Not sure when I will get active since I never did with Twitter, but I like the options they show for choosing your feed.
It took me a while to figure out Twitter but then it became really useful once I did.
It was really fantastic for breaking news and developing stories. Much faster than live updates on something like the NYT site. With reporters and people on the ground and experts chiming in. So things like the Korean coup attempt or the Syrian rebels insurgency would be good examples.
Over time I used it to carve out people I followed on Black Twitter, and that was really to eavesdrop on the political and cultural conversations of an in-group that I didn't belong to.
It helps when you find one person you want to follow and then you see who they are interacting with. In this case I really enjoyed following a black woman in the Georgia State Assembly named Dar'shun Kendrick. She's also an attorney and an AKA like Kamala. Note to self: Should probably go follow Jasmine Crockett too, now that I think of it.
I also followed a lot of people. who were experts on Classic Film, which was cool for turning up a thread on Classic Films that....well, I'll just share bits from one thread:
"Okay, I'm making this a (more or less) daily December thread of my feel-good favorites that aren't necessarily Christmas movies.
Today's feel-good favorite is THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938), in which a family of eccentric con artists set out to swindle a nice old lady, but find their goodness because of her. Top-notch cast, very funny across the board. And the futuristic Flying Wombat car is the bee's knees.
SHE MARRIED HER BOSS (1935): Another hilarious La Cava comedy about an outsider who turns a wealthy household upside down—for the good of all involved. Just when you think you know where this is going, it veers into playful anarchy and shatters clichés of conformity.
My favorite comedy de Havilland starred in is IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER. She's a hoot as a whimsical fangirl who will not be deterred in her devotion for caddish matinee idol Leslie Howard. A great New Year's Eve movie too!
FIFTH AVENUE GIRL (1939): Out-of-work gal Ginger Rogers befriends depressed millionaire Walter Connolly and agrees to pose as his mistress. The goal? Whip his spoiled, shallow family into shape. Buoyant, endlessly rewatchable comedy from the great Gregory La Cava.
PRINCESS O'ROURKE (1943) Olivia de Havilland was such a powerful dramatic actress that I feel her comedy chops are a bit underrated/underdiscussed. She's adorably befuddled in this rom-com about a sheltered royal with zero practical skills."
See how useful? That's where I discovered "It Happened On Fifth Avenue" which is now a regular part of our xmas rotation. Here's the opening: [link]
I had a lot of baseball follows, so local beat writers and national analysts. But it was especially cool to interact with and exchange messages with people like Jesse Strassler-Goldberg, who was the minor announcer for the A's Low-A affiliate the Stockton Ports. Because he was always happy to chat off-the-books and give insight on A's prospects that didn't show up on scouting reports.
That's the other thing is you will have the opportunity to interact with writers, actors, musicians, politicians directly, and sometimes engage in conversation.
Anyway, y'all know how Twitter used to work for you, I was just noting my path into and why it was useful. And being hopeful about Bluesky in that way.
I'd be curious about how others have used Twitter/Bluesky. What threads and hashtags did you follow regularly? I know erika had a lot of interaction with David Simon over time.