Everyone on Twitter is a "social media expert".
Maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration, but it isn't too far off the mark. Nearly everyone that has tweeted more than ten times thinks they've learned something profound.
Even Jen, founder of Atheism+, is a social media expert:
For those that are thinking "too long!" here are some funny bits:
5:32 - a strange pan to the audience reveals that attendance was absurdly low. Of course, for a student event this can be considered good attendance but it's still a funny frame anyhow.
11:44 - says she is "iffy about" Twitter.
Slide contains a plugs for the Twitter accounts for the following people:
Maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration, but it isn't too far off the mark. Nearly everyone that has tweeted more than ten times thinks they've learned something profound.
Even Jen, founder of Atheism+, is a social media expert:
For those that are thinking "too long!" here are some funny bits:
5:32 - a strange pan to the audience reveals that attendance was absurdly low. Of course, for a student event this can be considered good attendance but it's still a funny frame anyhow.
11:44 - says she is "iffy about" Twitter.
Slide contains a plugs for the Twitter accounts for the following people:
- Greta Christina (who has her own plugs)
- Jamie Kilstein (known for his rape jokes and telling Dawkins to suck his nuts)
- David Silverman (known for firing black women)
- PZ Myers (the "bearded taint" himself)
- Rebecca Watson (omg it's Rebecca!)
15:14 - Discussion of YouTube and another plug - "always very happy when they have a midterm and there's a great speech from Greta Christina they're glad that they can go and watch it later."
15:58 - Google Plus. Says "no one uses it" but that it's great for "hangouts". Includes plug for FTBCon, which primarily used Google Plus.
17:29 - Reddit! She does a good job describing how to use reddit effectively and avoids accusing the entire site of being racist or misogynist.
24:43 - "Moderate yourselves". This is when self-awareness is perhaps lacking.
Quote:
But when it comes to actually dealing with social media, the FreeThoughtBlogs types are more of a "do as I say, not as I do" group.
Here are some example specimens of troll bait:
To fully appreciate how bizarre this behavior is, some history is required.
Jen is the person that coined the term "Atheism+" in August 2012.
Here we are, only a year later, and McCreight is on stage speaking to the largest (if not the only) secular student group in the United States in a recorded talk that appears on their YouTube channel.
McCreight comes to speak about social media, but entirely leaves out her claims of being "bullied out of the movement" by interactions on social media.
The story goes that a bunch of misogynists sent her a lot of nasty messages about her involvement in Atheism+. McCreight was blamed for creating the most ridiculous aspects of Atheism+.
Rather than log into Twitter and her blog every day and deal with these messages, McCreight did something else for a few months.
Then McCreight returned, armed with a story about her exile, without having to relinquish even her most trivial roles (for example, her moderator privileges in the Atheism+ subreddit).
Apparently this is being "bullied out of the movement".
It's rather interesting to think that McCreight would tell this story about being "bullied out" and have this lecture of letting cooler heads prevail online when all appearances would suggest she wishes to bully a former friend out of the movement.
Not only did McCreight label her former friend a suicidal sexual predator, she now seems to imply that her friend's sexual partners may not have been able to give consent:
And was actually afraid of him:
No backing down. But does McCreight think she may have acted hastily?
Actually, yes - McCreight thinks she shouldn't have drown out persons of color:
Why do McCreight's posts get more attention?
It's not because McCreight went thermonuclear on a close friend's reputation by adding misogyny and rape to the already rampant accusations of racism.
No.
McCreight's posts get more attention because she is a white woman and everyone is ever so racist.
What is McCreight?
A "social media expert".
What do "social media experts" do?
Troll, troll, troll and troll some more.
They're professionals.
15:58 - Google Plus. Says "no one uses it" but that it's great for "hangouts". Includes plug for FTBCon, which primarily used Google Plus.
17:29 - Reddit! She does a good job describing how to use reddit effectively and avoids accusing the entire site of being racist or misogynist.
24:43 - "Moderate yourselves". This is when self-awareness is perhaps lacking.
