Dannie, Just writing to say hello on Twitter(X)
Dannie Galfayan, @d_galfay When I started on Twitter a few years ago, no one I knew was on Twitter. It was close to the time Elon Musk decided one day to buy it, and that long period of posturing and tittering on the media “what will Musk do?’
I mostly do not pay much attention to those things. But I do remember that no one from Twitter greeted me. No one, even so far, explained what Twitter(X) is about and how it hopes to be “an open forum for discussion” or “an online community”. The whole thing is still pretty distant, a bunch of strangers at some giant event where no one really engages.
When Musk named it X, that is cute. But not memorable. I still call it Twitter(X). When I log in, I always say Twitter. X is an unknown, a convenient variable, but not anywhere you go to talk to people about the world, what is on your heart, about serious things, or fun things, or questions or purposes. It is not set up at all for open collaborations, anything serious,
I was curious and wanted to try talking to Grok when it was touted. Elon Musk is supposed to be this wizard and giving practical steps to the future in his thinking and ideas. But I could not get anyone to help me. His company for Grok is closed, only for hot shot young men. No women at all. You had to become a certified paying subscriber at Twitter. Not a member, not a client, not a customer, not part of a community – a subscriber. Like a stamp or number. It is not a good AI and there is NO ONE behind it.
You are following almost a 1000 people. And a few follow you. I was curious because you followed me, and I am not sure if you are real. I am not diminishing you, nor questioning, but I simply cannot tell. If you said anything at all, or had a website, or some interests, I could form some idea. We might never talk, but I could have something more than a name to try and remember. I tried to read though some of the people you follow. But it made no sense to me. You would have to tell me why you follow them, and what, if anything, you want from life. At 75, I am wrapping up. But I have prayed for everyone in the world most of my life now, and tried to understand and help. My Mom might know, but she is gone now.
Grok was a lie. It is run by people who do not care, so they never invested their time and self into using or improving it. It was some game EM made up and expected his people to follow – without explanation. The same thing happened when he started OpenAI with a bit of money he wanted to play with. But he invested nothing of himself I think. Or he hired money makers, not passionate people. Passionate about helping others and giving them the best tools and futures.
I am spending much of today watching an endless serious of short videos. The range of stories – because they are all stories no matter their form – is wider than the number of living humans. One theme seems to by “Why should we help others?” and “Why are some people, groups, companies and countries clueless and hurt others?” “Why do accidents and things happen?”
I am writing this mostly for myself. I wrote recently that I have been working mostly alone every day for the last 26 years to understand the human species and how it is using the Internet for its dreams, purposes, and meaning. I do not mean “someone gives you a million dollars dreams” or “you are a good person prize dream” or “Here is your 15 milliseconds of fame (devalued these days) dream”. Or “buy our products and services and it will make you perfect in every way” dreams. I mean “the expression of the value and meaning for human existence that extends billions of years into the future, and into a Universe that is billions of times larger than the big bang region” dreams.
What would you like to see happen? Is there something you would like on Twitter(X)? What do you want to tell the universe? Or ask?
I am not granting wishes. I am not giving prizes or money or praise. But I find value in my later years trying to write “What was it all about?” Why did I work so incredibly hard and focused all my life?” “What is truly important?” “What is simply wrong and should be avoided?”
I thought I would figure it out as I went along. That did happen, somewhat. But would I have been better to have tried formalizing and understanding my motives and goals and reasons from the beginning?
Richard Collins, The Internet Foundation
