Should Elitists Get Off Twitter? An opinion piece in the Financial Times by Janan Ganesh (2022) argued that the real reason to get off Twitter was that it “reeks of low status”. Stay on it long enough and you can “catch” its tone of “domestic mediocrity”. Even elites who use this micro-blogging site should beware … Continue reading Should Elites Get Off Twitter?
Twitter @Freedom of Expression
Twitter debates might put freedom of expression back on the agenda
Rooting for Twitter and Musk
The future of Twitter and of Elon Musk’s ownership of this platform are problematic. That said, it has been clear that Twitter had lost the plot in several respects and could benefit from new ideas and leadership. I’ve used Twitter for over a decade (13 years) and continue to value this platform, such as for … Continue reading Rooting for Twitter and Musk
Twitter Diplomacy Not Going Away: Taiwan Joins the Twittersphere
I've written/blogged about the inevitable rise of digital diplomacy, and the need to adapt to it. President Donald Trumps' use of Twitter is testing the patience of the foreign policy community in particular, setting many against the wisdom of his use of Twitter, and the value of digital diplomacy in general. However, this morning's New … Continue reading Twitter Diplomacy Not Going Away: Taiwan Joins the Twittersphere
Should Tweeting Politicians be able to Block Users?
An interesting debate has been opened up by lawyers who have argued that President Trump should not block Twitter users from posting on Twitter. I assume this issue concerns his account @realDonaldTrump (32M followers) but the same issue would arise over his newer and official account as President @realDonaldTrump (almost 19M followers). Apparently, the President … Continue reading Should Tweeting Politicians be able to Block Users?
Twitter Foreign Policy and the Rise of Digital Diplomacy
Recent Chinese concerns over ‘Twitter Foreign Policy” are just the tip of the iceberg on the ways in which the Internet has been enabling diplomacy to be reconfigured, for better or worse. Over a decade ago, Richard Grant, a diplomat from New Zealand, addressed these issues in a paper I helped him with at the … Continue reading Twitter Foreign Policy and the Rise of Digital Diplomacy