App Store won’t allow the iOS app to be listed as just the single-character ‘X’.

Perhaps referring to the current social network as ‘Twitter/X/whatever’ might be prescient.

In a credible assessment, The Guardian sees X as marking an everything or nothing gamble.

In business terms Mr Musk’s rivals are circling. Just a day after the rebrand news, the video?sharing platform TikTok responded with its own announcement that it was expanding into text?only posts. It joins Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads, which hit 100m sign-ups in its first five days earlier this month.

The Guardian, 28 July 2023

Meanwhile, Wired states that the bird is dead but zombie Twitter is not, no matter what’s it called now or might be called next with the X rebrand currently far from complete.

As marketers and journalists debated the effects of the name change, and tweeters (x-ers?) eulogized the bird, the posts continued. In the months since Musk bought the platform, Twitter has proved somehow irreplaceable—even in its battered state.

Wired, 29 July 2023

Yes, in spite of the continuing deterioration in civil discourse and the rampant pimping of products and services by users (and by Twitter/X), people do keep logging in to the platform and continue using it. I still do although for me it’s a clear and evident downward trend as I spend greater experiential time on T2 and Threads. Not so much on Bluesky as this is exhibiting some of the crude and unpleasant behaviours you see on Twitter if you’re not careful with your filtering.

Wired adds:

Twitter was a go-to source for news, politics, sports, and entertainment—along with misinformation and hate speech. In recent months, the platform’s issues have gotten worse while tech glitches have also arisen. People have more than once gathered to reminisce and mourn the death of Twitter. But each new day, it’s still there. And despite the frustrations, people keep logging in.

Wired, 29 July 2023

And here are two thoughtful perspectives from Slate in a long piece on the post-Twitter influence reset:

Twitter isn’t dead yet, and it remains to be seen if the platform will truly flatline in the grand tradition of Friendster or MySpace. But that’s not for its leader’s lack of trying.

[…]  a post-Twitter order will be better for journalism and better for mental health. The only trade-off is a diminished professional footprint. Is that a good deal or a bad deal? Nobody seems to know for sure.

Slate, 27 July 2023

And so we look out on a landscape that presents little clarity for Twitter/X users and advertisers alike. For users, it might not yet be time for the leave-or-stay decision but it surely is almost past time for having an escape plan ready for when that moment appears – and it might be a sudden moment.

For advertisers, the present uncertainty stimulates FUD when there are budgets at stake. This could be a moment to revise and consider again traditional marketing and advertising approaches. And consider what you’ll do if your monetizable audiences on Twitter/X reduce sharply or even disappear entirely.

I was honoured to present some of the awards to winners of the UK Digital PR Awards 2023 contest at a dinner and ceremony in London on 12 July. The awards recognise excellence in digital PR across more than 25 categories.

The judging process was rigorous, with an expert panel of judges (I was one) reviewing and scoring long lists of entries. An overall list was then reviewed by the judges to discuss and agree a shortlist of winners who were chosen and announced at the awards ceremony.

The awards were a great opportunity to celebrate the breadth and depth of PR talent in the digital space in the UK. The winners came from a wide range of agencies and in-house teams, both large and small, and their work was truly impressive.

Among the awards I presented were to winners of the influencer/celebrity campaign of the year, best integrated digital PR campaign, best use of creativity, digital PR low budget campaign of the year, and best use of TikTok (won by Birmingham-based Tribera for their client WD-40, pictured above, with event host and BBC The Apprentice 2022 finalist Kathryn Burn on the left and me on the right). You can see a few more presentation moments in the photos embedded below.

• Check all 245 official event photos in the Flickr photo album.

One of the things that struck me most about the awards was the imagination and creativity shown in every campaign. The winners had all found innovative ways to use digital PR to achieve their goals including how they addressed and overcame challenges along the way. And there was passion, plenty of it, in many of the entries where entrants described their campaign and concluded with a reason why they should be the winner of the category they had entered for. Passion matters, especially in an entry to an awards contest!

The awards also showed the importance of social media in digital PR. Many of the winning campaigns used social media to great effect, especially video, generating a lot of engagement and reach.

Digital PR: Judging the detail

Judging entries to an event like this is itself a pleasure as you get to see every detail behind every campaign, from the measurable objectives, the target audiences, strategy, creativity, challenges and solutions, through to outcomes and results. You get to share your thinking with your fellow judges in order to arrive at the list of winners.

And speaking of judges, there were two of us at the event on 12 July, both presenting awards: Andy Green and myself. I’ve known Andy for many years and it was great to catch up again. Andy took a selfie of him and me, it’s in the carousel above. Here he is, below, in ‘presenting an Award’ mode.

For the dinner, Andy and I were at a table where all the other guests were from the team at Screaming Frog, an SEO agency based in Henley-on-Thames. What a delightful group. And they won three awards! Here they are below, celebrating one of their wins (which was presented by Andy). Team member Amy Walton (second from right) posted a good write-up of her impressions of the event.

I was delighted to be involved in the UK Digital PR Awards 2023, one of the growing number of awards contests developed and managed by Don’t Panic Projects, the events business founded in 2005 by Nicky and Andy Wake. I’m delighted to continue to be involved: my first such involvement was presenting at a groundbreaking conference the Wakes put on in November 2005 at the University of Sunderland at the dawn of social media.

And so to wrap up, I would like to congratulate all the winners of the UK Digital PR Awards 2023, celebrating the best in digital PR, recognising excellence and the talent and skill that make it all worthwhile. You are an inspiration to us all.

#UKDigitalPRAwards

When Twitter first appeared in 2006, it marked the start of enablement and empowerment of people who wanted a means of communication that was unfiltered, uncontrolled and unfettered. It would let you chat with your friends and engage in sharing news and information on a small scale, something that met the wishes of many looking for such an outlet.

It extended the appeal of blogs which were gaining a lot of attention at that time. Indeed, Twitter billed itself originally as a “microblogging platform” – rather than publishing long-form articles in a blog, Twitter would be a place for sharing snippets and short texts with friends such as you would do with text messages on a mobile phone (hence Twitter’s original character limit of 140).

