After 15 years on Twitter: A farewell that's not easy for me – but necessary.

Twitter was my introduction to the world of social media back in April 2009. The TYPO3 community was very active on the platform at that time. At events like TYPO3Camps, it was common to include your Twitter handle on name badges – some of you might remember that.

Without Twitter, my professional journey would probably have taken a very different path. Thanks to Twitter, I became part of the TYPO3 community, exchanged ideas with like-minded people, and made connections that opened doors I never dreamed of.

When I decided at the end of 2012 to leave my job as a nurse, I posted on Twitter that I was looking for a new opportunity. Less than 48 hours later, I landed a fantastic position at jweiland.net. I’m convinced: if Twitter hadn’t existed in that form back then, I might still be working in a hospital today – or dealing with burnout in psychiatric care.

However, as we all know, Twitter has changed dramatically since Musk's takeover. For me, it’s not even primarily about political issues.

Honestly, I also don’t understand why some people complain that they only see xenophobic or far-right content on X. Every user has a great deal of control over what they consume on the platform. You simply need to follow the right accounts and block or report annoying profiles. Whether reporting actually has any effect is another question, of course.

My main issue, though, is this: the way I’ve been using Twitter/X for years now is only possible with a paid account. I don’t have a fundamental problem with paying for services that offer me value. I subscribe to numerous online services because they benefit me.

But: I no longer want to give Musk a single cent. Someone who takes over a global network and turns it into a platform for their ideology through blatant megalomania and a disturbingly right-wing populist stance simply doesn’t deserve my support. That’s why I’ve decided to cancel my Pro account and stop actively using the platform. There will be no new posts.

I won’t delete my account, though. There are too many memories tied to it, and I’d like to prevent someone else from taking over my username. That said, the account will no longer be maintained from now on.

If you’d like to stay connected with me on social media, there are plenty of alternatives:

• Mastodon: techhub.social/@wowa_TYPO3
• BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/wowatypo3.bsky.social
• Facebook: facebook.com/wwagner.net
• Instagram: instagram.com/wolfgangwagner_fn
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/wolfgang-wagner-fn
• YouTube: youtube.com/WolfgangWagnerTYPO3

I’d love to stay in touch on one of these platforms. Just choose the channel that suits you best, and let’s stay connected – after all, it’s the community that makes us strong!