Stop Begging. Start Building
Author style: Punchy.
Summary
Mike Masnick argues that staying on platforms you don’t control — specifically Elon Musk’s X/Twitter — is not a pragmatic way to fight bad behaviour or extremism. Responding to Jerusalem Demsas’s plea to “stay and fight,” Masnick says you can’t meaningfully reclaim a space owned and shaped by someone who actively opposes your values. Instead, he says, invest energy in building alternatives where communities have real agency.
The piece contrasts the failing dynamics of X with the growth of decentralised alternatives like Bluesky, built on the AT Protocol, where users can choose algorithms, move identities, and cultivate healthier communities. Masnick gives examples: scientists and NFL fans migrating to Bluesky and getting much better engagement, and a civic example — Zohran Mamdani’s citywide scavenger hunt — as a model for creating real-world community rather than pleading with gatekeepers.
Key Points
- You can’t “win back” a platform you don’t control: ownership, algorithms and rule changes give the owner the real power.
- Staying on X to “fight” often amplifies the platform owner’s power and rewards their business with your attention and data.
- Building alternatives (Bluesky/AT Protocol examples) produces tighter, more engaged communities and gives users control over identity, moderation and algorithms.
- Real-world community-building—illustrated by Zohran Mamdani’s scavenger hunt—shows how to create agency and participation without begging permission.
- The choice is between learned helplessness (begging) and taking agency by building systems and institutions that reflect your values.
Context and Relevance
This piece sits at the intersection of platform politics, community design and digital power. It’s relevant to anyone worried about content moderation, algorithmic amplification, and the influence of tech billionaires on public discourse. The argument reinforces current trends toward decentralised social networks, protocol-based identity, and community-first organising, and pushes a strategic shift from persuading owners to creating alternatives.
Why should I read this?
Pretty simple — if you’re tired of moaning about a toxic platform and want ideas on where your time actually matters, this cuts through the drama. It’s not just hot air: you get concrete examples (scientists moving platforms, civic events that actually engage people) showing that building beats begging. Read it if you want a pragmatic push to spend energy where it actually changes things.
Source
Source: https://www.techdirt.com/2025/09/15/stop-begging-start-building/