Fast forward 17 years to a landscape where today Twitter is a global phenomenon as a social network, a huge algorithmically-driven broadcasting platform for advertisers, celebrities, politicians, activists, and so-called influencers, and a magnet for bad actors, especially since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022.

Sadly, Twitter today is also a place that is far, far from the original ideals of its founders.

Luckily, if you’re looking for a place that will remind you of the beginnings of Twitter in 2006-2007 – a time of original discovery, authenticity and simple engagement – and in the formative few years after, a new platform called T2 is very likely that place.

If all that is just history to you as you never were on Twitter before 2010 or at all, and you’re simply looking for a place to have the authentic conversations you’ve always wanted to have (to borrow T2’s words), then T2 could be that place for you.

T2 aims to be the new public square – a source for up-to-date, short-form information, and friendly conversations.

T2 FAQ

Such a simple phrase sets the scene for what you should expect when you sign up. To open an account, you need an invitation code – join the waitlist to wait for one, or find someone who has a code to share (more on that below).

To start with, T2 is in early development as a platform and what it wants to offer users. The name ‘T2’ may signify ‘Twitter 2’ alluding to a view that this is the next Twitter, but it seems unlikely it will continue to be called T2. It’s not yet beta, it’s still alpha so things are basic, they likely will break now and again, and lots may change over the course of time.

This is not a place for you if you expect a nice polished environment, mobile apps, a feature-rich user experience, a comprehensive help and support system, and communities of people already there waiting for you.

The appeal of T2

T2 is a place for experimentation, for discovery, a place under construction, to engage with others and contribute to development via feedback and suggestions. It’s a place I think of as a microblogging site far more than I think of it as a social network. That may change, too.

If you’re a kick-the-tyres kind of person who relishes the unexpected, loves testing the new, and sharing your discoveries and learnings with others, then this is exactly the place for you!

Given that T2 is clearly a work in (fast-evolving) progress, I’m not going to attempt a full-on guide on the details of what T2 is and how to use it. Other than to say: open an account, log in, set up your avatar and profile, follow some recommendations on who to follow, and you’re ready.

There’s nothing to install or much to set up. Things are obvious to get started even if you’re new to social networking. Rather, to microblogging.

So in this article, I’ll outline three things that I regard as highly appealing about T2 from an individual user’s point of view from using it over the past month. That’s an important point, incidentally – T2 is all about individual users, not organisations (see the terms of use).

1: Familiar look and feel

The Home screen is where you’ll likely spend the most time. It will be a familiar-looking place if you are a Twitter user so if you plan to transition to T2, it’s good to know.

At the top of your screen, there is a post-creation editor with the friendly question “What’s happening?” Take your cue and type!

You’ll have 280 characters – exactly the same as with Twitter if you aren’t subscribed to Twitter Blue – and you can add links to content elsewhere online. You can attach images to your posts. You can use hashtags as you can in Twitter and you have similar functionality with comments, likes and re-posts (same as retweets).

And you can include a link to your Twitter handle in your T2 profile if you have an account there.

For now, this is about all you get. No video embedding although you can add links, no private direct messages, no lists, just a single timeline with everyone’s posts visible to all. As T2 develops more, and the developers consider user feedback and suggestions, I expect more features and functionality to emerge. Don’t forget, this is an alpha project at the moment.

As for user behaviours, T2 makes its position clear in its Community Guidelines in a simple and friendly manner.

Welcome. Please be kind. Everything you post is public.

T2 Community Guidelines

I’ve yet to encounter anyone with an agenda who rants about US politics, something extremely common on Twitter. No one who trolls others, or hijacks a conversation with rude and offensive commenting on a post. No porn images. No sales pitches, no get-rich-quick schemes. I’ve yet to see anyone utter the ‘f’ word or worse. No toxicity. Long may this last!

2: Small scale

T2 launched publicly at the beginning of 2023. When I joined in early June, there were just over 4,300 users. That number had swelled to just over 9,200 a few days ago, some three weeks later. I expect it will have passed 10,000 during the coming week or so.

It’s clear that platform growth is being carefully managed so that influxes of new users don’t overload the current infrastructure as its being built. Invitation codes are one good way to manage that.

So scaling small is part of what makes T2 a very nice and friendly community. The other part of that is the types of people who are here at the moment. My impression is that this is a very international place. T2’s corporate HQ may be in Berkeley, California, but the users I’ve engaged with are not majority American. I see people in the USA and also in the UK, Japan, Netherlands, Argentina, Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, South Africa, India, Brazil, and probably many more countries represented.

It’s a delightful mix and blend of cultures, ideas, and behaviours. It reminds me of Twitter back in the day :)

3: Real verification

Before Elon Musk, Twitter had a system of verification that actually carried some weight regarding knowing whether someone was who they said they were. After Musk arrived, that system was replaced by one that ‘verified’ a user purely on their paying Twitter $8 a month for a subscription to Twitter Blue. Thus it now means little if anything regarding knowing whether a user is who they say they are.

T2 has a verification system that actually does check your identity when you apply to be verified. Using an online verification procedure from Persona Identities, you log in to a specific web page and start by showing a government-issued ID (eg, passport, driving license) via your webcam or phone camera and upload a selfie. If that passes online checking by Persona, you pay T2 $5 by PayPal or credit card and the team will confirm your verification.

Persona’s process looks to be sophisticated and comprehensive. According to its website, the automated online verification procedure will “extract and verify government IDs, such as passports and driver’s licenses, with configurable and automated heuristic checks across 200+ countries and territories”.

You’ll then see a “T2 Authenticated” label on your user profile (you can see mine in the photo at the top of this page).

I like this KYC-type method of evidence to back up someone’s claim to be who they say they are. I think it’s a good enough step to give you more confidence about someone, certainly more credible than someone being called “verified” just because they subscribe to a service for $8 a month.

T2 also offers another form of verification: if you were a legacy verified account on Twitter (that’s what Twitter now calls its verification system prior to Musk), “you can bring your checkmark with you to T2”. Fill out a form to start the process. This might be a good alternative if you held that status on Twitter and don’t want to go through the $5 T2 process.

