Quitting Twitter / X
Like millions of others The Totnes Pulse has an X account.
We signed up when it was Twitter and as ‘any fule kno‘ it has since transferred into the ownership of the worlds wealthiest man, Elon Musk.
Everyone also knows now where his ideologies lie and it’s not pretty. The encouragement of far right comment including allowing Nazi sympathisers should disgust everyone although unfortunately, it doesn’t. This is why the platform has become a toxic space that previously existed only on darker parts of the internet.
So What?

Indeed, the Totnes Pulse leaving X isn’t going to register anywhere except for this article – we know that. It’s been very useful in the past to alert followers of our news items and has spread the word much further than our lovely small town. Peter Marsh on Dartington and Jim Funnells’ articles on Freeports are especially followed nationally in large numbers as there are concerns on these important subjects all around the country.
Alternatives
Thankfully the alternative, Bluesky, as it stands currently is very much like Twitter-pre-Musk and as such, is fit for purpose. Over 30 million accounts are now signed up. It’s no surprise that people are switching over in droves. However like many others we were unsure about quitting X altogether so left the account in place.
This isn’t good enough. The platform continues to register our account as an interested party when we are quite the opposite. Having an account with arguably, the most dangerous man on the planet is completely unacceptable. It can’t be morally justified. In situations like this, association is complicity.
Switching
If you feel the same way but don’t want to lose the connections you have made, there is a solution. A group of French techies have created an app to transfer away to platforms such as Bluesky, Mastodon and others. It’s called HelloQuitX . You can download your X history from settings (It can take 24 hours for some opaque reason!) and upload that history into the platform of your choice.
We know it’s of little consequence to anyone that we’re leaving Twitter, but like so many others, – we’re out.
Great decision. The more people and organisations quit X and don’t buy Tesla the better. No support for Nazis.