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X/ Twitter - is it the end for Cycling Twitter?

Those of you on X (or were formerly) is it done-for, do you think? Are you going to other platforms? Blue sky gets mentioned a lot. Some days it does seem like policing the internet - there's a never-ending supply of driver and other trolls/ bots. Was thinking of joining the January 20th migration. 

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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19 comments

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ravenbait | 3 weeks ago
0 likes

Loads of cycling content on mastodon. Just need to follow the BikeTooter hashtag. I'm on Bluesky as well. Do not miss xitter one bit.

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mikeclarke | 3 weeks ago
0 likes

On blue sky. Road.CC, Cycling UK and Sustrans also there.

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matthewn5 | 3 weeks ago
3 likes

Now on Bluesky but have kept my Twitter account to stop someone taking it.

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CreepingAlong | 1 month ago
4 likes

I deleted Twitter ages ago as there was so much hatred and downright nastiness. Gave BlueSky a go and already seen plenty of highly toxic comments so will see what develops. Just be 😊 

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Hirsute replied to CreepingAlong | 1 month ago
2 likes
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hawkinspeter | 1 month ago
8 likes

On BlueSky, I searched for "bollards" to find WorldBollardAssociation and also found a post by Emily Kerr (Oxford City Councillor), celebrating new/old bollards in Bristol's St Michael's Hill (I didn't know they were there - time for me to struggle up that hill and have a look): https://bsky.app/profile/emilykerr36.bsky.social/post/3lcfw7rdyhj2n

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Secret_squirrel | 1 month ago
7 likes

Bluesky now.  Decent community has moved across.

Just remember to make a list of your favourite accounts before you go, create a list of those accounts in BS and then pin it to the top menu.

BS has no algo - so you have to collect the accounts you want to see regular updates on in a list and pin it yourself.

Its more work but rewarding coz you see those accounts updates in everytime you go in instead of when Xhitter decides (or not) to show them to you.

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Secret_squirrel replied to Secret_squirrel | 1 month ago
4 likes

The other thing I would say is that be judicious about adding starter packs (bulk follow packs).  The lovely Hackney Bike Fit has one but it has too many american cyclists so topics get dragged towards septic land, which is something I am trying to avoid any knowledge of at the momeent.

Build your follows a littler slower - you dont need as many as you did on Xhitter.

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Steve K | 1 month ago
4 likes

I've not left twitter yet, but I've joined Bluesky as well. @cyclingtheseaso on both if anyone fancies following me.

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andystow | 1 month ago
5 likes

I disabled my X/Twitter account months ago when my feed was filled with thinly disguised porn, racism, and "watch people die" videos.

I mostly miss cycling Twitter and the World Bollard Association. I'm on Reddit, which is way better than X, but I may try BlueSky.

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Hirsute replied to andystow | 1 month ago
8 likes

World Bollard Association™️
@worldbollardassoc.bsky.social

It’s lift off for our Bluesky account! Welcome aboard.
#WorldBollardAssociation🚀
 

//cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wbab5kefzm3if4f7dvhxxll4/bafkreiavxv4jv5zlh5bl7i5fc443jih5s5cr6w3vpkr5e3j7b2limo5vze@jpeg)

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Danbury replied to Hirsute | 1 month ago
1 like

Followed. Excellent stuff, especially the dog.

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andystow replied to Hirsute | 1 month ago
0 likes

Sweet. I've joined and followed them. I'm on BlueSky as AndyStow.

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mdavidford replied to andystow | 1 month ago
6 likes

andystow wrote:

Sweet. I've joined and followed them. I'm on BlueSky as AndyStow.

Well that's no good - I like to read your handle as 'Andy's tow' - like you're always happy for some poor struggling soul to jump on the wheel for a bit - but that capital 'S' has gone and ruined things.

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andystow replied to mdavidford | 1 month ago
1 like

mdavidford wrote:

Well that's no good - I like to read your handle as 'Andy's tow' - like you're always happy for some poor struggling soul to jump on the wheel for a bit - but that capital 'S' has gone and ruined things.

Sorry to ruin it. I don't spend a lot of time being drafted. When I ride with the fast guys, I end up hanging onto the back. When I ride with slower riders, they generally won't draft even if I encourage them to. So my group rides are either zone 1 at 12 MPH, or zone 4 hoping they'll ease off a little bit soon.

I enjoy both, of course.

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Hirsute | 1 month ago
8 likes

Already various cyclists and groups on bluesky.
Ranty highwayman is on there ( cycling highways engineer).
The striking thing you read on bluesky is the level of engagement to posts with a much smaller following than twitter.
Advice is to start with a zero tolerance for extremists, bad faith posters and known accounts by blocking judiciously.

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hawkinspeter | 1 month ago
6 likes

If there's Nazis on the platform and they're not being removed, then it's a Nazi platform.

I can understand that people may have had an account for a while and not want to lose it, but remember that there were a lot of people not taking a stand against Nazi Germany and look how that worked out.

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Gbjbanjs replied to hawkinspeter | 2 weeks ago
2 likes

And if you are just lurking on xitter, just reading, you are still part of the commercial model. You are funding it with your continued use, however passive.

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Eton Rifle | 1 month ago
6 likes

I deleted my twitter account some months ago, as the site was just unusable, not to mention being run by a fascism amplifier.

Cycling twitter is the only thing I miss. Might have a look at Bluesky, as it seems like the best option.

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