Portland had a bit of snow over the weekend.
This morning we awoke to ice and more snow.
Unlike our hardy cousins in the Midwest or Canada, we bundle up and stay indoors at the mention of icy weather.
Still in my pajamas in front of the fire, I checked my phone around 6 A.M. to learn if our early morning yoga class was canceled or not.
Sure enough it was.
Rather than an official email, there was a warm converation on Twitter between the teacher and several students. It was comforting to connect with each other this way.
We reported on the road and weather conditions in our neighborhoods, cautioned each other to be safe and signed off with best wishes to each other.
It made me think of the early days of Twitter when it was a fun way to connect with several others simultaneously. We could check on a sick friend, share good news, finalize dinner plans, and stay connected.
Twitter at the beginning was not a vehicle for trolling, threats, abuse or rudeness.
It was an easy way to stay in touch with family and friends without dodging negative and hateful tweets.
Of course when Twitter as a company grew, the camaraderie and caring went out the door according to Nick Bilton’s book Hatching Twitter: A Tale of Booze and Backstabbing.
But mostly, it’s the story of how lonely people came together to build a product designed to connect them to each other and the world around them—only to rip each other to shreds in order to control that very thing. Hatching Twitter
We need to take back Twitter!
Lori Greer in Portland 