Malodorous, un-flushed remains, empty and vandalized toilet paper dispensers, runs of toilet paper strewn across the floor and into the urinals, horrifying uncleanliness, smashed and broken porcelain. Something to be avoided at almost all costs...
But there was, almost always, a singularly interesting and even inspiring aspect: the messaging (or perhaps artwork) on the walls of the stalls.
"For a good time call Jennifer 999-9999" (No area code needed in those days.)
Messages about bodily functions, broken heartedness, art, poetry and so on.
The most important aspect of this, with regard to Twitter, is of course, the "anonymous" aspect of it all.
Who was it, exactly, that had (perhaps biblical) knowledge of "Jennifier"?
Of course, you could never know.
Sure, you might suspect someone, perhaps even a dear, close friend, of having the courage to deface your favorite stall by observing stall use and wall changes day to day. But really, you never knew for sure who had written what or why they had written it.
Like the modern Twitter you were exposed to a variety of artwork, poems and other "free" content foisted upon you by legions of unknown "benefactors".
On day one of Twitter's creation I marveled at the shear genius of
- Limiting text to a mere 140 characters (just like the limit your Bic pen imposed if you tilted your pen from a seated position to write on the stall wall).
- The cleverness of ensuring no one really knew who was writing what.
- The implicit deniability associated with the fact that your phone or computer was never totally under you full control 24 x 7 365.
- The obvious uses for clandestine messaging.
- And all without the danger of actual, physical excrement being in play at any point during the communication.
Indeed, the brilliance with which Twitter was able to capture the true essence of bathroom stall wall communications was unparalleled.
But, unlike the stall walls of old, Twitter, through clever use of computers created a virtual infinity mirror effect providing limitless stall walls for everyone in the world to see and use.
Today the history of bathroom stall communications (back even to Roman times) and Twitter pale in the light of what many "moderns" think about Twitter.
Now let's consider "Verified’ anti-vax accounts proliferate as Twitter struggles to police content". This sad tome tells the woeful tale of how, without Twitter's crack (no pun intended) staff content moderators Twitter users will be exposed to "health misinformation". They particularly lament the fact that your $7.99 USD "verified account" gives you absolute power over the minds of endless lemmings gathered to lap up content at the shores of the Twitter misinformation information sea.
From the link: “There’s a sense of legitimacy that comes with it [the $7.99 account],” said Barry. “By verifying this anti-vaccine account, they’re kind of verifying all of the misinformation it shares … it makes people think, ‘Oh, well, this is a verified account. This must be true.’”
Seriously?
"I saw it on the internets - must be true..."
No, dear Twitterati, no one but you, apparently, actually believes Twitter to be more than a clever simulation of a bathroom stall.
The article goes on and one about how "anti-vaccine" and "anti-science" posts, including, of course, those from the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and other scientific publications. See this BMJ link, as an example, covering "Myocarditis and pericarditis risk after covid-19 vaccination." Indeed, the authors, Jing Luo, assistant professor and Walid F Gellad, professor, seem to have not gotten the "misinformation" memo as they conclude "... a large body of reviewed studies continues to suggest that mRNA covid-19 vaccines are associated with a rare but heightened risk of acute myocarditis and pericarditis. These risks are highest in young males shortly after the second dose. ..."
Perhaps their Twitter accounts were suspended?
And did I find this article on Twitter? No, of course not!
It came via "MedPage Today" - a popular medical rag that writes constantly about woes and misery of billion dollar corporations and government agencies and their failure to control everyone's thoughts, lives and health.
God forbid Eli Lilly's stock drops because someone thinks they now have a conscience or Robert F Kennedy Jr speak freely...
Certainly Elon Musk has his work cut out for him.
The only way Twitter can make its way out of the bathroom and on to some at least minimal legitimacy is to require actual verification of its users: driver license or other id. (Of course, it's easy enough to verify yourself the source or author of information, but I suppose this is beyond the reach of the average lemming.)
If you want true, verified content, demand actual links to sources, CVs, resume's, etc. turn on "child mode" and you'll be safe.
Just like you would expect from an actual, may they rest in peace, news organization.
If you want me to live in your "child mode" you can forget it...
There are far too many other "sources of truth" at this point to really care one way or the other about Twitter. And that's the real problem Musk faces...
Perhaps Musk, like a modern Hercules, can flush out the modern Augean Stables of Twitter.
Only time will tell.
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