What happens to X when there is no more Lib to troll?

Leah Feiger: And in the studio with me is WIRED reporter Vittoria Elliott. Hey, Tori.

Vittoria Elliott: Hey, Leah.

Leah Feiger: Guys, how are you doing? Which social media platform are you currently using?

Vittoria Elliott: A violent question if I’m honest. I completely agree with Bluesky.

Leah Feiger: Yes?

Vittoria Elliott: Oh yes.

Leah Feiger: Alright.

Vittoria Elliott: I was just hanging out and everyone was watching me. That’s the lowest lift of any platform I’ve had to take in a while.

Leah Feiger: So you just like attention?

Vittoria Elliott: I just love the attention. I love getting little pings on my phone every day to confirm me.

Leah Feiger: That’s what Twitter used to be for a lot of people. David, do you also use Bluesky?

David Gilbert: I’m sure of it. I’m finally following you, Leah.

Leah Feiger: I know. I had to beg for it. It’s so annoying.

David Gilbert: I’m very busy though. I have a lot of new followers that need to be reviewed and tested.

Leah Feiger: To attend.

David Gilbert: Yes.

Leah Feiger: How rude. So what’s going on? Do you like it more than X now? To me, there’s just been a huge exodus not just of journalists but of people who are leaning towards the other side. What are the reasons why?

David Gilbert: For me at least it’s just less triggering. It is less toxic. It’s easier to stay there for a while and scroll and not get triggered by something stupid someone said, which is what X has become lately. And I think I’ll be happier spending time there. The connection seems more natural, more real. There are just conversations going on, not just people shouting all the time. And I don’t know, it’s still very early and I think it could be really good, but it could also be really bad because it’s the Internet.

Leah Feiger: The CEO says they are attracting about a million users a day. That’s a wild stat.

Vittoria Elliott: Yes. I mean, I agree with David, the user experience is better. I mean, even though it’s a little slower to load because they attract so many people so quickly, it’s a platform that feels designed to not absorb all of your attention. So if you pay attention like with keep scrolling. And Bluesky doesn’t work that way. It feels like the old social media where you’re like, I’m here to see the things I want to see, but this isn’t designed in a way that makes me feel like the end goal is just to make me lose The more time you spend on this site the better.