It’s official, Elon Musk is the new owner of Twitter and with it will come structural changes in the company. Although there is still no definite plan for the adjustments, some anticipate that the social network will become a nest of misinformation and harassment, so They already pack their bags to move to another place.
if you’re thinking about say goodbye Twitter because you can’t stand Elon Musk, or because you’ve had enough of the platform, now is the best time. Although deleting your Twitter account is a simple process, leaving behind our life of 10 or 15 years in the social network to emigrate to another place requires prior mentalization.
The first thing is to accept that we will not find a real alternative to Twitter, that is, with the same functions and user base. Although the company had a wave of imitators in its early years, they all failed or were bought by other companies. The social network never had a serious competitor, although recently Donald Trump and the extreme right are trying to do so with clones based on Mastodon, an open source software.
Five alternatives to Twitter
What options are left then? The answer to this question lies in your interests. Do you like photography? The videogames? Do you use Twitter as a news channel or do you like troll to politicians? Thanks to the new generations, the platforms have diversified and now target niches, so there will always be an alternative to Elon Musk’s Twitter.
This is the least aggressive option for those who emigrate from Twitter. In functional terms, users have a timeline, they can create topics or reply in a conversation. the grace of Reddit is that it is divided by communities (or subreddits) that address specific topics. If you want Netflix recommendations, cooking recipes or streams free of F1 or the Champions League, you will surely find them.
Users can subscribe to subreddits and view the content on your timeline within the app or the web. Unlike Twitter, on Reddit you don’t follow a user, but a community, so your timeline it will be filled with topics created by subscribers from each community you follow.
Sites like r/tech, r/WorldNews, or/Science are dominated by links to articles, so they are good alternatives to stay informed. Content is always voted on by users, and unlike Twitter, there is an easy way to sort content by post time, popularity, trends, and so on.
Discord
Discord is the least similar to Twitter, but it is an alternative to the social network if you are interested in the community component. Users can join servers that revolve around some interest, topic, or even content creators. The grace of the platform is that they are closed spaces with rules defined by the creator of each community.
The users they can create a profile and join by invitation. Some servers are public, while others are accessed as a bonus if you contribute to a Patreon. Each community has different channels and content tools. Members can chat via text message or break into group rooms, Clubhouse style.
Discord is not an option for the typical Twitter user, but rather for those who are tired of trolling or trashy content and want to join a like-minded community.
Tumblr
tumblr is as old as twitter, however, the microblogging platform suffered a series of ups and downs that eliminated it from the plane for some time. After being acquired by Yahoo in 2013, its popularity declined thanks to the implementation of changes in its content policies. After some time of drifting aimlessly, Tumblr passed into the hands of Automattic to be WordPress plugin.
Tumblr’s functionality is similar to Twitter in many ways. Users can create content, comment, re-post (retweet), like or share. There is a customizable dashboard where users can follow other creators and view content in a tile or timeline format.
WT:Social
Born from the ashes of WikiTribune, WT:Social is a social network created by Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia. According to Wales, the project is focused on conversation and seeks to break with many of the vices that we see on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
WT:Social bets on a social network without ads that is maintained by donations. The content is displayed in chronological order and does not depend on the annoying algorithm. You won’t have to wait 10 years for a button to edit tweetsince as it happens in Wikipedia, all content is editable. When we say everything, it is everythingeven other people’s posts.
More than two years after its debut, WT:Social has not been able to raise and the user base does not exceed half a million. Even so, the platform is an interesting experiment to analyze, since it is committed to a subscription model and a community that self-regulates content.
plurk
Plurk is the alternative for those looking for a twitter clone. The social network of Taiwanese origin debuted in 2008 and positioned itself as a promising rival, although it was soon overtaken. Although it does not have the numbers of the American platform, the user experience is very similar.
Users post plurks (the equivalent of tweets) of a maximum of 360 characters, they can follow other people and view the content in a timeline horizontal. There are also direct messages, group conversations and personalized emojis. A striking feature of Plurk is the use of the Karmaa value that increases according to your activity and that allows you to unlock more features.
Although plurk shares many features with Twitter, most users are located in Asia.
Bonuses: Facebook
It is not a joke. No one in their right mind would trade Twitter for Facebook.Unless you’re interested in the metaverse, intrusive advertising, disinformation, or content that promotes hate and racism. Thus, Zuck awaits you with open arms.