Get a grip
3 Likes
When a group of self-proclaimed murderers abandon the platform, you know things are bad.
8 Likes
Clearly not been hanging around the app lately, not even for 5 minutes.
Must’ve thought it was sleazy.
Obviously decided that something better change, so chose to walk on by
2 Likes
On the subject of twitter links etc. Not naming anyone, but if people put multiple links in a single post, it can be difficult to decide how to react to the post because you might like half of the links and hate the other half.
Just saying.
7 Likes
I thought the Stranglers were a band which Stuart Pearce is harping about.
1 Like
Also takes a shit load of time to load.
2 Likes
I just use a like to say thankyou to the poster for the information if I find it informative.
It’s often not the posters thinking anyway.
4 Likes
Sometimes when the content of a post does not align with my own view exactly… but it is close enough, placing a ‘like’, to me anyway, is a show of appreciation for the initial effort it took to place it on the forum.
After all, without some effort it takes posters to land a comment, there would be no site… TAN would become a ghost town.
Maybe an ‘E’ for effort emoji would come in handy eh :0)
2 Likes
Such a dilemma
3 Likes
Have mentioned this before, and it’s not just one person doing it. It’s a pain in the hole as makes threads jump around. Also sometimes hard to find any comment/opinion from TAN posters amongst all the X “research”.
1 Like
I’ve had this reply in my head for some time, simply because there’s just something about what you said that feels off.
And I think it’s because of the implicit assumption in your post that because “mainstream media” has failed you, the alternative of Xitter is somehow better. And yet, that’s going off the basis that it permits alternative voices to be heard.
Perhaps that might be the case with a hypothetical free (as in uncontrolled) blogging platform. However, there exists no such thing. @Livvy’s post from today reminds us of this important fact. Nor is what information spreads wholly unbiased, by the algorithmic nature of how the platform displays content to people.
Simply because modern “journalism” is in a dire state doesn’t mean the alternatives are better. To reuse your example, if the French government was paying Musk off, or if the far-right had been in power, do you think the news about Paris would have spread?
In this case, it’s not exactly as though it’s a neutral platform you’re championing. You’re literally championing the platform of an actual fascist. Who has had repeated evidence of manipulating the platform for his own petty personal goals, let alone political goals. Sure, the BBC might now be institutionally corrupt (in the sense of deviation from an “ideal” journalism), but you’re taking the side of something far worse, which is mind-boggling to me.
Not to mention that we’ve already seen, especially in recent weeks on here, how much bullshit and lies are spread on that platform. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on, after all. The past few weeks should have demonstrated that your whole approach depends on there being people who have the resources and the determination to invest time into debunking that crap. But the amount of time it takes to paste a single link as opposed to investing the time to research and write up a post to debunk it shows how asymmetric that is.
Information warfare is literally taking place, and such an attitude just enables it.
1 Like
Telling lies is only the pinprick in the eventual wound.
Its the believers and sharers of those lies which open the wound.
This is pertinent on all sides of political and racal spectrums, dependent on individual beliefs
2 Likes
I get where you’re coming from, but I think you’re missing my broader point. For me, both social media and traditional media need to exist and be strong. They serve different but complementary roles.
Social media excels at being a direct source of primary information, firsthand accounts, unfiltered footage, direct comments from those involved. A tweet from a player, a leading scientist, the head of WHO, or a politician is often more valuable than someone else’s interpretation of their words. When news breaks, real-time posts from those on the ground can reveal the truth faster than any newsroom.
Traditional media, on the other hand, provides the broader narrative and context, but with that comes a layer of interpretation. You have to trust the journalist’s integrity and the editorial stance of their organisation. That’s why fact driven reporting, like what Ross Atkins does, stands out. Because it’s rare. (I really like his reporting)
Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to dislike about social media platforms. Enough that I happily started my own 
. But primary information will always be the most valuable information.
We need strong, independent media, it’s a pillar of democracy. That’s why it’s so worrying to see it being eroded by political influence, particularly in the UK and the US. The shift toward news as entertainment, where opinion and ratings matter more than truth, is a real problem. But that’s exactly why alternatives exist.
Is social media flawed? Of course. Algorithms skew what people see, and misinformation spreads easily. But by its very nature, it’s difficult to control completely. As much as Musk might want to, he can’t stop criticism of Tesla, DOGE, or himself. He can suppress, but outright stopping it would break the platform. Even Livvys post about suppression that you reference has been retweeted 31K times and liked by 79K people.
As you say there is an information warfare is taking place. I completely agree. But for me that’s an argument for getting information from the primary source rather than someone’s interpretation.
I am under no illusion, there are probably quite a few posters who think I am a dickhead, but still like TAN. They use TAN for their own purpose and their own enjoyment. My views don’t represent their own, it does not diminish their expertise. No different Zelenskyy, Bernie Sanders, Brian Cox, or Gary Linker who all tweet but will have polar opposite views to Musk and the values of twitter. They use the platform to reach a wide audience. I would rather hear their views first hand, than filtered.
3 Likes
A few…
5 Likes
1 Like
ISMF eyes up the “kill forum” button…
4 Likes
I really do take being called a dickhead as a badge of pride.
You certainly put a lot of effort into earning that title.
6 Likes
Nope. I don’t. It’s who I am.
1 Like
At least you could hope it is not the same shape as that of a certain Orange Ogre.!