A new social media platform that has the potential to be damaging:

[essme]

Parler.

I signed up for it because I am a librarian, and try to stay up on social media/ semantic web platforms. It is billed as a non-partisan, free speech platform. Right now, I don't like the user interface, but that could be because I am in my late fifties, and do have technostress over new platforms. I have not played around with it.

However, upon signing up, the first thing I encountered was lists of folks to follow. ALL of them that I encountered in the first few pages, bar none, were right wing.

This looks very much like a great platform for the Qanon followers to land, and congregate. It "feels" less "icky" than shady Qanon websites- and seems to be designed to appeal to disgruntled Facebook users.

I am seriously considering getting some of my librarian friends together and attempting to lead classes there on "how to recognize fake news," "US government," and "US history."

I don't know yet- I would need a pretty big group of volunteers. Also, if you do sign up, be aware that it does not look secure in terms of hiding your identity.

[LAS14]

1. Thanks for sharing this info. We need to keep ourselves thoroughly educated about..

... what's going on out there.

[Boogiemack]

2. We should all sign up and shape all the discussions. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Parler is where right-wingers go when they've been kicked off Twitter

for being too crazy.

[essme]

5. I have seen several teachers I work with sign up

Happy that their "free speech" won't be impeded.

They are not "kicked off of facebook," they are looking for a new landing place.

But, yes- I do agree that people nutty enough to get kicked off FB will land there.

[coti]

8. Stay away from those "teachers," they are looking

to be lied to.

[essme]

9. Well, considering that I have to work with them

every day, that's going to be hard.

[Denzil_DC]

7. Yup.

If you see someone posting on a Twitter thread and their profile includes a Parler pseudonym, it's an instant signal that they're not worth wasting time on.

[LeftInTX]

11. Ted Cruz is apparently on Parler, but the only link I could find was to some book that he's written

https://twitter.com/tedcruz

His senate twitter contains a link to his senate website

[fishwax]

4. they've been around for a couple of years, but they seem to be making a push for fb users right now

there was a "leaving FB for parler" event that showed up in the feeds of several of my more conservative friends during the five days since the election. I think your concern is on point--conspiracy theories have always been a big part of parler, and in the wake of the election they'll likely recruit more dissatisfied trump voters into the fringes.

[Baked Potato]

6. Let them all go there and flog their logs.

Last edited Sun Nov 8, 2020, 06:25 PM - Edit history (1)

Life’s too short.

Edit: signing up also increases the value of the site. Eff that.

[lastlib]

10. my right-wing sister joined it and sent me an invite.....

via some RW Facebook group. It sounded suspicious (I had heard some vague noise about it earlier), and I shot down the invite. I think it is driven largely by those disgruntled FB refugees you alluded to, and I do wonder if it wouldn't be good to keep an eye on it like we do the Freeperhood. (Heck, maybe RimJob's gang will desert him for it. It would likely be a step up for them.)

[OneGrassRoot]

12. Nazis and QAnon love it. n/t

[essme]

14. I think it's going to be viewed as mainstream

in less than 3 months.

[OneGrassRoot]

17. Perhaps, but too many can't figure it out...

It's not very user-friendly is the complaint I see most often.

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Where they plan their Fascist Circle Jerk and Prostate Exam Parties later in the evening.

.

It helps them coordinate who will bring what dishes, the lube, and napkins.

.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. Parler is a well-known haven for the far right.

[Celerity]

15. It's been around for 2 and a half years. It's nazi heaven.

[electric_blue68]

16. Thank you for this, and being a librarian in general.

[brooklynite]

18. Do you remember CONSERVAPEDIA?

PARLER was set up as a right wing version on Twitter. I don’t think it’ll be any more successful.

[essme]

22. It's not really the "success" that worries me about that site

It's the population they are targeting-

[Goodheart]

20. Won't matter much. They already have Fox.

[NurseJackie]

23. It's the former "Discussionist" website on steroids.