Former President Trump’s media company, the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), is set to launch a new social media app on President’s Day, The Guardian reported, citing the release date on an Apple App Store listing.

Truth Social is TMTG's alternative to Twitter, where Trump is permanently suspended. It will offer features similar to Twitter, including trending topics and the ability to follow other users, according to The Guardian.

Link

So what do you guys think, is this a danger to becoming another social media, but then one where Trump supporters will find their echo chamber? Is this a danger to the social fabric of the country itself? If this becomes a channel for just Trump supporters then other opinions will not be expressed there, and then inevitably it becomes more extreme.

How can we solve this more closed group forming in social media?

In the USA, business entities are not subject to the 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech, they can control speech on them for legal and general business reasons. Of course, this proposed TMTG 'Truth Media' social media site is another scam to make money (or more tax write offs) by Trump and his friends. You know it will only allow the 'truth' that Trump approves of and keep out dissenting views from liberals, something they ironically bash Facebook, Twitter, et al. for in limiting access of 'conservative' views. For Trump it is about having a media outlet he can control and spew his and his supporters ideas, to bypass the 'lamesteam media'. I would suspect due to different laws that it won't be accessible to people in a number of countries including China but likely some EC ones as may have postings that are not legal there (ie: Nazi symbols).

Like all other social media, it will use members information to sell targeted ads to make the bulk of its income from. Likely most advertisers will be pro-Trump small business owners, Conservative organizations and politicians (including Trump) seeking campaign funds. It is unlikely he will attract major business to advertise on it. I expect it will get a lot of attention at first for its likely vile, racist, hateful posts by members, probably anti-Trump hackers trying to mess it up, and condemnation by the mainstream media.

"Truth" Social, as if the current media echo chambers that have led to 70% of Republicans believing the 2020 election was a fraud despite ZERO evidence to the contrary except pure, unadulterated lies wasn't enough. "Truth" media can't be anything else than Putin leading his GOP cabal by their shriveled nuts to the alter of a new America created in his image. The GOP is nothing but filth at this point. History won't be kind.

Let's see. A Social network owned by a lying narcissist that is always running a grift , and run by a man that sued everyone for slander, is called Truth Social?

Good luck to the users of that site.

wingman wrote:

"Truth" Social, as if the current media echo chambers that have led to 70% of Republicans believing the 2020 election was a fraud despite ZERO evidence to the contrary except pure, unadulterated lies wasn't enough. "Truth" media can't be anything else than Putin leading his GOP cabal by their shriveled nuts to the alter of a new America created in his image. The GOP is nothing but filth at this point. History won't be kind.

I agree. It can't get any worse for the rabbit-holers.

These attempts at setting up an "alternative" will utterly fail as any site must have some structure and validity to the ongoing conversation to survive. These "freedom sites" all devolve into moronic rhetoric and then end up eating themselves when they have to, based on their own rules, stop someone from posting etc. and everyone starts to finger point as to what "truth" is.

Tugg

I thought he already had a shot at a social platform? GETTR?

My guess is it will fail due to the lack of friction. Conservatives seem really hung up on “owning the libs” and without any liberals there, they’ll be without a purpose. They’ll all still need things like Facebook and Twitter for conflict.

petertenthije wrote:

I thought he already had a shot at a social platform? GETTR?

He wasn't part of the grift.
Let's look closely at TMTGcorp home page.
Anything strike you about the below two statements?

No Political Discrimination

Canceling Cancel Culture

While they seem so awesome to people that don't think it through, what they are really saying is that they want lies, fraud, and cons to be blessed throughout.

We all have our biases, I do, you do, we can only see the world from our own eyes. We have friends and influences over life that affect how we think and what we find acceptable and "true". And that is OK.

I will go hard against a viewpoint or comment I think is erroneous and that I either think I can appropriately address or is part of an open discussion that is ongoing and that I am allowed to freely participate in. It does not mean I am attacking the person or their viewpoint, only that I have a differing opinion or view or I know something they may not. That same person and others can equally come back at me, respond to what I am saying and address anything they find erroneous. This is how debate and dialog of opposing viewpoints works. And that is OK.

It is not being "attacked" if you say something and others respond. Either one can appropriately argue and defend their point, with good hopefully verifiable information, or one can't. And the discussion moves on from there. That is why I in general like A.net's non-av section. It has some very good discussions and many people that are willing to discuss any issue or point. And often with researchable elements to support their contention.

And beyond that, if it is straight up just someones opinion, that is fine too. We all have our opinions and can stick with them. And defend them as best possible as to why we hold them. Just don't expect others to agree with them if they can't be freely supported with outside research. I certainly don't and am fine with people not agreeing with me on many points where there is solid disparate supporting information.

Tugg

SL1200MK2 wrote:

My guess is it will fail due to the lack of friction. Conservatives seem really hung up on “owning the libs” and without any liberals there, they’ll be without a purpose. They’ll all still need things like Facebook and Twitter for conflict.