Choices and decisions

The overall social network landscape that surrounds Twitter is looking mightily conflicted right now. Twitter is still going through more turmoil, with significant issues emerging in the past day or so about accessibility restrictions on content imposed by Elon Musk to combat what he calls data scraping of content that impacts networking performance and user experience. Or something like that.

A consequential effect of this – let’s call it collateral damage – is the impact on Bluesky, another Twitter alternative that I’ve been experimenting with since May (and have written about here). This weekend, Bluesky paused new signups and restricted some service features after suffering from degraded performance.

All of this suggests looking for an alternative to Twitter may well be worth the time, especially now.

As we’ve seen over the past year, many Twitter users have abandoned ship and flocked to perceived alternatives such as Mastodon and Bluesky. The predicted flood turned out to be little more than a trickle, though, and the much-talked-about imminent demise of Twitter still hasn’t happened.

While Bluesky is the one getting huge attention at the moment, I think you should take a close look at T2.

Which one is better? I don’t believe one is better than the other. Both have their pros and cons. Both places offer a similar experience when creating messages, replying to others, etc, so I think much depends on what you’re looking for in terms of community and engagement.

That said, Bluesky is further advanced in the development cycle than T2. It’s in private beta, to start with, not alpha. It has a much richer feature and functionality set. It’s also strongly focused on building out a new protocol where a decentralized social network isn’t the be-all and end-all.

And Bluesky has significantly more users signed up, just passing 203,000 – T2 is currently less than 5% of this number with under 10,000 users.

I like Bluesky for all of that – more people to engage with, more Twitter-like behaviours. Yet that also can be a downside.

T2 does feel different, not only because it’s smaller-scale right now. I think it’s attracting a different kind of user than Bluesky. I certainly notice far more sharing of original thoughts and ideas (the essence of microblogging) than linking to articles or products or what others say to stimulate likes and reposting – all very Twitter-like behaviour.

You don’t have much to lose by looking into T2 and Bluesky, and potentially a lot to gain. Then you can make informed decisions.

A final thought to add to the overall mix. My focus is on using tools like T2 and others as part of your means of engaging with other people on a personal level. This is not about using any tool for a business or other organisational purpose. T2 (and Bluesky) doesn’t talk about businesses setting up stalls on its service. Indeed, when you read the terms of use, it will become clear that you can’t use an account for a business purpose.

Will that change? Will we eventually see businesses and advertisers in such places? There’s no indicator from any platform that duplicating that aspect of Twitter is an intent. No doubt we’ll see debate and discussion in the future on revenue models for platforms. After all, they are for-profit companies and this will be a highly competitive space. Freemium model, subscription fees?

Perhaps this might signal the start of a universal approach to paying for services. Not huge amounts but micro-payments for micro-blogging.

Meanwhile, make the most of the environment T2 offers you right now. Experiment!

We believe in the basics: offering simple tools and creating space for human conversation. We’re working to build an elegant, sustainable, and hospitable place that recaptures what we all used to love about the internet.

About T2

• If you are curious and would like to kick the tyres with T2, I have some invitation codes available. Ask for one by emailing this address with your request, with a concise explainer of why you would like to experiment.
• I also have a few Bluesky codes available, ask from the same email address with a similar concise explainer.
• First come, first served, on a very limited supply. If you don’t hear back within 48 hours of your email, assume they’ve all gone.

Related reading:

What Is T2 Social? – a good explainer and guide on how to use T2 and make the most of it, published on 18 June 2023 by Matt Horne. The irony of linking to Matt’s Twitter handle isn’t lost on me.

Artificial intelligence is the buzzword of the moment, sparking curiosity, excitement, and a fair share of apprehension. It’s everywhere – from media outlets to social networks, from corporate boardrooms to government offices worldwide. Companies are grappling with defining AI and its best applications within their operations.

Beyond the business world, there’s growing interest in harnessing AI’s power to address global issues like poverty eradication and climate change.

This is where Jaron Porciello comes in.

As the guest on the latest episode of Season 2 of the Ideas to Innovation business podcast that I host for Clarivate, Jaron shares her passion for leveraging AI for the greater good. She is an information and data scientist, and associate professor at the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society at the University of Notre Dame, in Indiana in the USA. The institute serves as a melting pot for students, faculty, visiting scholars, and staff to explore how data can be utilised to benefit society.

In our conversation, we discussed Jaron’s research which is centred on programmes that use machine learning to aid humans in making better decisions. She is also the co-founder of Havos.ai, a platform committed to making science accessible to everyone, regardless of their scientific background.

In a world where AI is often seen as just a business tool, Jaron’s work is a refreshing reminder of its potential to drive positive change on a global scale. Her passion and dedication to using AI as a bridge between science and policy are not just inspiring – they are a call to action for us all.

So, why not take a moment to tune in to episode 17 of Ideas to Innovation and let Jaron’s passion inspire you? Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a business leader, an environmental advocate, or someone with curiosity who’s interested in making a difference, there’s something in it for you. Let’s explore the potential of AI and see how we can use it to create a better world.

Listen to the 23-minute episode, read the transcript, be inspired, and join the conversation.

(Photo at top by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash.)

Just over three weeks ago, I signed up for Bluesky, the new social networking service started by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and currently in private beta for users who join via an invitation code from someone who already signed up. The company will open a public beta on a currently-unknown date in the future for which you can add your name now to a waitlist.

Since the Bluesky private beta opened in February 2023, it’s become one of the most desired online destinations with high-profile users and a few celebrities piling in – so much so that invitation codes are a hot item for sale on Ebay with asking prices reaching the hundreds of dollars, pounds and euros.

Currently, the level of hype surrounding Bluesky is off the scale, putting it squarely at the peak of inflated expectations.

What’s clear, though, is that Bluesky continues attracting attention, desire, and new users to the private beta. Overall, mainstream media reporting on Bluesky is very largely positive. The result is steady but sure growth to the point that it passed 105,000 users in early June. I joined on May 9: then, it had about 70,000 users.

