About a fortnight ago, I accidentally escaped the Twitter filter bubble.
Without thinking about it, I’ve been refining my online filter bubbles for a while, quietly unfollowing some accounts, muting others, occasionally blocking when to send a public signal.
I do the same with particular keywords. Try it sometime. Twitter becomes a much nicer experience if you mute all mentions of ‘Trump’, for example.
The thing is, at the same time, I’m aware I’m cutting myself off from particular debates in doing this.
But as it happens, I was building a different kind of timeline at the same time.
A few years ago, I started an account for a business idea that never went anywhere. And don’t ask me why, but whenever Twitter suggested new followers for that account, I added them. I did apply some rules. I only added people, not corporate accounts. I didn’t add TDs and other aspiring politicians, because they might as well be corporate. And I excluded anyone outside Ireland.
Two weeks ago, I moved from @faduda to @maccuinneagain (I now skip back and forth). And all I can say is, unfiltered Twitter is a bitter, angry place. No wonder their user numbers are stagnant.
Outside the bubble
