LRT: One of the problems with Twitter moderation - and I'm not suggesting this is an innocent cause that is accidentally enabling abuse, but rather that it's a feature, from their point of view - is that the reporting categories available for us do not match up to the rules.
Because the rule's existence creates the impression that we have protections we don't.
Meanwhile, people who aren't acting in good faith can, will, and DO game the automated aspects of the system to suppress and harm their targets.
A death threat is not supposed to be allowed on here even if it's a joke. That's Twitter's premise, not mine.
A guy going "Haha get raped." is part of the plan. It's normal.
His target replying "FUCK OFF" is not. It's radical.
Things that strike the moderator as "That's just how it is on this bitch of an earth." get a pass.
And then the ultra-modern ones like "Banned from Minecraft in real life."
https://t.co/5xdHZmqLmM
Helicopter rides.
— azteclady (@HerHandsMyHands) October 3, 2020
More from 12 Foot Tall Giant Alexandra Erin
(DC POLICE) MPD CHIEF : "There was no intelligence that suggests that there would be a breach of the US Capitol. "
— Chris Cioffi (@ReporterCioffi) January 7, 2021
More from Social media
Thread 🧵

Below are a few insights I gathered while researching on how Gen-X use WhatsApp as a part of @10kdesigners Cohort!
Okay, let's go!
1/x
Gen-X? Who are they?
Gen-X (short for Generation X) are basically people with birth years around 1960–1980. That’s basically our (millennials’) parents!
2/x
Check out this detailed case study by @zainab_delawala
📮 Communication/Community
This is the primary feature of WhatsApp.
This feature is the entry point for most of the Gen-X, they come to WhatsApp to communicate and engage with small
Can a movie (96') change how people use an app (Whatsapp)?
— Rajesh Raghavan (@rajeshraghavan_) October 1, 2020
YES. It can.
Let's see how\U0001f440 pic.twitter.com/BV0scQ2KEc
- WhatsApp group is one of the most used features by Gen-X. Most of the message more on groups than on private chats.
- Forward messages received mostly are written in vernacular languages. They are all well scripted.
4/x

The goal?
Learn how to craft interesting threads, and grow a following. It (mostly) worked.
- New followers: +2.5K (+100% MoM)
- Top thread: 373K impressions
- Top tweet: 2.5K likes
Here's what I learned. Quick thread 👇👇
To start, here's the most popular thread I've written.
Thoughts on what made it work, below.
Nikola Tesla was the greatest inventor of his era. He died penniless and alone, swindled by both Thomas Edison and JP Morgan.
— Mario \U0001f98a (@mariodgabriele) September 2, 2020
A thread \U0001f447\U0001f447\U0001f447 pic.twitter.com/80Gco1e6uq
1. Quality
The threads that performed best were (usually) the ones I put the most effort into.
One example is this one about Jeff Bezos's origins. I spent hours researching and drafting it.
It's worth taking the time to craft your
[Story time]
— Mario \U0001f98a (@mariodgabriele) July 30, 2020
Yesterday, Jeff Bezos testified in front of Congress. It was almost exactly 15 yrs ago that Amazon introduced itself to the world.
We have all heard some version of his story. But in investigating his childhood, I was surprised to find much that has gone unshared. pic.twitter.com/CDaIAA0Fzj
2. Timeliness
Capitalizing on the news can be one way to expand viewership.
When Fornite launched its #FreeFortnite campaign, I wrote this thread.
At the time, it was my 2nd best performing thread. It also introduced me to the lovely
Fortnite is standing up to Google and Apple.
— Mario \U0001f98a (@mariodgabriele) August 13, 2020
They're offering 20% discounts to players that buy digital currency in the app, bypassing the payment systems of Big Tech.
This is a thread about the game's humble beginnings. \U0001f447
(All likes + RTs appreciated! \U0001f64f) pic.twitter.com/Zg5Lr3hDRu
3. Narrative Arc
Have a clear start and end in your mind.
I made this mistake with a few Amazon threads. I thought because my first one worked, I could keep the story going. But they didn't have as clear a narrative arc and were much less popular.
A book about lichen saved Amazon from going out of business.
— Mario \U0001f98a (@mariodgabriele) August 10, 2020
A thread \U0001f447 pic.twitter.com/kgfmBf4Dsj
One example:
OK, so "The Daily Wire" and "https://t.co/oEa89coNak" are unreliable. Fair enough, maybe they are (I don't use either one of them).
So let's look into one of our new official arbiters of "reliability," Newsguard!
What's their advisory board look like?
https://t.co/5N8op70VE1

OK, so maybe a few names jumped out at you immediately, like, oh I don't know, (Ret.) General Michael Hayden, former Director of the CIA AND former Director of the National Security Agency in the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003! Google him, he's famous!

Newsguard is all about "seeing who's behind each site," (like how Michael Hayden is behind Newsguard?)
All they want to do is fight "misinformation." That's laudable, right?
Also, Newsguard has a "24/7 rapid response SWAT TEAM!!"
So cool!
https://t.co/EDN3UXvBR9

Ok, I'm not a journalist or a former CIA director, so I have no idea what's true or not unless someone tells me, so hey, Columbia Journalism Review - what do you think of Newsguard Advisory Board Member Michael Hayden?