Interesting point.

That and the fact that they have little to no influence on anything outside of that small world, I think doom "echo chamber" sites and groups. Only if opposing views join and are allowed to be expressed heard, will any new site succeed.

Tugg

The Main Left Wing Echo Chamber that I know of is Reddit's r/pol. As for the Right, I don't know what their main echo chamber is. I probably wouldn't stay there long, as I find the Sean Hannity/Mark Levin pontifications against Biden and the Left to be burdensome. I instead hop around to many sites, but I have no main Right Hive Mind site that I nest in.

I have not joined Gettr or the Trump sites. Too much echo chamber is a bad thing.

The echo chamber has been going on forever. Even back when Obama was first elected, I was working in a gun store and I heard many people say "How did he ever get elected, I don't know anyone who voted for him". That shows that they just associated with like-minded people. Some would even stop talking with relatives over political differences. I'm sure it goes both ways.

Tugger wrote:

Intelligence never takes one side, only stupid people do.

Tugg

I like that! I'm going to have to remember that. Anytime I comment on a topic and both sides bash me, I know I have the right position!

Social media isn't media of information. They are media of emotion. This applies to both those mainstreams and the fringer ones. As long as people are communicating with emotion amd sensation as enabled and encouraged by design of these platforms, no amount of factchecking can correct people's mind

c933103 wrote:

Social media isn't media of information. They are media of emotion. This applies to both those mainstreams and the fringer ones. As long as people are communicating with emotion amd sensation as enabled and encouraged by design of these platforms, no amount of factchecking can correct people's mind

We do not have news in the United States. We have info-tainment. Since the 1980s, the right has been working very hard to marginalize the people. Go back to when GHWB was elected and the first Gulf War. Go back and look at the right wing propaganda. Go back and look at all of the hand wringing over guns. Republicans sided with corporations. AM talk radio was the basis of that. Many like-minded people found comfort in those voices who could point to one group or one person and launch into "us vs. them" rhetoric. It has been forced into us that "the right" are patriots and "the left" are socialists who hate America because socialism bad. Anyone who dared question that was demonized. And it has just gotten worse as the years went by.

The difference between the Left and the Right in this country is that the extreme Left is a fringe part of the Democratic party. While the extreme Right is the mainstream of the Republican party. The vast majority of Republicans believe, in spite of no evidence whatsoever, that the election was stolen from Trump. Anyone who believes the big lie is seriously deranged.

Newark727 wrote:

johns624 wrote:

Plenty of the protestors last summer were violent. Not "overthrow the government" violent but just as threatening in their own way.

The comparison with the protests in summer 2020 is actually very instructive. "Defund the police" gained zero traction at the national level, and every such promise made at the city and state levels has been walked back to a greater or lesser degree, even in places like San Francisco. The riots couldn't achieve political change, they didn't, and no one wants anything to do with them anymore. The same cannot be said of Trump's contesting the 2020 election through fraud and outright violence - the right still thinks they can still make hay on that politically.

They were violent and arrested. There was also a lot of damage caused by opportunistic misfits.

What's interesting is that most of the "reasonable Republican's" that I know and have spoken with that believe "the big lie" seem to have just lost hope and are convinced the USA is failed or is heading that way unless there is some drastic action or complete change.

The look in their eyes when they just look at you as if you are beyond hope and it is obvious how the election was stolen. Essentially "If you don't know and can't see what is obvious, you never will". They default to "all the fake votes that people who shouldn't have been able to vote cast. Even though they can't explain how so many Republican and conservative and neutral observers have stated over and over that is was fair and free of fraud (of any dangerous scale). They BELIEVE the conspiracy that EVERYONE is out to get Trump or something.

Tugg

Tugger wrote:

What's interesting is that most of the "reasonable Republican's" that I know and have spoken with that believe "the big lie" seem to have just lost hope and are convinced the USA is failed or is heading that way unless there is some drastic action or complete change.

The look in their eyes when they just look at you as if you are beyond hope and it is obvious how the election was stolen. Essentially "If you don't know and can't see what is obvious, you never will". They default to "all the fake votes that people who shouldn't have been able to vote cast. Even though they can't explain how so many Republican and conservative and neutral observers have stated over and over that is was fair and free of fraud (of any dangerous scale). They BELIEVE the conspiracy that EVERYONE is out to get Trump or something.

Tugg

Don't forget there is an underlying element of flat out racism, nationalism, and religion that masquerades in undercurrents in that grouping. They believe that anyone that teaches compassion, respect, and love to everyone must be a socialist. They are people that forget that facts matter.

I recently got a text from a person still complaining about the "Chinese created Flu" , and the latest catch phrase in attacking the President of the US. I can't understand it. They hate everyone for everything they do wrong, but when it comes to Trump, there is no wrong, just shiny gold idol.