4 ms·

“I am quitting Twitter for a while”

31 points by ghosh 10y ago

molecule 10y ago
seems like an important qualifier was dropped from the HN headline: "I’m quitting Twitter for awhile."
gloriousduke 10y ago
I think this will be a growing trend for all social networks among the more thoughtful crowd (or at least a large curtailing of usage). What value does signing into these platforms many times per day really bring, especially considering the negative effects of distraction? https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/modern-world-bad-for-brain-daniel-j-levitin-organized-mind-information-overload https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/modern-world...
- jacques_chester 10y ago
  There's always a steady migration to new platforms. A new platform emerges. The early adopters find other early adopters. They are all enthusiastic. It's a small community so things stay informally OK. Word gets out. There's a boom. Growing pains. Eventually it's a mass platform. Everyone is there. It turns out that lots of people's morality is governed by fear of punishment and not fear of guilt and bam, there's a rising tide of nastiness. A new platform emerges ...
mmastrac 10y ago
I enjoy Twitter myself but it does reward low-effort, high-dopamine-reward behaviour like snark, sarcasm and trolling. I don't blame him at all. It's a platform built on easy-mode interaction - getting to know people in depth is more difficult.
draw_down 10y ago
Oh boy. People always make a big production about this and then sheepishly start back some number of months later. Seems like if you're done you should just be done. FWIW there are Twitter "apps" out there that you can use to delete all your tweets if you're really done. Change your password to something random and not written down as well, if you're serious.
- the_watcher 10y ago
  > Seems like if you're done you should just be done. Why? There's no reason someone shouldn't be able to change their mind.
  - exolymph 10y ago
    Also, sama didn't even say he was quitting forever.
kenko 10y ago
Why is this newsworthy? It seems like the exact same points have been made hundreds of times.
- jacques_chester 10y ago
  Sam Altman is more notable to the HN crowd that the hundreds of other folks.
the_watcher 10y ago
I've pretty much entirely quit using Twitter for communication outside of the NBA Twitter micro-community. Besides that, I use it for news and to follow Pinboard, HN Onion, and other parodies.
sama 10y ago
I'm quitting for awhile. This is not newsworthy. I will be back, I just want to break the cycle of the compulsion to check it given that I think it's healthier in much smaller doses. I also think Twitter will make changes to the behavior the product rewards, and it will make it a much better place to be. Just to say it, I also think Twitter will be a very valuable company.
- philippnagel 10y ago
  Interpreting your last sentence - Twitter isn't a valuable company yet?
  - exolymph 10y ago
    Relative to its peers in the public eye, especially Facebook, it's not.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
aresant 10y ago
Twitter's base DNA was building a "broadcast" platform with a simplistic I/O of communication between two parties. (keyword TWO) This makes sense in the context of Twitter's underpinnings in emergency vehicle / taxi dispatch. (1) What it's actually becomes is a massive discussion board where information is organized around people rather than topics. With the genius tweak of limiting to 140 characters to drive word economy and a low commitment tax to open the app and participate. As such I am baffled why they don't roll some basic community and forum management tools. People are having discussions! In a group! So give them some tools to solve the oldest community challenges in the book of trolling, content discovery, relationship development, etc. (1) http://www.briansolis.com/2011/04/twitter-co-founder-jack-dorsey-and-the-ideas-that-sparked-a-revolution/ http://www.briansolis.com/2011/04/twitter-co-founder-jack-do...
realworldview 10y ago
And I'm quitting the gym.
simonebrunozzi 10y ago
I am wondering if there's an easy way to sell a great Twitter handle (@simon). Suggestions?

31 points by ghosh 10y ago

seems like an important qualifier was dropped from the HN headline: "I’m quitting Twitter for awhile."

I think this will be a growing trend for all social networks among the more thoughtful crowd (or at least a large curtailing of usage). What value does signing into these platforms many times per day really bring, especially considering the negative effects of distraction? https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/modern-world-bad-for-brain-daniel-j-levitin-organized-mind-information-overload https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/modern-world...

jacques_chester 10y ago
There's always a steady migration to new platforms. A new platform emerges. The early adopters find other early adopters. They are all enthusiastic. It's a small community so things stay informally OK. Word gets out. There's a boom. Growing pains. Eventually it's a mass platform. Everyone is there. It turns out that lots of people's morality is governed by fear of punishment and not fear of guilt and bam, there's a rising tide of nastiness. A new platform emerges ...

mmastrac 10y ago

I enjoy Twitter myself but it does reward low-effort, high-dopamine-reward behaviour like snark, sarcasm and trolling. I don't blame him at all. It's a platform built on easy-mode interaction - getting to know people in depth is more difficult.

draw_down 10y ago

Oh boy. People always make a big production about this and then sheepishly start back some number of months later. Seems like if you're done you should just be done. FWIW there are Twitter "apps" out there that you can use to delete all your tweets if you're really done. Change your password to something random and not written down as well, if you're serious.

the_watcher 10y ago
> Seems like if you're done you should just be done. Why? There's no reason someone shouldn't be able to change their mind.
- exolymph 10y ago
  Also, sama didn't even say he was quitting forever.

kenko 10y ago

Why is this newsworthy? It seems like the exact same points have been made hundreds of times.

jacques_chester 10y ago
Sam Altman is more notable to the HN crowd that the hundreds of other folks.

the_watcher 10y ago

I've pretty much entirely quit using Twitter for communication outside of the NBA Twitter micro-community. Besides that, I use it for news and to follow Pinboard, HN Onion, and other parodies.

sama 10y ago

I'm quitting for awhile. This is not newsworthy. I will be back, I just want to break the cycle of the compulsion to check it given that I think it's healthier in much smaller doses. I also think Twitter will make changes to the behavior the product rewards, and it will make it a much better place to be. Just to say it, I also think Twitter will be a very valuable company.

philippnagel 10y ago
Interpreting your last sentence - Twitter isn't a valuable company yet?
- exolymph 10y ago
  Relative to its peers in the public eye, especially Facebook, it's not.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

aresant 10y ago

Twitter's base DNA was building a "broadcast" platform with a simplistic I/O of communication between two parties. (keyword TWO) This makes sense in the context of Twitter's underpinnings in emergency vehicle / taxi dispatch. (1) What it's actually becomes is a massive discussion board where information is organized around people rather than topics. With the genius tweak of limiting to 140 characters to drive word economy and a low commitment tax to open the app and participate. As such I am baffled why they don't roll some basic community and forum management tools. People are having discussions! In a group! So give them some tools to solve the oldest community challenges in the book of trolling, content discovery, relationship development, etc. (1) http://www.briansolis.com/2011/04/twitter-co-founder-jack-dorsey-and-the-ideas-that-sparked-a-revolution/ http://www.briansolis.com/2011/04/twitter-co-founder-jack-do...

realworldview 10y ago

And I'm quitting the gym.

simonebrunozzi 10y ago

I am wondering if there's an easy way to sell a great Twitter handle (@simon). Suggestions?