From less than 60K users at the start of May, to more than 105K in early June.

Remember, this is still a private beta where it’s far too soon to think about phrases like ‘daily active users’ or, in Twitter parlance, ‘monetizable daily active users.’ Is that ever the ugliest of phrases! And Twitter currently has about 237 million of them (which I guess includes me as I’m still there).

The Bluesky platform itself is still in development with frequent changes, and the mobile apps for Android and iOS are updated regularly with bug fixes and improvements. There’s also a desktop app as well now.

While it has many similarities to Twitter in terms of look and feel, Bluesky doesn’t yet have a comparable feature list other than the basics – how to create and post messages, ‘like’ others’ posts, share them, etc. At present, there is no direct-messaging function nor any means to embed videos, two of the most-used functions on Twitter, nor can you set your profile as private.

Twitter’s been going for 17 years, don’t forget, Bluesky for little over six months.

Yet in the midst of such current-minimalism and constant change, people are taking part in a great experiment to help create an online presence that gives them something more/different/better/new than they currently get in other places online, whether it’s Twitter or somewhere else.

It’s worth noting one important aspect of Bluesky in this regard. While most people might think of Bluesky as a social network, it’s actually more of a technical project, an initiative to develop a decentralized social network protocol called the AT Protocol, and an associated social networking service. So it’s much more than a social network.

And incidentally, one thing I see on Bluesky that’s different is few people talking about Bluesky and Twitter comparisons, something I see all the time on Mastodon.

From now to coming soon

In my Bluesky usage over the past three weeks, I’ve had a good opportunity to kick the tyres and get a good feeling for this familiar-but-different place that I could see becoming my new outpost on the embryonic social Internet.

A few days after I signed up, I posted some initial impressions of Bluesky. Since then, I’ve learned quite a bit; here are a few further thoughts and perspectives.

1: A guide for users. The Bluesky team published a Bluesky User FAQ in mid-May. If you’re new, this is a good first port of call. If you’re not yet here, it’s worth looking at to see how things currently work on Bluesky.

2: Use a domain you own as your Bluesky handle, instead of the default ‘@yourname.bsky.social’. It’s quite easy to set up, even to change your existing handle from a default one to your own domain (and know why you would want to do that). The tutorial explains how. It’s a move I made about ten days ago. On a simple level, it’s a big personalisation step but the real value will be seen in the future when the AT Protocol starts to have an impact.

3: No support for hashtags yet. This is a mixed blessing. But I’m sure support will come at some point because of the innate usefulness of hashtags in search and as a tool to focus attention on a given topic. There’s also the fact that hashtags are widely used on other platforms and familiarity exists already. Perhaps asking for it might help.

4: Choose custom feeds to follow. This may well be one of the biggest features that will differentiate Bluesky from other would-be Twitter alternatives. This is the polar opposite of algorithms where the platform automatically creates lists of posts from your behaviour, and a lot else, based on analyses of lots of data about what you do on the network and who you’re connected to, such as how Twitter works. As Bluesky explains in the User FAQ:

Custom feeds is a feature on Bluesky that allows you to pick the algorithm that powers your social media experience. Imagine you want your timeline to only be posts from your mutuals, or only posts that have cat photos, or only posts related to sports — you can simply pick your feed of choice from an open marketplace.

Bluesky, May 19, 2023

If you’re a developer you can create your own feeds. Blueskey says a feature for users to do this themselves is forthcoming.

5: Sharing information to Bluesky is still a manual process. We’re very much used to being able to share a news item to a social network like Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook by clicking or tapping an icon or button on the source website or other place. You can’t do that on Bluesky.

You also can’t do things like embed tweets from Twitter or other social networks, although the platform now lets you include visual references in Bluesky posts you create much like the cards you have on Twitter. Also, you can’t embed Bluesky posts on websites (such as in this article, hence only screenshots) that you can do with posts from Twitter and other networks. No doubt this is due to the private nature of the current beta: you also notice it when sharing someone’s post on Bluesky which you won’t be able to see unless you’re logged in to your own Bluesky account. And there are no share buttons anywhere on any websites yet.

The infrastructure for such things isn’t in place yet, and I wouldn’t expect some of it to be until development in the Bluesky public beta is well advanced. So for now, it’s a manual copy-and-paste job of article titles, URLs, etc, into the edit panel when you create a new post.

Undoubtedly there’s a lot more to talk about that I’ll save for my next ‘Bluesky report card’ post.

While I can see Bluesky as a realistic alternative to Twitter for individuals, even basing such a view just on this private beta test, it’s far too early to make any concrete or credible predictions. There is too much unknown, especially thinking about what Bluesky might look and feel like if it were to assume the mantle of a mass social networking medium with tens of millions of users, something I don’t really foresee in the immediate future considering their current roadmap.

Plus, consider what others may be planning. For instance, it appears that Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is developing a Twitter-like decentralised social network.

Is Bluesky a place for businesses or political groups?

In a word, no, it’s not. Bluesky’s terms of service contain wording that might restrict or prohibit some activities by people representing organisations. For instance, “Bluesky grants to you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license, with no right to sublicense, to download and install the App on a mobile device that you own or control and to run the App solely for your own personal non-commercial purposes”.

Even if Bluesky becomes such a place as it develops and the terms of service change, I don’t see it as an attractive or sustainable place for business and other advertisers if they continue the business models we currently see elsewhere. It’s not a place for businesses or organisations in the way Twitter is (or better said, was in the relative normality prior to the Elon Musk era).

That’s largely based on demographic profiling, data capturing and algorithmic procedures, all legitimate activities – setting aside appallingly-bad practices with people’s privacy and data under the guise of legitimacy – but anathema to most of the users on Bluesky (I’d say) and their reasons for being there.

So while you will find individual politicians, mostly American at the moment, you won’t find businesses, political parties, governments, activists, non-profits, etc, on Bluesky if they don’t comply with all the conditions in the terms of use.

