since 1998

personal website: joe crawford. code. occasional comics. toy robots. bodysurfing. san diego. california. say hi.

Twitter went private, then it got weird.

I’ve been using twitter since October 2006. That’s not a short amount of time to be using a service. 16 years!

It’s deeply weird to return to what was once called “internet time.” Internet time was what we called the era where brand new web pages or services would pop up and get massively popular overnight. Think about Hot or Note or Nosepilot or Flash games that made the rounds quickly. To see Mastodon suddenly get tons of interest and activity (I joined in December 2021).

This here blog persists.

Instagram seems like it’s felt no impact from the changes.

I suspect Facebook usage numbers have had no change.

Twitter however has been eroding as people try to reckon with what the new owner who took it private thinks the site needs. I’m not sure a $20 $8 per month charge for Twitter verification was what it was crying out for.

Given the Twitter destabilization and the Mastodon growth I’ve been thinking about “Hot Tubbing” a bit. I remember the old Webmonster mailing lists – awesome discussion of web tech in the late 1990s. I think they made some managerial change or structural change — I can’t even remember what it was — but it was enough for a mass exodus to take place and WebDesign-L and Evolt I think were created out of that.

Moderating an online community–which is to say–governing a group of people–is not easy. It’s hard work. The satiric and yet accurate Hey Elon: Let Me Help You Speed Run The Content Moderation Learning Curve is an excellent short distillation of just some of the issues any large community faces on 21st century earth.

It’s an interesting time. Which is to say, it’s a mess.

two comments so far...

I’ve had a twitter account since October 2006. In that time they’ve been pretty diligent about security.
Not anymore.
Today’s email, subject line is: “Twitter two-factor authentication is now off”

You’ve turned off two-factor authentication for @artlung
This means you’ll no longer have this added protection when you log in to Twitter. Your account will be more vulnerable to compromise. You can turn on two-factor authentication any time in the Account > Security section of your Twitter settings.
[ Go to settings ]
Learn more about two-factor authentication

I didn’t turn off the authentication, this is Twitter “saving money.”
In the same way they don’t pay their landlord.
In the same way they don’t pay severance due to people fired.
The world’s richest man, it turns out, is a dirty cheapskate.
Here’s an email from Twitter from August 2020:

You’ve turned on two-factor authentication for @artlung
This means you’ll need to use a second authentication method in addition to your password when you log in to Twitter. You can turn off two-factor authentication any time in the Account > Security section of your Twitter settings.
Make sure to save a single-use backup code in a safe place. This lets you log in to Twitter if you lose your mobile phone or don’t have access to any of your other two-factor authentication methods.
[ Save a backup code ]
Learn more about two-factor authentication

Previously: Twitter went private, then it got weird.
On the referred to “Learn more” page it says:

Notice:
Effective 20 March 2023, we will no longer support two-factor authentication using text messages for non-Twitter Blue subscribers. At that time, if you have text message 2FA still enabled, you will be prompted to disable it before you can continue to use your account. Please note the availability of text message 2FA for Twitter Blue may vary by country and carrier.

And that page refers to a blog post: An update on two-factor authentication using SMS on Twitter from February 15, 2023:

We continue to be committed to keeping people safe and secure on Twitter, and a primary security tool we offer to keep your account secure is two-factor authentication (2FA). Instead of only entering a password to log in, 2FA requires you to also enter a code or use a security key. This additional step helps make sure that you, and only you, can access your account. To date, we have offered three methods of 2FA: text message, authentication app, and security key.
While historically a popular form of 2FA, unfortunately we have seen phone-number based 2FA be used – and abused – by bad actors. So starting today, we will no longer allow accounts to enroll in the text message/SMS method of 2FA unless they are Twitter Blue subscribers. The availability of text message 2FA for Twitter Blue may vary by country and carrier.
Non-Twitter Blue subscribers that are already enrolled will have 30 days to disable this method and enroll in another. After 20 March 2023, we will no longer permit non-Twitter Blue subscribers to use text messages as a 2FA method. At that time, accounts with text message 2FA still enabled will have it disabled. Disabling text message 2FA does not automatically disassociate your phone number from your Twitter account. If you would like to do so, instructions to update your account phone number are available on our Help Center.
We encourage non-Twitter Blue subscribers to consider using an authentication app or security key method instead. These methods require you to have physical possession of the authentication method and are a great way to ensure your account is secure.
Learn more about two-factor authentication on Twitter on our Help Center.

UPDATE: today in the iOS app, pitching me to pay money for Twitter:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.