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Ben Franklin was a prolific author and publisher. He would have owned something significantly larger and better than Twitter, not been a social media consumer a

Ben Franklin was a prolific author and publisher. He would have owned something significantly larger and better than Twitter, not been a social media consumer and meme reposter

denkmoon 4y ago
You don't have to consume social media to post social media. He was a prolific pamphlet writer, which could be considered the bite-sized easily consumable publication of his day. Without really knowing too much about the guy outside of his historical impact, I think he would use whatever method was effective at promoting his ideas.
- philwelch 4y ago
  Ben Franklin was shitposting even in the 18th century. One of his greatest hits was a proposal to transport rattlesnakes back to Britain in exchange for the felons transported to America, "to have them carefully distributed in St. James’s Park, in the Spring-Gardens and other Places of Pleasure about London; in the Gardens of all the Nobility and Gentry throughout the Nation; but particularly in the Gardens of the Prime Ministers, the Lords of Trade and Members of Parliament; for to them we are most particularly obliged". After living in France and observing their local custom of sleeping in as late as noon, he wrote a long, satirical letter relating his "discovery" that the sun rose in the morning. "Your readers who, with me, have never seen any signs of sunshine before noon, and seldom regarded the astronomical part of the almanac, will be as much astonished as I was, when they hear of his rising so early, and especially when I assure them, that he gives light as soon as he rises." Later on he proposes, "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing; and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street, to wake the sluggards effectually, and make them open their eyes to see their true interest." You can't tell me this guy would have been able to resist Twitter.

Ben Franklin was a prolific author and publisher. He would have owned something significantly larger and better than Twitter, not been a social media consumer and meme reposter

denkmoon 4y ago

You don't have to consume social media to post social media. He was a prolific pamphlet writer, which could be considered the bite-sized easily consumable publication of his day. Without really knowing too much about the guy outside of his historical impact, I think he would use whatever method was effective at promoting his ideas.

philwelch 4y ago
Ben Franklin was shitposting even in the 18th century. One of his greatest hits was a proposal to transport rattlesnakes back to Britain in exchange for the felons transported to America, "to have them carefully distributed in St. James’s Park, in the Spring-Gardens and other Places of Pleasure about London; in the Gardens of all the Nobility and Gentry throughout the Nation; but particularly in the Gardens of the Prime Ministers, the Lords of Trade and Members of Parliament; for to them we are most particularly obliged". After living in France and observing their local custom of sleeping in as late as noon, he wrote a long, satirical letter relating his "discovery" that the sun rose in the morning. "Your readers who, with me, have never seen any signs of sunshine before noon, and seldom regarded the astronomical part of the almanac, will be as much astonished as I was, when they hear of his rising so early, and especially when I assure them, that he gives light as soon as he rises." Later on he proposes, "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing; and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street, to wake the sluggards effectually, and make them open their eyes to see their true interest." You can't tell me this guy would have been able to resist Twitter.