While Elon Musk bought Twitter, one can wonder what we really expect from a social network. It would not be a question of forgetting that these platforms are not only tech, they are first of all communities, humans. This is the subject of the Numerama newsletter, written by Lucie Ronfaut, #Rule30.
I promise you, I tried to write on something other than Twitter. And in a way, I will keep my promise! Because Elon Musk interests me less than the debates he provokes. Will he ruin Twitter for good? Should we be looking for a new platform? But what do we really expect from a social network? I fully understand the concern of people for whom Twitter has long been a source of entertainment, sociability and a professional aura (this is my case!). In very closed and not very diverse industries, such as the media or culture, garnering retweets and likes has opened doors for people who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to be a successful artist or journalist. It’s nothing out of the ordinary.
On the other hand, a wind of hope is blowing through my news feeds. I’m one of the nerds who’ve had a look at Mastodon, an open-source (whose code can be freely viewed, modified, distributed) and decentralized platform that presents itself as an alternative to Twitter. My experience so far is positive. But I also oppose the prevailing discourse, which accuses the unconvinced of not showing enough curiosity, or even of being stupid. Yes, Mastodon is quite easy to use. No, it is not stupid to be disturbed by its operation, after years of frequenting centralized services and addictive design, on which we have already invested a lot. It’s learning to walk again.
Above all, a social network is not just a set of features. They are communities. An ambiance. Habits. Memes and a culture to share. I have an interest in attracting others to it, rather than insulting them because they do not join me. When we approach a new platform, we not only face technical obstacles, but also a very human doubt: will I find my place there?
Personally, if I was asked for my Christmas list to build the social network of my dreams (I was very good this year), I would have more ideas about its community aspect than about technology. It’s not that we don’t care about technique; one does not go without the other. I also found this interview with the founder of Mastodon, Eugen Rochko, very interesting, who talks about his vision of online moderation allowed by the decentralized and community aspect of his platform. ” For me, creating a market of ideas where you can say anything, without limits, is a very American idea.“, he explains. ” It’s different from the German spirit [d’où il vient, NDLR] where the priority of our Constitution is to guarantee human dignity. Hate is not part of our conception of freedom of expression.”
I wonder if we can link these debates to the notion of care“. This political and feminist concept encompasses all acts of caring (e.g. raising children, cleaning, etc.), which are generally attributed to women (even more racialized women) and devalued, whereas they are essential to the proper functioning of society. How is the ” care on social networks? Probably via accessibility, media education, content moderation, empathy between Internet users, collective and inclusive reflection. I don’t think only women care about these topics, or that female-dominated online communities are necessarily more virtuous than others. But the question deserves to be asked. Who wants to take care of the web, of those who inhabit it, who has the freedom to give a damn, and who has an interest in destroying everything?
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The press review of the week
Broken social elevator
In India, new technology companies employ many more women (36%) than elsewhere in the private sector. However, the sector remains a hostile environment for its own workers, who suffer harassment and sexism on a daily basis. How to explain this paradox ? This is the subject of this long article by rest of the world (in English) to read here.
Streamers (1)
I spoke to you last week about the movement to denounce sexual violence against streamers on Twitch. Last Wednesday, the French government announced that it was taking up the subject, by soon summoning the platforms concerned. It is to be read on Le Figaro.
Streamers (2)
Still on this subject, I recommend that you read this column published by Stop on Images. She rightly recalls that this denunciation movement is far from being the first, and especially the hypocrisy of a good number of male streamers, who denounce these attacks while maintaining a deeply misogynistic culture. It is to be read there (article reserved for subscribers).
You play like a girl
And finally, not far from this theme: Monday, November 14, I will host a round table on the place of women in video games. Almost ten years after Gamergate, have things really progressed, in the industry and on our screens? This meeting is organized by the journal The breaking wave (on which I collaborate), with researcher Marion Coville and Jennifer Lufau, founder and president of the Afrogameuses association. It will be broadcast online and live, to register it’s over here!
Something to read/watch/listen to/play
You were born in a spaceship that left Earth, in search of a better future on another planet. On the eve of your tenth birthday, you finally arrive at your destination. Your house is hostile: it is difficult to grow the vegetables you are used to eating there, strange diseases and creatures threaten you. But that’s where you’re going to build your life, for better and for worse.
I had a huge crush on I was a teenage exocolonista video game from the Canadian studio Northway Games, released at the end of the summer. This is a loop game, which literally goes on a loop: we embody the main character for ten years of his life. Then the game starts from scratch. It’s up to us to use our knowledge of the scenario to change its trajectory. Sometimes it can be about starting a romantic relationship with a new person. Sometimes the challenge is to save someone who has already died before our eyes for the first time.
I was a teenage exocolonist is not for everyone. Already, it has not been translated into French, which requires being comfortable with English, especially since it is a particularly verbose game. It will then be necessary to appreciate the format of life simulation (we manage twelve statistics on the personality of our character) and that of the deck-building: each test is solved using a deck of cards, and we must improve its deck little by little depending on the vagaries of the game. But if these characteristics do not scare you, I was a teenage exocolonist is a terribly poignant and captivating experience. You are born, you die. Between the two, there is a new life.
I was a teenage exocolonist (in English), available on PC, Mac and Linux, PS4 and PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
The data transmitted through this form is intended for PressTiC Numerama, in its capacity as data controller. These data are processed with your consent for the purpose of sending you by e-mail news and information relating to the editorial content published on this site. You can oppose these e-mails at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe links present in each of them. For more information, you can consult our entire personal data processing policy.
You have a right of access, rectification, erasure, limitation, portability and opposition for legitimate reasons to personal data concerning you. To exercise one of these rights, please make your request via our dedicated rights exercise request form.