Experiment with no pressure

One thing I’m sure of is that it’s worth exploring Bluesky, seeing how it works, seeing who’s there and making your own connections. It really is very much like Twitter was in its earliest days in 2006-2007, a time of relative innocence and one of openness, trustworthiness and authenticity that has greatly diminished in recent years. Think about what the AT Protocol will do in terms of user verification.

If you do join Bluesky, it could be part of your individual Twitter escape plan if pursuing an alternative option is what you want. Otherwise, just enjoy your unfettered, unpressured freedom.

This is not about seeing the world through a cloud of nostalgia and winding back the clock. Those early Twitter days are in the past, part of history, something to learn from.

My advice is to sign up when you can, be yourself, feel liberated and not pressured to perform; explore, connect with new and old connections alike, and see what natural social behaviours can bring you, for yourself and those you connect with in this refreshingly different environment.

If you have questions or comments about Bluesky, I’m happy to help you address them. If you’re already on Bluesky, I’m at https://bsky.app/profile/airstrip1.uk. If you’re not there yet, well, Twitter or Mastodon are the other best places to find me.

Podcasting in the UK is very much alive and well if even half of what I heard and saw at The Podcast Show 2023 in London last week is any indicator.

Held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, this conference and exhibition event ran throughout the week with the main show itself on 24-25 May. It was heavily supported by some prominent mainstream industry names as partners – Acast, Amazon Music, AudioBoom, BBC Sounds, Dolby, Libsyn, Sky News, Sony Music, Spotify, Wondery, YMU, the list goes on – along with nearly 50 exhibitors.

Podcasting is very much a huge media business today, grown way beyond the homebrew era of its noughties origins. Indeed, I couldn’t imagine how different this was until I remembered what an event like PodcastCon UK looked like back in 2006 at podcasting’s dawn.

Or is it that the real difference 17 years on is primarily one of evolution and scale? That is a realistic view especially when you consider what the picture of podcasting looks like now according to some powerful metrics published within the past month where Adam Bowie has applied some skill in the analysis and visualisations of data from Ofcom in April.

However you think about it, The Podcast Show 2023 was a well-built event that offered a big platform for creators, producers, hardware and software makers, vendors, service providers, and many more. It was a showcase of many sorts. And it was a place for learning with sessions led by podcasters, producers, and vendors designed to share knowledge and insights about podcasts and podcasting, from the simple to the essential.

I was impressed at the breadth of topics featured in the ‘Talking Podcasts‘ sessions – ranging from creating podcasts for children, to how to structure and market your podcast subscription effectively, to immersive storytelling with the latest leading-edge audio tech, to how to take an abstract idea and transform it into a treatment for an entire audio experience, and a great deal more.

Podcasting really has come a long way since Shel and I created How to Do Everything with Podcasting, the book aimed at communicators and business podcasters, published by McGraw-Hill in 2007.

Photo gallery from the floor:

I went to the event on the final day, Thursday 25 May. I was there all day primarily to listen and learn. I wanted to see what was happening, join a handful of sessions to learn what was happening, and meet some people and talk about what was happening. I was wearing my overall podcasting hat so I wasn’t there on a specific representation, just as a long-time podcaster keen to see what was going on.

Gordon Glenister, a fellow member of the Marketing Podcast Network, was also there. Gordon had an exhibition stand and he was speaking. We didn’t manage to meet up (ships in the night…); he’s written up a narrative on his experience there.

Session notes

The rest of this article gives you a view of some of the sessions on the final day of The Podcast Show 2023 as seen through my specific lens. It’s quite a narrow focus that reflects my own interest areas. There was a great deal else going on, especially in the areas of actual podcasting and shows being developed, even BBC Sounds and Sky News were there doing a great deal.

Keep an eye on the event’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for news and info about reviews, announcements, new episodes, etc, as well as the event hashtag #PodShowLDN.

Panel: Execution, Targeting & Measurement – Is Podcasting ‘Growing Up’?

“Podcasting is growing as a channel but is it ‘growing up’ to offer the same types of execution, targeting and measurement that today’s digital buyers expect based on their ways of buying more mature digital channels? Join Acast, PWC and the LadBible group to discuss what marketers want in podcasting and how to target and measure campaigns.”

• Michael Bayston, VP, Adtech Solutions, Acast
• Emily Roberts, Senior Associate PWC and Co-Founder The Women in Programmatic Network
• Fern Potter, VP Business and Product Strategy, Multilocal
• Megan Davies, MD International, Acast

Without podcasting there would have been no growth in digital audio in 2022 – Michael.

What do advertisers want?

• good targeting
• measurement
• attention
• a holistic approach

If you can’t measure it, it didn’t really happen – Emily
Addressability: finding the right space for your podcast – Fern
Overmeasure: just because you could doesn’t mean you should – Fern
Marketers opening up to podcasting because of cookie tracking going away – Megan

Ad tech and podcasts
Podcasting is different to radio

Marketers are interested in collaborations including sponsorships with existing successful podcasts – Megan

Panel: The Unstoppable Rise Of The Visual Podcast

“The next generation of podcast listeners will expect video as part of your offering – and the next generation of podcast talent is already delivering it. So, what’s the impact for creators and what should they be doing to level up their content? In this session, we’ll explore the rise of the visualised podcast and the lessons every podcaster can learn from visual first creators.”

• Mike Newman, VP Content & Production, Audioboom
• Jordan Theresa, Host, Voicenotes podcast
• Beth Heard, Head of Talent, Sixteenth

Video = podcast – Jordan, who hosts a… video podcast
(Audience disagreed when asked by Mike: they said video = show or video)

Fans ask for audio so they can listen when they can’t watch – Mike, ref to RAJAR survey report

Not everyone needs a podcast – Beth

Panel: The State of Audio-Only Storytelling with Dolby Atmos

“Learn from industry leaders on how they leverage connecting and engaging podcast listeners with Dolby Atmos. Audible Director of Production Chris Jones, Wondery Chief Creative Officer Marshall Lewy, and director of the award-winning series, The Sandman, Dirk Maggs will discuss how their creative teams are expanding into new genres with Dolby Atmos and why it’s important to create more immersive experiences for listeners. With Dolby Atmos, podcast creators and audio-only storytellers can now place sounds in a multi-dimensional space that creates an audio-only experience so rich and life-like it transports you into the story. Hear how you can elevate your storytelling to offer a podcast experience so true to life, the lines between the listener’s imagination and reality start to blur.”

