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美国国家公共电台 NPR--Some Twitter users flying the coop hope Mastodon will be a safe landing

时间:2023-09-19 15:59来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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Some Twitter users flying the coop hope Mastodon will be a safe landing

Transcript1

Few people outside computer programmers or engineers had heard of the social network Mastodon before Elon Musk2 bought Twitter.

Now, Twitter users queasy3 about changes to the platform are signing up for Mastodon accounts in droves. Mastodon now has nearly two million users, up from under 400,000 before Musk closed the Twitter deal on Oct. 27.

The surge in popularity has surprised even Eugen Rochko, who founded Mastodon in 2016.

"What I always wanted to try to get over as a hurdle4 is the idea that, no, there's not enough people in there, so I can't really use it. Or it's for nerds," he said.

Now he's pulling all-nighters to meet the growing demand.

But Mastodon is not the most intuitive social media platform. Mastodon is open-source software, meaning anyone so inclined could set up a server to host users and connect to other servers, making for a decentralized network.

"Nobody is in control of the entire network," Rochko said.

"It is, in effect, more democratic," he asserts, because the operators of each individual server can set content standards based on the preferences of the communities they're trying to serve.

But he admits many new users get hung up on choosing which server from thousands to join.

"I tried to explain Mastodon to my fiancée's elderly stepdad once, and I think I managed to do it," he said.

John Wilker is one of the many Twitter users now casting about for alternatives. He's tried Mastodon before, among others.

"I joined a Mastodon [server] that was all about science fiction and fantasy writing. And I'm like, 'This is great. These are definitely my people!'" he said. "But then no one else is there."

Breaking up with Twitter is hard to do, many users find

Wilker, who joined Twitter in 2007, credits the platform for helping5 him launch his career as a science-fiction writer. But he's gotten fed up with it before, like after the 2016 elections, then again in 2020.

"It would always come down to just like, OK, this feels like the ratio now is turning more towards doomposting, mean-spirited hot takes on things. That was usually when I'd start to look" for alternative social platforms, he said.

But he says it's been hard to replicate6 elsewhere the combination of the community he's built over the years on Twitter and the tools to customize his information feed. It's not for lack of trying. He said he signs up for most new social networking sites that come along, but he keeps returning to Twitter.

Twitter is more than a social network, says Karen North, a professor at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism7.

"People come to Twitter because they want to be part of a community of people crowdsourcing information and opinions," she said. "It's really a place where journalists go to get a heads up on a headline, get a quote by the source, build their stories and talk to their audiences."

But that is changing. Shortly before Election Day, the Associated Press warned its journalists to consider Twitter and other social media platforms "also function as arenas8 of information warfare," and to approach all posts with skepticism.

Twitter, under Musk, has overhauled9 its system of marking verified accounts with blue checkmarks. Now, some blue checkmarks still indicate that the company has confirmed a user's identity. Other blue checkmarks simply signify that the user has a monthly subscription10, leading to mass confusion.

Meredith Clark, a communications professor at Northeastern University, is writing a book about Black Twitter. She's sticking with Twitter because it's central to her research. But she knows users who are looking around for options feel torn about leaving. While more popular social networks like Facebook and TikTok serve some of the same needs as Twitter, they are not the same.

"No other social networking platform has the same sort of tools that make connection possible the way Twitter does," she said.

Even before Musk took over, she said, Twitter didn't do a good job of protecting Black and other marginalized users. She worries it'll get even worse for them under Musk, who is known for his belligerence11 and trolling of those who disagree with him.

"The question is whether they want to deal with the kind of harassment12 that has definitely spiked13 in the last few days and weeks, whether they want to be there when, say, the chief chaos14 agent in charge, [former President Donald Trump15,] is allowed back on the platform," Clark said.

Musk has said it was a mistake for Twitter to ban Trump shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. At the time, the company said Trump broke its rules about inciting16 violence.

North, of USC, says many people will stay on Twitter simply because of the time and effort it takes to set up a new community on another site. But she notes users' shifting allegiance over time is also part of the evolution of social media.

Young people migrated from Facebook to Instagram, she said. "Then they got frustrated17 with Instagram and they went over to Snapchat. And before that, everybody left MySpace, and before that, everybody left Friendster. And it's hard to remember that Friendster and MySpace even existed."

A chance to rethink what social media could be

If a critical mass of Twitter users desert it for Mastodon or other alternatives, it could be an opportunity for a do-over of sorts for social media networks.

