I wouldn't have expected to say this, but X (Twitter) worked well for me in 2023. I got good things out of it. In the previous years, I had a tormented relationship with the platform, so, what happened?

First, Mastodon happened. Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter provoked a stampede of the most politically radicalized folks to Mastodon. That was a blessing. With the negativity magnets gone, vibes significantly improved because energy is contagious. Suddenly, the discussion in the Rails community became about technical stuff again, go figure!

Second, Twitter stopped pushing the algorithmically-curated "For you" timeline through your throat. If you select "Following" to see stuff from the people you follow, it will remember the selection. This was a game changer for me, as I got complete control of what entered my timeline.

Third, I engaged more with the platform. In previous years, I mostly used Twitter as an output channel to link my blog posts. Now, the conversation feels more inviting to participate, so I do.

Between 2020 and 2022, I felt a tremendous disconnection from the Rails community. I saw haters and folks being mean towards others dominating the conversation. Now, it feels as if the storm has passed. Here's what I want from X: interesting conversations, positive vibes, no drama/politics, and a focus on Rails and software development. That's my X timeline right now. This seemed absolutely impossible just a bit over one year ago.

I don't even want to say it too loud.