• Tina Eckman, Director, Content Relations, Dolby
• Marshall Lewy, Chief Content Officer, Wondery
• Chris Jones, Director of Production, Audible UK
• Dirk Maggs, Director/Adapter & Co-Executive Producer, The Sandman (Audible/DC Comics)

Dirk Maggs produced the “Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” for BBC radio

Dolby Atmos raises your game in more ways than you imagine – Dirk
Immersive, you’re in the audio story – Dirk
We’re on the learning curve and the adoptive curve – Dirk
YouTube is the biggest podcast channel, bigger than Apple or Spotify – Marshall
The power of sound is as a storytelling tool – Dirk
You collude with the sound to create the images yourself – Dirk

Panel: A Podcasters Manifesto: How Pod Save The UK Can Change The World

“Crooked Media launched Pod Save America in the shadow of President Trump’s inauguration. But now that every problem in the American political system is solved, Crooked has teamed up with Reduced Listening and London’s own Nish Kumar and Coco Khan to try to do the same for the UK. A driving factor in the creation of Pod Save the UK is a desire to disrupt the way we talk about UK politics and keep listeners informed, engaged, and inspired to take action. Find out about the new podcast, the team’s view on the current political-podcast landscape and how creators can use their platforms to inspire change.”

• Nish Kumar, Host, Pod Save The UK
• Coco Khan, Host, Pod Save The UK
• Matt Deegan, Creative Director Radio & Podcasting, Folder Media
• Joby Waldman, Managing Director, Reduced Listening
• Louise Cotton, Executive Producer, Pod Save The UK

Nish: played a really good showreel

Excellent and highly amusing introduction/walk-through by Nish of the UK political and podcasting landscape

This is a sister show to Pod Save America that was founded by the Obama comms team in 2016
But Pod Save the UK is very different to the US show in content and tone
Weekly show: audio and video (on YouTube)

My label: comedy and politics, a winning combination

About other media: GB News = generally bullshit

What do you want to achieve and who is your audience?

Coco: self-described lefty, political, wannabe DJ

Reduced Listening is the producer

Tone is driven by the presenters – Louise
It’s important we have a ‘Pod Save the UK’ attitude – Louise

Presentation and Recording: Podnews Weekly Review – Live

“The last session of the day is the last word in podcasting news: a live recording of the popular weekly industry news podcast, with James Cridland and Sam Sethi. Join them, with special guests, looking at the week’s news.”

• James Cridland, Editor, Podnews
• Sam Sethi, Host, Podnews Weekly Review

This was a very different session from the more formal and structured panel discussions I attended during the day. In essence, it was a live recording with James and Sam in conversation, with “Special guest: the audience” participating in response to James asking questions on topical issues.

Topics:

YouTube RSS landgrab
Podcast ranking for the UK
Podcasting and Twitter
the BBC is to work with Spotify’s Megaphone
Spotify AI ads

I added my 0.02 to the topic about YouTube and RSS. I think it’s a hot issue – YouTube seems to want to capture exclusivity with where podcasts are hosted, as in “it’s YouTube and nowhere else” – although some in the audience expressed opinions that they didn’t really care where their podcasts are hosted as long as they got the listeners.

I think they’re wrong: big brands especially are very focused on where podcasts they are associated with are hosted and in what environment. Every podcaster should be.

The 40-minute episode was published on Friday 26 May. Listen.

And that wrapped up the day. It was good to meet up with James and Sam again. The last time I saw James was at PodcastCon UK in 2006 in London. Time certainly has flown!

As for how alive and well UK podcasting is, as I referenced at the start of this article, my only caution is that the risk of podcasting evolving into a mainstream medium is precisely that: the risk of becoming just another mainstream medium. Even just another marketing channel.

I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts this year already, mostly by UK podcasters and many new. While most demonstrate the passion and talents of the hosts and presenters, share some great stories, and are a delight to listen to, some are just what I describe as ‘tabloid radio’ with nothing authentic or memorable about them at all. Others are too slickly produced for my taste, lacking genuine warmth and passion: I can visualise in my mind as I listen that the host is turning the script pages, tapping page-down on a keyboard or scrolling a tablet. Even if they’re actually not.

I’m reminded of Beth Heard’s comment in the second session I attended in the morning that “Not everyone needs a podcast.” She’s right. I’d add, “Not everyone should be doing a podcast”.

Some final thoughts about my day’s experience:

• It would be great if the organisers were to share the recordings of each session. Maybe they plan to do this although I see no reference anywhere on the event website.
• Intriguing to see live transcripts on TV screens in nearly all the sessions I attended. AI driven, I imagine, as you can tell it was automated by the auto-corrections happening and sometimes not. Nice to see a live sign-language interpreter in one session I was at, too.
• There was a show app for iOS and Android but, frankly, I wasn’t impressed with it at all. I had the Android version but no matter what I did, it wouldn’t log me in. Before the event I uninstalled it, reinstalled it, reset the password at least three times, no success. The organiser team tried to help via Twitter but in the end, asked me to contact the app developer. Well, there wasn’t time for that.
• What was good was the registration bar code that I could install on my phone within my Google Wallet. All I had to do was show it at the registration desk at the Business Design Centre. It worked perfectly when I arrived to get my badge: they scanned the code on my phone and out popped a badge from the printer with no faff or fuss, all in less than 60 seconds. Nicely done!
• The last word is a shoutout to Libsyn for having the most relevant badges/stickers of any I saw there!

Since Elon Musk completed his acquisition of Twitter last October, much discussion has ensued on finding an alternative social networking platform where unhappy Twitter users could migrate from Twitter and leave the uncertainty and chaos behind. In the past month, one name has gathered significant momentum and come to the head of attention – Bluesky.

