Making Twitter Tolerable in 2024 SUMMARY 1. Define your purpose on Twitter. 2. Block problematic high-profile accounts. 3. Tame your notifications to see less spam and fewer bots 4. Block trolls and racists - never mute them. 5. Mute specific words or phrases. 6. Create private Lists reflecting your interests. Buckle up, this is a long one. Twitter has its share of problems, especially given Elon Musk's recent actions. It's tempting to quit the platform entirely. Many sadly already have. But a few minutes spent tweaking various settings can make the Twitter experience a lot better, even now. Maybe that's worth a try before you give up? == 1. Why are you on Twitter? == Amidst all the doom and gloom, it's worth remembering what Twitter does well: - It's an excellent source of breaking news, often faster than mainstream media. - It allows for in-depth tracking of ongoing news topics. - It offers unparalleled access to expertise. - It's a good way to connect with people who share a hobby or interest. - It provides a platform for combating disinformation (to an extent). - It connects you with people from every walks of life. - It allows you to interact with authors, musicians, actors, fashion designers, brands, etc. - It lets you ask questions and get quick feedback. - Most importantly, it keeps you connected with friends you may never meet in person. What you're almost certainly not here for is all the racism and the hate. This brings me to the next point... == 2. Proactively block problematic high-profile accounts == Before giving up on Twitter, try blocking obvious troublemakers. Twitter's algorithm often promotes provocative tweets, which can negatively impact your mental health. Fight back by blocking accounts that consistently stir the pot. Here are a few accounts you may wish to block to get you started: REFORM MP @Nigel_Farage @ticerichard @LeeAndersonMP_ @RupertLowe10 @JamesReform @reformparty_uk EX TORY MPs @andreajenkyns @Jacob_Rees_Mogg @Bren4Bassetlaw @GullisJonathan @GregHands @markjenk @miriam_cates MEDIA (INDIVIDUALS) @IsabelOakeshott @CamillaTominey @AllisonPearson @JuliaHB1 @darrengrimes @danwootton @GoodwinMJ (The second tweet in this thread will contain a longer list of accounts you might also want to think about blocking. Please check it out after you've finished reading this one.) IMPORTANT: If you encounter "Temporarily Unavailable" errors when blocking multiple accounts, pace yourself and block a few at a time. Once they're blocked, you'll start to feel better almost immediately. After all, you need never worry about their poisonous words again. Don't worry about missing important information - if these accounts say something truly newsworthy, someone you follow will likely retweet it. == 3. Change your notification settings for less spam and fewer bots == - Go to Settings > Notifications > Filters - Turn "Quality filter" on - Select "Muted notifications" - Turn the following 3 muting settings on: 1. "Who have a default profile picture" 2. "Who haven't confirmed their email" 3. "Who haven't confirmed their phone number" This will ensure you'll never see responses from suspicious low-quality accounts. == 4. Block the trolls and racists == Always block trolls and racists instead of muting them. Blocking removes you from their Lists and prevents them from seeing your tweets, reducing the risk of orchestrated pile-ons. == 5. Mute specific words or phrases == You can set things up so that you will never see tweets with a particular word or phrase in them. (You can also limit it so that the rule only applies to tweets from people you don't follow.) Here's an example of how to mute all references to "Nigel Farage": 1. Go to "Settings and Privacy" 2. Choose "Privacy and safety" 3. Choose "Mute and block" 4. Choose "Muted words" 5. Click the "+" in the top right of the screen 6. Enter the word or phrase you want to mute. In this example, that's "Nigel Farage" 7. Choose whether you want to mute all references, or only those from people you don't follow 8. Click the "Save" button And bingo, you'll never see tweets that mention Nigel Farage again. It's as simple as that. == 6. Curate private Twitter Lists == Create Twitter Lists to track accounts you're interested in without necessarily following them. For example, if you're into knitting, you could create a private list of all your favourite knitting-related accounts. To add an account to a list: - Visit the account's profile page. - Click the three dots ("...") next to the envelope symbol. - Choose "Add/remove from Lists." - Select an existing list or create a new one (remember to set it to private). Twitter Lists are probably Twitter's best feature, but it's amazing how many people don't make full use of them, or even know about them at all. Once you have a few Lists set up, you can browse them instead of your "For You" feed and you'll never see an off-topic tweet again. == Conclusion == Despite its current sorry state, Twitter still has a lot to offer. By following these steps, you can enhance your Twitter experience while minimizing its negative aspects. Hope you'll stick around - it would be pretty dull here with just tumbleweed for company.
