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Why I don’t like thread compilers: a thread.
Please do not compile. I’ve blocked threadreaderapp and it won’t store my threads.
Please do not compile. I’ve blocked threadreaderapp and it won’t store my threads.
I write. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to get paid to write. Before this wave of thread compiler bots showed up, I used to get paid, sometimes, to turn my threads into articles. That hasn’t happened since these bots came around.
What these compilers do is pull my words, and my face and put them onto a webpage that I have no control over. Threadreaderapp then offers paid premium services and puts ads on my content, which has been pulled from my feed, without my permission.
These compiled threads often get turned into articles by other websites. Also using ads. Also sometimes using paid writers. So a website pays someone else to copy/paste my words onto their site and make money off my work. Again without my knowledge or permission.
And in the most disturbing incident of this happening, sometimes these other sites making articles out of my words and making money off them get really plucky.
Like the time they found my mum’s Facebook profile and put up several links to her and family photos of us.
Like the time they found my mum’s Facebook profile and put up several links to her and family photos of us.
I already have to do work on my website content to make sure that the words aren’t being pulled and posted on other sites in order to make money for someone else. Add in that anything I write on social media can now be monetized and reproduced without my permission?
The ideas behind these bots are cool. Compile threads and make them more shareable, neat! But I can’t support any product that aggregates content for profit and isn’t built from the principle of compensating and protecting content creators from the get-go.
That’s another issue. You can’t. Not really. You can’t just block threadreaderapp because it doesn’t work that way. It’s not a user, it’s a program. It pulls content from the twitter servers multiple times per day just to keep its copy of my content up. https://twitter.com/otherneighbor/status/1099089492143525888?s=21
For threadreaderapp you have to @ the bot and say “BLOCK ME” (caps important), and it will stop storing your stuff.
For threaderapp you have to @ it on every single thread and say “pause” and it won’t compile that thread.
For threaderapp you have to @ it on every single thread and say “pause” and it won’t compile that thread.
@threader_app pause
I am happy to put any thread content into a blog post. To be honest there are slight tweaks to the writing that need to happen. A thread sounds different from a blog. It’s a voice thing. That’s why I like to reformat it myself.
I posted this 18 mins ago and according to threader_app’s website I should’ve gotten a confirmation but alas, nothing to see here. So no clue if this even works. https://twitter.com/erynnbrook/status/1099092267975901190?s=21
Great. So the “pause” thing that they say to use on their website apparently doesn’t work. Awesome. So there’s no known way to block that app. Cool beans.
https://twitter.com/threader_app/status/1099098082887774208?s=21
https://twitter.com/threader_app/status/1099098082887774208?s=21
This is a good alternative. It formats the tweets onto a shareable page, but doesn’t reformat the text into a blog post, so it’s harder to copy/paste.
Also no ads, and no storing content, and no premium features for people who are paying someone else. https://twitter.com/lucretiel/status/1099101563287523328?s=21
Also no ads, and no storing content, and no premium features for people who are paying someone else. https://twitter.com/lucretiel/status/1099101563287523328?s=21
Not sure how bobbin is for accessibility/text readers. But in terms of sharing a thread with people who don’t have twitter it seems pretty sufficient.
When it comes to accessibility, I will do whatever you need if you want to access my content. I’m one person but if you want a blog post I’ll make it happen. If you want me to read a twitter thread out loud and send you an audio file, I’ll do that too. Seriously.
Also for the record: I really don’t like screenshots of my stuff on Facebook/Tumblr. But if you’re gonna do it, for goddess’ sake tag me.
There’s an article somewhere that someone wrote about a twitter thread of mine and I was described as “Erynn Brook is know for going viral.”
There’s an article somewhere that someone wrote about a twitter thread of mine and I was described as “Erynn Brook is know for going viral.”
If Erynn Brook is known for her words then Erynn Brook would like to be getting paid for her words, especially if other people are writing about Erynn Brook writing words and THEY’RE getting paid for writing about Erynn Brook’s words.
Oh also I forgot to mention that people who I personally block from my twitter could subscribe to me via threadreaderapp and still get my content. In fact there are a bunch of GabGoons talking about how they do that when people have them blocked anyway. So there’s that too.
If you like the more academic reasons why I don’t like these bots then the lovely @redlightvoices is the appropriate person to read on this: https://artificeofintelligence.org/non-consensual-bots-and-personal-space/
And yes I hear the “but not everyone is on twitter Erynn and I want to share your words with them because they’re important!”
It’s really sweet that you find my words so important. But it’s also super entitled to reformat them in a way that suits your readers without my consent.
It’s really sweet that you find my words so important. But it’s also super entitled to reformat them in a way that suits your readers without my consent.
If I write a twitter thread it’s for you, my twitter followers. And when I post a photo on Instagram it’s for my Instagram followers. And when I write a blog post that is easily shareable then it’s for wherever the links take it.
Twitter isn’t a blog. Twitter threads are time-sensitive and when I do them, involve a lot of comments and back and forth and audience participation. The content is appropriate to this medium. Change the medium and the content doesn’t have the same effect without adjustments.
I approve this distribution method as I assume it accurately recreates the wandering ranting feeling of my twitter threads 
https://twitter.com/josiahhawthorne/status/1099120048684322816?s=21
https://twitter.com/josiahhawthorne/status/1099120048684322816?s=21
I see a lot of you saying “I had no idea.” I know! That’s why I’m not mad at you!
It’s something so simple and convenient that you wouldn’t think you’d need to apply any critical thinking to it, but making the mundane fascinating is part of my charm!
It’s something so simple and convenient that you wouldn’t think you’d need to apply any critical thinking to it, but making the mundane fascinating is part of my charm!
Even more awesomeness from @redlightvoices. Seriously, this is just beautifully said. https://twitter.com/redlightvoices/status/1083295960644632576?s=21
And here’s David explaining it a little more succinctly than I did! https://twitter.com/lollardfish/status/1099150043578355712?s=21
https://twitter.com/lollardfish/status/1099150043578355712?s=21
This is also worth noting. Thread reader’s numbers are low enough that we could probably organize ourselves and to game the algorithm away from this nonsense but I really would prefer it if tech creators just DESIGNED FOR THESE SHIT STORMS ALREADY. https://twitter.com/bryantd/status/1099168389736456192?s=21
The threader_app pause feature has been fixed. It works the same as threadreaderapp’s BLOCK ME. Use it once and your stuff is removed and won’t be compiled anymore! https://twitter.com/threader_app/status/1099273797348323328?s=21
I sorta turned this into a blog post. Except I went a lot further in the blog post and I crusaded for my friend @danidonovan a bit
Blogs are not threads and that’s okay! https://twitter.com/erynnbrook/status/1099429454521151488?s=21
Blogs are not threads and that’s okay! https://twitter.com/erynnbrook/status/1099429454521151488?s=21
The creators of threadreaderapp have reached out to me to discuss these concerns. I believe that they’re nice people who created something in good faith that has unintended consequences. I’m happy to chat with them about those consequences but I won’t be unblocking any time soon.
It’s a topic for another thread (lol) but someday we’re gonna have a chat about building stuff just cause we can and not spending enough time or resources on “how can this be not so good?”
Instructions for the @/ThreadReaders bot. https://twitter.com/threadreaders/status/1254067045836173312?s=21