Bluesky is a new social network founded by Jack Dorsey, one of the three founders of Twitter, built very much to look and feel like Twitter although it is not owned by nor is it a part of Twitter. It has not been released publicly yet but has attracted extraordinary attention and a surge in popularity in recent weeks on a wave of hype across the entire media landscape, mainstream and social, around the world.

Anyone can sign up on a waitlist for access to a Bluesky beta programme when that’s available. What’s been a big driver in the hype is that you can gain access to an exclusive pre-beta test now if you have a special invitation code, typically secured from someone already with access.

As you can imagine, that kind of exclusivity – added to a FOMO factor and opinions, screenshots and more being shared across the social web from people with access – is almost guaranteed to keep the hype boiling and drive the attention stream onward. In a supply-meets-demand situation, there are even invitation codes being offered for sale or auction on eBay and elsewhere.

I’d say you’ll be taking some major chances if you go the route of buying a code.

Earlier this week, I secured an invitation code for the pre-beta test from Drew Benvie – a good friend, and the best route. I’ve been setting out my stall on this would-be Twitter replacement and I’ve begun kicking the tyres.

My very first impression is that Bluesky really does look and feel just like Twitter. The design, the layout, and the actions you take to create and post a message, like others’ messages, share posts, etc, will be highly familiar to every Twitter user who comes here.

To begin, I installed the Bluesky app on my Android smartphone via a download from Google Play. If you have an iPhone, it’s a similar procedure with a download from the App Store. There is no app for Windows yet, but there is for Macs via the App Store.

I actually wasn’t keen at all on having to use only my phone or tablet for this. I primarily use social networking on my desktop or laptop PCs running Windows 11, not on a mobile device which I use when not at my desk. Luckily, with a little sleuthing and help from a new Bluesky acquaintance, I found the solution to using Bluesky with a browser on a computer once you know what your precise handle address is. (I haven’t found this documented anywhere so I may write up a quick how-to? unless one appears.)

So I’m happily using Bluesky in the Chrome browser on my computers. As with other social networks I use, I also have the app on my phone and tablet so I’ve covered all my bases.

Being as this is very much beta software, there isn’t a huge amount of documentation or explainers to help you – and so something that looks familiar to what you already know will be helpful. It all can be a bit buggy although the worst I’ve experienced so far is slow page loads from time to time. I have found tweeting (sorry, old habits are hard to stop) a question asking how to do something will typically get quick replies.

It reminds me a little of Twitter back in the beginning days in 2006 and the following few years where other users’ help was always there and the fail whale was your constant companion. Everything was an experiment!

And so, I have set up my account. I’ve posted more than 20 messages, some with images. I’ve started following a few dozen other users, nearly all of whom weren’t known to me before, and I have about 40 people following me so far. Not a bad start in just a few days.

It’s important to remember that, while this looks and feels very much like Twitter, it’s only just starting and does not have the infrastructure surrounding Twitter that’s been constructed and refined over the past 17 years. On a fundamental level, there’s no support yet for hashtags or embedding videos, for example. This is pre-beta, don’t forget, although I’d expect such fundamentals to improve well before the time it gets to full public launch.

Is Bluesky an alternative to Twitter?

A low barrier to entry (once Bluesky actually launches) and a shallow learning curve will likely be two major influences on people looking for an alternative to Twitter that is familiar and where they can get going pretty quickly.

If you are seriously looking for somewhere other than Twitter, is Bluesky the place for you? As ever, the answer to such a question will inevitably start, “It depends.”

It depends on what you want from an alternative to Twitter and why you wish to leave Twitter. I think for many people, maybe most, a major driver will be to escape from the chaos and uncertainty about Twitter and what’s been happening recently, eg mass layoffs of key staff and constant changes to the platform often with unintended or unexpected consequences, and the removal of Twitter verification and replacing it with a paid-for service called Twitter Blue. Others will say that Twitter under Elon Musk’s leadership is not a place they want to be. Others will talk about decentralisation and getting away from manipulated content and the overt selling of things. And still others do not want to be on a social network full of – as the euphemism goes – bad actors.

As I’ve written here over the past year, I worry about all of the above, yet I remain on Twitter. The reason is partly related to my work where being present on Twitter is important. It’s also that I’ve been on Twitter since December 2006 so giving up my presence there isn’t something I will do lightly.

I do have an escape plan so if push comes to shove requiring an exit in a hurry, or I reach a point where I want to leave of my own accord, I am ready for that.

Whether Bluesky is an alternative to Twitter, for individual users it’s not yet given that it’s in a pre-beta stage, is a closed private network, and has no infrastructure to speak of yet nor ecosystem of communities and developers – such things take time to build.

If you would join Bluesky to represent your company or organization, then no, it’s certainly not ready for that yet other than for establishing a footprint there and testing the waters. If you have this in mind, you might want to read Drew Benvie’s article in PR Week this week (behind a paywall) in which he discusses Bluesky’s potential in the PR world.

And, you should definitely read Bluesky’s terms of service and its copyright notice before joining.

What of other potential alternatives to Twitter, eg, Mastodon or Post.News to name but two? I’ve used both and I’m active on Mastodon and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Mastodon would be my primary choice if I were looking to move from Twitter – it has enjoyed huge growth over the past year and already has a developing infrastructure and ecosystem in place.

This was my choice right up until Bluesky emerged as a potential alternative. It may become an actual and viable alternative once it’s progressed into formal beta testing and features and functionality improve.

You might conclude that this picture doesn’t do well at presenting a clear alternative to Twitter. To be sure, the picture isn’t clear yet. I see this as a time for discovery and experimentation. Most people aren’t into all the tech that underpins many of the new offerings that have emerged where the word ‘decentralised‘ is commonly spoken. This word applies to Bluesky and this will be more important in the coming years as proving you are who you say you are requires verification quickly and seamlessly, all with no fuss. That’s what decentralisation will help deliver.

There’s also a matter of major importance to many people, which is all about the people who found and run the infrastructure of the community you join and their role in creating a safe place for its users, the people in that community who you engage with, and your overall experience.

For many people, these are among the failings at Twitter and the primary reasons why they want to leave. Expect more ups and downs with Twitter in the coming weeks following an announcement yesterday that Elon Musk has hired a new CEO.

