I appreciate the concern spouters are having that the platform might die if more VIPs (aren't we all VIPs?) don't start using #Spoutible on a more regular basis.
This thread is my trip down Twitter/X memory lane as it pertains to Twitter 1.0's growth. I hope this helps ppl not panic just yet.
This thread is my trip down Twitter/X memory lane as it pertains to Twitter 1.0's growth. I hope this helps ppl not panic just yet.
This spout was deleted.
08:15 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
I was one of the 1st Black users on Twitter when I originally joined in 2007. I was looking for somewhere new to hang out online. Facebook was becoming hugely popular but filled with high school "friends" who suddenly wanted to reconnect and pass notes of gossip to each other. Yuck!
08:22 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
Twitter 1.0 in 2007 was like boarding a cruise ship full of geeky ppl, mostly white males in tech. When I joined Twitter, there were no ✔️. No trending hashtags. No accounts w/100K followers. No videos. No Spaces. Nothing but messages between users. No Black users.
I was a Twitter unicorn.
I was a Twitter unicorn.
08:30 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
I was ignored on Twitter 1.0 when I joined in 2007. I happily welcomed new white males joining the site.
Me: Hi, welcome to Twitter!
Them: Thanks.
Me: What are you doing today?
Thm:: *silence*
Me: What kind of tech are you involved in?
Then: *silence*
Twitter 1.0 was rough for me.
Me: Hi, welcome to Twitter!
Them: Thanks.
Me: What are you doing today?
Thm:: *silence*
Me: What kind of tech are you involved in?
Then: *silence*
Twitter 1.0 was rough for me.
08:36 AM - Sep 03, 2023
(Edited)
In response to Cynthia Williams.
Then one day, I tweeted "Hi!" to a person named Jack Dorsey who kept popping up on my recommended follows list. And...
Jack responded.
Me: Hi! I'm new to Twitter. What about you?
Dorsey: Hey. Glad you're here.
This simple acknowledgement from Dorsey got me my first 50 followers on the site.
Jack responded.
Me: Hi! I'm new to Twitter. What about you?
Dorsey: Hey. Glad you're here.
This simple acknowledgement from Dorsey got me my first 50 followers on the site.
08:43 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
I then got a tweet from some guy named Biz Stone.
Biz: Welcome to Twitter, Cindy!
Me: Hi! Is Biz your real name?
This tweet exchange got me my 1st insult message on Twitter.
A forgotten user: Don't you know who Biz is?
Me: No. Should I?
User: You don't work in tech do you? Go do your homework.
Biz: Welcome to Twitter, Cindy!
Me: Hi! Is Biz your real name?
This tweet exchange got me my 1st insult message on Twitter.
A forgotten user: Don't you know who Biz is?
Me: No. Should I?
User: You don't work in tech do you? Go do your homework.
08:51 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
So from that point forward, my Twitter experience began to get better. People were slowly joining Twitter to get away from Facebook. There was no mad rush to join Twitter, the site was in startup mode.
Then Madonna joined Twitter 1.0 and everything changed. She was the 1st VIP to join the site.
Then Madonna joined Twitter 1.0 and everything changed. She was the 1st VIP to join the site.
08:58 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
When Madonna joined, Madonna fans joined Twitter too. These users were radically different from the geeky tech bros. Suddenly, MANY white women joined the site.
I was again ignored.
Me: Hi! I'm a Madonna fan too.
User: Me too.
Me: Do you want to talk about how Madonna uses tech?
User: No.
Ugh!
I was again ignored.
Me: Hi! I'm a Madonna fan too.
User: Me too.
Me: Do you want to talk about how Madonna uses tech?
User: No.
Ugh!
09:05 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
Then one day I received one of the most hateful tweets I ever received on Twitter. Some white guy visited my profile and tagged me with the following tweet,
"Black women aren't attractive. I guess they have to make up for it by being smart in tech."
This shocked me. I deleted my account.
"Black women aren't attractive. I guess they have to make up for it by being smart in tech."
This shocked me. I deleted my account.
09:11 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
By this time, I decided to return to Facebook and give it another try. I didn't want to go back, but at least I wasn't attacked because of my skin color. This time around, I made new friends on the platform who weren't into gossip. But I really missed Twitter. I was an unhappy social media user.
09:15 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
I stop at this point in my story to say that although I was a Twitter fan, there was a real reason I left. I was insulted in the worst way.
I know some ppl have left Spoutible because they felt insulted. I can relate to their feelings. This is the reason I always apologize to ex-spouters.
I know some ppl have left Spoutible because they felt insulted. I can relate to their feelings. This is the reason I always apologize to ex-spouters.
09:20 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
I never intended to return to Twitter. I was done with that platform full of geeks and crazy Madonna fans. Then one day on the news, I heard something that changed my mind. A candidate for US President was using Twitter as a main communication tool for his campaign.
The person was Sen. B. Obama.
The person was Sen. B. Obama.
09:27 AM - Sep 03, 2023
(Edited)
In response to Cynthia Williams.
After hearing that a Black American Senator joined Twitter, I decided to give it another go. This time around, I didn't post my profile picture. I restrained myself from approaching random ppl to say Hi on Twitter. I read up on the tech world to know who were Jack, Biz, Evan, Noah, Zuck, Gates,etc.
09:35 AM - Sep 03, 2023
It was during my tech research to return to Twitter that I learned how few Black Americans were employed by tech companies, in general.
My research turned me into an diversity, equity, and inclusion advocate on Twitter. I then tweeted with purpose. I'd become "radicalized."🤣
My research turned me into an diversity, equity, and inclusion advocate on Twitter. I then tweeted with purpose. I'd become "radicalized."🤣
In response to Cynthia Williams.
09:39 AM - Sep 03, 2023
In response to Cynthia Williams.
This time when I returned to Twitter, I studied each users profile before following them. Who were they? Where were they located? What were their messages? What were the responses? It was then that I began tweeting to specific people.
Me: Hey, Jack! When are going to hire some Black people?
Oops!
Me: Hey, Jack! When are going to hire some Black people?
Oops!
10:05 AM - Sep 03, 2023
(Edited)
In response to Cynthia Williams.
I tweeted to Tim Cook before he became "Tim Apple".
Me: Why does Apple have a problem hiring Black tech workers?
I tweeted Mark Zuckerberg's sister.
Me: Hi there! When is your brother going to hire some Black people?
I started to get followers. I was no longer being ignored.
Me: Why does Apple have a problem hiring Black tech workers?
I tweeted Mark Zuckerberg's sister.
Me: Hi there! When is your brother going to hire some Black people?
I started to get followers. I was no longer being ignored.
10:10 AM - Sep 03, 2023
(Edited)