"Let's ask, 'What does it mean to build an intentional18 social network around timely, accurate, local knowledge?'" said Joan Donovan, a Harvard Kennedy School professor and co-author of the new book "Meme Wars." "Rather than start from the premise19 of, 'We're just going to be the tubes that push information around the Web and no one's going to be responsible for quality.'"

Donovan says imagine if we could keep the parts we like: easy online community building and fun memes, for example. And lose the parts we hate, like the disinformation, compulsion, and breathless chase for likes and eyeballs.

Sponsor Message

As for Wilker, the sci-fi writer, he says he's ready for a break from his relationship with Twitter.

"We've definitely taken it to places that aren't great for society or our mental well-being20. So maybe we could figure out a social media that isn't so toxic21 or favorite-driven," he said.

But when it comes to quitting Twitter altogether, he says he thought of it. Then, he thought again.

"No, I have no plans to go anywhere. No plans to wholesale22 walk away," he said.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 transcript JgpzUp     
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
参考例句:
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
2 musk v6pzO     
n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物,香猫
参考例句:
  • Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
  • She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。
3 queasy sSJxH     
adj.易呕的
参考例句:
  • I felt a little queasy on the ship.我在船上觉得有点晕眩想呕吐。
  • He was very prone to seasickness and already felt queasy.他快晕船了,已经感到恶心了。
4 hurdle T5YyU     
n.跳栏,栏架;障碍,困难;vi.进行跨栏赛
参考例句:
  • The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍,所以我必须要作好准备。
  • She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。
5 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
6 replicate PVAxN     
v.折叠,复制,模写;n.同样的样品;adj.转折的
参考例句:
  • The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
  • It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样,它还可以被轻易的复制。
7 journalism kpZzu8     
n.新闻工作,报业
参考例句:
  • He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师,可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
  • He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。
8 arenas 199b9126e4f57770e1c427caf458ae03     
表演场地( arena的名词复数 ); 竞技场; 活动或斗争的场所或场面; 圆形运动场
参考例句:
  • Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
  • Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗?
9 overhauled 6bcaf11e3103ba66ebde6d8eda09e974     
v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 );大修;赶上;超越
参考例句:
  • Within a year the party had drastically overhauled its structure. 一年内这个政党已大刀阔斧地整顿了结构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • A mechanic overhauled the car's motor with some new parts. 一个修理工对那辆汽车的发动机进行了彻底的检修,换了一些新部件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 subscription qH8zt     
n.预订,预订费,亲笔签名,调配法,下标(处方)
参考例句:
  • We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。
  • Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。
11 belligerence BuXzZ     
n.交战,好战性,斗争性
参考例句:
  • He could be accused of passion,but never belligerence.可以说他很冲动,但不能说他爱挑事。
  • He was almost back to his belligerent mood of twelve months ago.他故态复萌,几乎又像一年前那样咄咄逼人了。
12 harassment weNxI     
n.骚扰,扰乱,烦恼,烦乱
参考例句:
  • She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
  • The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。
13 spiked 5fab019f3e0b17ceef04e9d1198b8619     
adj.有穗的;成锥形的;有尖顶的
参考例句:
  • The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句
14 chaos 7bZyz     
n.混乱,无秩序
参考例句:
  • After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后,城市一片混乱。
  • The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。
15 trump LU1zK     
n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭
参考例句:
  • He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
  • The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手,作为他的王牌。
16 inciting 400c07a996057ecbd0e695a596404e52     
刺激的,煽动的
参考例句:
  • What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
  • He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。
17 frustrated ksWz5t     
adj.挫败的,失意的,泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 );挫败;使受挫折;令人沮丧
参考例句:
  • It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
  • The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 intentional 65Axb     
adj.故意的,有意(识)的
参考例句:
  • Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
  • His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。
19 premise JtYyy     
n.前提;v.提论,预述
参考例句:
  • Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
  • We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。
20 well-being Fe3zbn     
n.安康,安乐,幸福
参考例句:
  • He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
  • My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福,却被误解为多管闲事。
21 toxic inSwc     
adj.有毒的,因中毒引起的
参考例句:
  • The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
  • There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。
22 wholesale Ig9wL     
n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售
参考例句:
  • The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物,以零售价卖出。
  • Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。
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TAG标签:   美国新闻  英语听力  NPR
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