The forthcoming Spoutible App — One Step Closer to Liberation from Twitter
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The Twitter of March 2023 is a repulsive place. I try to remain steadfast when it comes to rejecting conspiracy theories, but the idea that the recent acquisition was a coordinated part of the rising threat against democratic liberties is convincing.
Don’t take my word for it, take a look at the thoughts and actions of the current owner. Having said that, there comes a point where it’s no longer interesting to try and determine motive. Recognising that all the money in the world doesn’t translate to competence takes some adjusting to — after all, this belief is fed to us perpetually — but it’s true, and accepting it is better than arguing about who’s gonna drive the car when we could already be well on our way.
The other theory is that some people are simply desperate for attention. The old adage, all publicity is good publicity seems applicable here, but I’ve never met anyone worth a pinch who believes that, and see no merit in boarding that train now.
The Good News is that a Spoutible App is Coming!
A Spoutible email from earlier today included:
We are pleased to announce that the mobile apps for Spoutible will be released this month. Our top priority is to ensure that any remaining bugs are fixed and that the network is stable before we significantly expand our user base.
And if you, like me, decided that Spoutible was going to be your post-Twitter land of milk and honey, this is one of the critical components of a social media experience. It’s not enough to do away with bots, trolls and to advance a socially responsible social media platform, there are additional features conducive to a successful migration; the app being one of the most important.
Users are tethered to the habit of accessing Twitter via the app, and a web based mobile substitute isn’t sufficient. It’s an individual’s responsibility to modify their behaviour, but it’s equally reasonable to argue that a mobile app is one of the most elegant means to access information in this medium.
Does that Suggest Spoutible is a new Social Utopia?
It still has a way to go as far as usability, and being a relatively new platform, Spoutible newsletters tend to focus on features and fixes. As a less trafficked platform, it presents a more intimate tone which is appealing at this phase of the journey.
Spoutible also lacks the calibre of users present on Twitter, but each time I access the site, the presence of welcome voices increases. Spoutible will inevitably blossom in its own direction, diverging from Twitter, but as a comparison point and a clever means of communicating an alternative for a disaffected user base, it’s worth seeding.
I still access Twitter on a daily basis, but am ready to emerge from that swamp, and believe Spoutible may well be the solution. I’m not ready to jettison my habit of interacting with apps however, so it’s with satisfaction that I welcome this news from Spoutible.
