I joined 'Parler' social media posting site on 23 November 2021. I felt like I was posting to no one. I was re-posting articles and words and pictures that I had posted on Reddit, or my own numerous blogs.
I had been kicked off Twitter during the Spring 2020 Democratic primaries when I made fun of Senator E. Warren. "He undressed me with his eyes." I wrote with a neutral line drawing of Warren.
I was restricted and had to give an email and new password or something, I did it all, but was still shut out. I had been getting about 15,000 views a month for a while on Twitter. But I started posting more after some kind of restriction on Reddit. My views went up to 50,000 for the month. So, people started to notice me, I guess. Radical Liberal authoritarians saw my words and images. I must have been reported.
I posted all kinds of Left Wing material on Parler, and also Gab. I had zero problems. I had low views. At first I thought I'd get virtually no views. I gave links to one blog and saw the traffic was half a dozen views. But, as the weeks went by and I posted lots and lots and lots of posts on many subjects my views went up.
I made a video of my Gab photo gallery when I glanced over at the sidebar display and noted how interesting and varied the images were. Whatever the creators problems are, he does not have a one track mind.
I am lucky to have had an adequate varied education and work history along with wide access to books and periodicals and the breadth of the internet.
When I posted pro-labor union messages on Parler and Gab I got no negative reaction. Perhaps no one saw them. Perhaps conservative populists are not opposed to labor unions. I copied the post on Parler and posted on Reddit's r/ParlorWatch. Someone wrote that I would get 'death threats' from people on Parler because I was pro-labor union. Simply not true. If I pointed that out to the writer of the comment I expect to get a non-response that labels Parler as 'racist' and probably me as 'racist' as well. They never, ever, answer point by point. As if enforcing a religious dogma, not a rational political position that seeks to win others over.
Perhaps 'Parler' is gone with the wind. I posted on Gab today, and Reddit, and Blogger. I think I'll put this on Wordpress, too. I have put leaflets on telephone poles to advertise political meetings or demonstrations or labor union strikes. There were lots of telephone poles. I always expected to have some leaflets torn down.
The situation is the same with social media as a way to spread ideas. One should put material on many places. If one has strong ideas, expect a strong reaction.
I expect to be erased as soon as I draw something, or write something, or think something. Reality is a harsh mistress. Last summer I made a sidewalk chalk drawing of Vincent Van Gough's Starry Night on the black tarmac of the street. Almost as soon as I had finished a street sweeper truck came along and erased my drawing. I was delighted. Confirmation bias. "See, the whole world's against me, including the city's public works department who were obviously waiting for me to draw something on the spur of the moment just to erase my work," I thought, I think.
My only regret was that their was still a faint outline of my imitation of Van Gogh's.
The same thing happened last year with my copy of Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
But I think it was the rain and a drunk's vomit that washed that masterpiece away.
The good news is I can draw the works again. And again, and again, and again.
Repetitio mater studorium est!
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