I would recommend checking out Bluesky when you can – right now if you want to be at the bleeding edge and if you can get an invitation code. Or join the waitlist for the public beta launch. Or, wait for the actual full launch.

I’ll continue my own exploration of Bluesky, getting to know the pros and cons and building up a community of my own, and report my further experiences in this blog.

I like Bluesky because of its familiarity with what has been an excellent tool for communicating and engaging with others online over the years. That’s Twitter even if it always has been an imperfect tool, one that in my view has rapidly declined in trustworthiness since Elon Musk arrived on the scene.

If you’re already on Bluesky and would like to connect, you’ll find me here: https://bsky.app/profile/jangles.bsky.social

Bluesky might be the reset starter that so clearly is needed now where reputation, trust, trustworthiness and authenticity really do matter to everyone, individuals and businesses alike.

I have a few takeaways from this Coronation Weekend of pomp, pageantry and rock ‘n’ roll I’d like to share that characterised the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May and the coronation concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday 7 May.

Like millions of people in the UK and many more millions around the world, we watched the coronation ceremony live on the BBC. It was all you’d expect from an event like this and the BBC’s mastery in staging, producing and broadcasting it live.

The camera work and presentation of the ceremony that took place in Westminster Abbey were a compelling viewing experience. From the moment the King and his Queen Consort entered the building to the conclusion of this highly formal, traditional and so regal an event, we were part of something historic you could feel. The sense of witnessing a key part of this country’s identity and history that stretches back well over a thousand years is a powerful thing.

The BBC has posted video recordings on the BBC iPlayer (the full ceremony in UHD, for UK viewers) and its YouTube channel (a 4-minute summary), there for all the world to view at its leisure. Seeing it again, it really is quite a spectacle.

For me, the most compelling part of all was during the anointing of the King behind privacy screens and just before the actual crowning ceremony.

While this element in the coronation took place we could hear the orchestra playing Zadok the Priest and see the choir singing the accompanying words. This seminal work was composed by George Frideric Handel in 1727 for the coronation of King George II, and has been part of every coronation since then.

Will it produce a strong emotional reaction for you as it does for me? Watch the video and read the lyrics in the captions.

All Change at the Castle

The concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday evening was as different from the formality of the royal coronation on Saturday as you could imagine.

The production design was magnificent in the construction of the huge outdoor stage with all the supporting elements including imagery in the darkening evening sky created by drones that played key visual roles in the story-telling we saw and heard from each of the acts on stage and at venues up and down the country.

Each act took full advantage of the spaces and the panoramic depth of view across the audience of 20,000 surrounding the stage in a semi-circle with the castle wall as backdrop. All for an audio-visual experience that was designed for digital content broadcast and displayed in high-definition video and audio on big-screen TVs and other compatible devices.

And so to the acts themselves.

• Coronation Concert: full line-up and songs

For me, two were standouts because of their sheer energy and ability, encompassing the singers themselves together with supporting backers and other artists, and the simple enjoyment of viewing their performances that were presented so beautifully – another testament to the BBC and the skills of its production teams and contractors in putting on an event like this. You only have to watch the Platinum Party at the Palace concert last year celebrating the late’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to see that they really do know what they’re doing.

My first standout is Katy Perry. The multi-platinum American singer’s energy and exuberance were delightful as she belted out ‘Roar’, her 2013 number 1 hit record. On stage, her reflective-gold costume was a visual feast as her every move and turn reflected the light so that she stood out unmistakably, contrasting the stage lights.

Watch the video:

My second standout act is Take That. The venerable British pop group, with a string of hit singles and albums over almost 30 years, closed the concert with their 1995 hit song ‘Never Forget’, starting with the choristers of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, singing the song’s introduction, and with backing by drummers of the Royal Marines Band.

Take That are past masters at audience engagement, something we saw in this concert session. Just about the whole audience of 20,000 singing along, waving flags, illuminated armbands highly visible in the evening darkness, all adding to the audio-visual experience. And the Royals joined in, too.

Watch the video:

Looking Ahead for the Monarchy

In the midst of the focus on King Charles and his wife Camilla as the Queen (crowned on Saturday, too, so no longer known simply as ‘Queen Consort’), it’s worth mentioning how William, Prince of Wales, has come to the forefront of attention during the past year.

His natural and easy ability for public speaking, and conveying a sincere belief in his authenticity and passion for causes related to climate change (the Earthshot Prize being the classic example), stand him in good stead for what undoubtedly will be required of him as his role will change now that his father is the anointed and coronated king and head of state. William is now next in line for succession. His speech on Sunday was a clear affirmation of his commitment to the service of others.

And what will be next for the Royal Family and the monarchy overall as an institution? We live in changing times (to perhaps re-coin an old phrase) and the role and purpose of the monarchy are being questioned publicly and more critically than the polite murmurings of the past.

That said, a YouGov survey just before the coronation shows there is still strong support for the monarchy among the British public – of those surveyed, two-and-a-half times as many said we should continue to have a monarchy than those who said we shouldn’t.

Still, changes in sentiment are in the air and, while some criticism has already translated into active opposition (prompting strong police reaction and a follow-up apology), a good foundation of support presents the right opportunity to build on it in ways that really can resonate with different age groups in the population.

And there’s still a limited window through which to capitalise on the goodwill King Charles has earned, much of which carries over from his mother the late Queen.

I can see both the King and William taking a strong, prominent and proactive lead on many issues surrounding climate change that would resonate with people, especially if there’s a strong sense of advancement, taking things forward, and stimulating action.

I can see another, parallel opportunity that will need strong persuasive acts and willingness to carry them through, and that is the King becoming more involved in advancing the climate change agenda in some of the politics in this country. Perhaps review the government’s long list of items in this agenda – pick just three things and get them moving.

If politicians can’t get things done, perhaps it’s time for another approach including expanding or formalising the scope for influence the monarch holds which may lead to opening up the wider debate on exactly how the monarchy should evolve. It’s a big topic.

Where there’s a will, though, there’s a way.