Back when X was still called Twitter, it tried to distinguish itself through its attempt to become a digital town square.

Pre-Elon Musk, Twitter had the reputation as a digital space where people could get reliable news from vetted sources, could talk to people without everything becoming a culture war argument, and could share art without fear of it being eaten up by artificial intelligence scrapers.

The digital town square model of the internet wasn’t perfect, as the bad actors that have made the internet a cesspool now likely got their start in that form of the digital world, but the pockets of good you could find in places like Twitter, or Reddit, or the special interest forums and bulletin boards of the time were invaluable for shaping people who were just getting into the online world.

Now that X is more of a house of ill repute, the idea of a digital town square has shifted somewhat from being a centralized place owned by a big technology company into something that can be more homegrown, and I look forward to more initiatives of the sort coming into play.

What brought this thought on?

Over on Mastodon, where some of the more technical-minded Twitter users made an exodus to, I was introduced to a post about individual users sharing their expertise and knowledge on various topics, either for free or as a means of helping to offset unemployment or underemployment.

The result of this became Fedilearns, a sort of hybrid classifieds where Mastodon users could offer skills-sharing or training for specific needs.

Currently, the availability of skills on offer run the gamut, from dog training and gardening to introductory web development and car maintenance.

Not the only digital town square anymore

Of course, while the Mastodon example seems isolated to Mastodon users, it doesn’t have to be that way. As commercialized as it is, the web can still be a place where civic-minded people can gather for positive outcomes.

For instance, news organizations (like Rappler and others) banding together to provide their communtiies a place to read the news and talk about it through a dedicated app is one digital town square.

Yet another specifically for investigative journalists is the work of Forbidden Stories, where the Safebox Network, allows journalists to continue the work of those killed or silenced in the process of doing their jobs.

Aside from these specific examples, there are also enthusiast forums that are also a great place to learn about particular topics.

Further, while heavily commercialized at this point and in bed with AI, Reddit is also a worthwhile place to find specific information, though it comes with the usual big tech and bad actor caveats.

Building your own digital safe haven

For those who are tech savvy, the idea of building your own little town square might be enticing, such as setting up an online forum particular to an interest or community.

If you have the inclination, it may be a good way to spend time, and much like Patreng Non’s community pantries, where the community pitches in to help people who need food to get it, people can make a place where they are welcome and valued, especially in these trying times.

Just make sure you have well-defined rules and norms in place to prevent bad actors from seeping into your safe haven. – Rappler.com