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by enumjorge 995 days ago
This is off topic, but it’s crazy to me that the current incarnation of Twitter still seems to be the communication platform of choice for a good portion of the tech community. Presumably Jared still considers it to be the best way to share this information despite the fact that the app is so user hostile. Even using nitter to bypass these restrictions, we’re still breaking a paragraph into separate posts, as if sharing text longer than a sentence on the intent is a something we need to handle in a piecemeal fashion.

At a time when I can use ML algorithms to create beautiful images from a simple description, Twitter feels positively prehistoric. And yet the people investing in the bleeding edge continue using smoke signals to reach their audience. It’s remarkable.

5 comments

> we’re still breaking a paragraph into separate posts

Um,... just because OP does that, doesn't mean it's necessary.

Here's an example of a long-form post, with embedded images: https://twitter.com/myles_cooks/status/1689022160780791812

More tweets (one per paragraph) drives more engagement.
Reminds me of those tedious recipe blogs that require so much scrolling, but even worse since there's no easy print on X.
The "tedious recipe blogs that require so much scrolling" usually first start with an emotional story about how the dish reminds the author of their childhood, which is included (presumably) to milk SEO and also annoy readers, followed by a recipe with maybe one photo.

This is a recipe with short (but not one-liners) yet helpful instructions, including images of how the cooking process would work.

Do you have an example of a better recipe post?

There was some guy here a year ago, who made a simple, easily searchable recipe site, but I don't know the link.

It was just recipes.

if you find it let me know
https://recipe-search.typesense.org/

It seems to pull from other sites, but just give the recipe. Don't click on the link, only the cooking instructions.

Only available for those paying. And since paying means you get a badge and thus grouped together with cryptobros and rightwing nutjobs and gave Musk money, few people pay for it even when they might have wanted to.
People like to complain about X's (née Twitter) format, but isn't it possible that X is a good medium _because_ of the restrictions put on the format? Each paragraph needs to make a salient point in 280 characters or less. Personally, I like the direct prose that results from this restriction.
No, I’ve seen paragraphs and even single sentences split across multiple posts.

It’s literally just bad UI.

I think they're referring to the aggressive rate-limiting that prevents people from reading tweets/threads without an account.
Twitter is an anti-democratic platform. No one should be using it, period. Twitter acts as a megaphone for sensationalism, extremism and other click-bait ism's. If there is no alternative, just don't use it.

As for bleeding edge people using it, if someone is still using this platform they lose all credibility with me.

If (you are democrat ) read above post If (you are not democrat ) Twitter is great! If (you are female ) Twitter is sexist If (well you get the picture ) ...

Ok, then suggest some other platform that has the network effects of an existing large audience?

Technology matters far less than network effects. Not saying it doesn't matter at all, but you have to overcome the audiences stickiness to a platform first.

One tweet link to a blog post on the YC blog? Yeah, sure, there will be some drop off bc people don't click out of the app, but most people not on twitter can't even read this content anymore without workarounds.
It's worse than that, Elon reduces the reach / promotion of tweets that contain external links. Except for users following you, it's difficult to reach a wider audience if you include a link.
Twitter did that long before Elon. Most social platforms downrank external links and have for years. That’s why all media startups basically died over the past 6 years.
Maybe to an extent but Facebook still shows plenty of news links, I don't see any of them on Twitter.
The YC leaders spend half of their time fawning over Elon Musk, so it makes sense that they are captive on his platform.