Quote:
"You also have to moderate yourselves a little. Like I said, this is your public image and often the first impression people get about your group is when they're looking at social media stuff.
A lot of our groups deal with controversy as atheism is controversial in the United States. And it's all too easy to get online really quickly and go feed that troll, get involved in a flame war, respond to criticism without really thinking about it all, and as Jesse [?] told us earlier, it is good to wait some time between hearing responding to it. You'll usually give a better response when there is a little gap between that.
[...]
You don't have to respond to every controversy within thirty seconds. I know that's how the internet feels, but you don't have to do it."This is good advice.
But when it comes to actually dealing with social media, the FreeThoughtBlogs types are more of a "do as I say, not as I do" group.
Here are some example specimens of troll bait:
I really hope 20 years from now we'll be saying "Remember the dark ages of atheism with all the sexist BS? So glad we conquered that"
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) August 13, 2013
Because, you know, I'd love to focus on atheism and skepticism instead of having to constantly beg for common human decencyAnd more inflammatory musings:
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) August 13, 2013
I'm going back into my cave of I Hate Everyone, Especially Skeptics. GoodbyeA bit more "screw everyone":
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) May 7, 2013
I'm experiencing IMHO the main hurdle of the atheist movement - when life gets hard, I don't give a fuck about debating atheism & religionInterspersed is a bit of "woe is me":
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) April 24, 2013
.@RALindsay I was bullied out of this movement. You all could have had my passion, drive, strengths. But I was a loud mouthed woman #wiscfi
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) May 17, 2013
To fully appreciate how bizarre this behavior is, some history is required.
Jen is the person that coined the term "Atheism+" in August 2012.
Here we are, only a year later, and McCreight is on stage speaking to the largest (if not the only) secular student group in the United States in a recorded talk that appears on their YouTube channel.
McCreight comes to speak about social media, but entirely leaves out her claims of being "bullied out of the movement" by interactions on social media.
The story goes that a bunch of misogynists sent her a lot of nasty messages about her involvement in Atheism+. McCreight was blamed for creating the most ridiculous aspects of Atheism+.
Rather than log into Twitter and her blog every day and deal with these messages, McCreight did something else for a few months.
Then McCreight returned, armed with a story about her exile, without having to relinquish even her most trivial roles (for example, her moderator privileges in the Atheism+ subreddit).
Apparently this is being "bullied out of the movement".
It's rather interesting to think that McCreight would tell this story about being "bullied out" and have this lecture of letting cooler heads prevail online when all appearances would suggest she wishes to bully a former friend out of the movement.
Not only did McCreight label her former friend a suicidal sexual predator, she now seems to imply that her friend's sexual partners may not have been able to give consent:
@Matt_Dillahunty The cons this were at has specific policies against speakers sleeping with attendees. Power differential muddles consent
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) August 23, 2013
And was actually afraid of him:
@mattfacciani@Matt_Dillahunty I thought he was someone who would change. I was blinded by friendship. And didn't feel safe naming names til
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) August 23, 2013
@mattfacciani@Matt_Dillahunty now. And that's the last thing I'll say. My statement stands.
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) August 23, 2013
No backing down. But does McCreight think she may have acted hastily?
Actually, yes - McCreight thinks she shouldn't have drown out persons of color:
I know my posts probably get more attention b/c I'm white. That sucks. That is privilege. But I still try to make the content not privileged
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) August 22, 2013
And if a POC had responded to JT's post before I did, I would have shut up and linked to that. But it needed a response, so I wrote
— Jennifer McCreight (@jennifurret) August 22, 2013
Why do McCreight's posts get more attention?
It's not because McCreight went thermonuclear on a close friend's reputation by adding misogyny and rape to the already rampant accusations of racism.
No.
McCreight's posts get more attention because she is a white woman and everyone is ever so racist.
What is McCreight?
A "social media expert".
What do "social media experts" do?
Troll, troll, troll and troll some more.
They're professionals.