Oddbean

Even if you're correct that 100% of them hate Musk and are leftists, it's not evidence that spite is their motivation for leaving. Just because someone hates something or someone doesn't mean that getting away for it is out of spite. That's not what that word means.

I think it's important for people with different beliefs to come together to have these sometimes adversarial discussions. It's how we move forward. I want to make clear that despite differing opinions about this issue, I respect the people making their arguments, even if I don't agree. Civil argument and debate is the way we understand and relate to each other.

I'm not hanging on one word. I'm refuting your assertion that millions of people acted as one, with a single motivation for their actions. It's an absurd prospect. People are individuals who have their own reasons for doing things. And by painting them all with one subjective brush, you are demonstrating a lack of empathy, and an unwillingness to see the situation from any other perspective than your own. It's unproductive, and intellectually bankrupt.

I never said they acted as one. They have a new space available to them and they don’t like the new right twitter and new leadership so they switch. Or you know of some better technical reason? 20 million now care about decentralized socials but never bothered with Mastodon? Apply some common sense.

I don't disagree with that point. But it's a pivot from the what we were originally talking about. I think we've both said all there is to say on it. We're not going to agree on this, and that's OK. I respect you, and I appreciate your perspective even if I don't agree.

I asked you what he did wrong and then implied that there is not much one can do if people leave because they don’t like you or what you’ve done to their safe space. A space that was clearly favoring left leaning conversations. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s not about him specifically but the tone of new X and the fact that there is now an available alternative where there wasn’t one previously, and the fact that it feels more like the old familiar (left-leaning) place. Maybe it doesn’t matter if it’s Elon or if it were someone else. I won’t die on that hill arguing for personal dislike because I just don’t know what’s true for everyone.