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Truth Social’s Opportunity
Townhall.com ^ | February 27, 2022 | Shaun McCutcheon

Posted on 02/27/2022 6:43:31 AM PST by Kaslin


Source: Townhall Media

Facebook (Meta), Twitter, and other legacy social media platforms were once powerhouses of Free Speech. Opinions from various sources and perspectives made the platforms lively, engaging, exciting, and for many, profitable. Many were made millionaires and billionaires during the ascension of social media into our lives. Yet, today, those who built these platforms seem intent on destroying them by limiting the Free Speech that made them great in the first place.

The ban on Donald Trump was a big step in the slide, but far from the only reason why Meta and Facebook are failing. Meta lost nearly half a million users in the last three months of 2021, contributing to a significant crash of its stock price. As Twitter reported its earnings in early February, its stock price also significantly fell due to lackluster user growth and engagement. It will not be long before the exodus from the platforms gains more momentum and users flock to something new.

There is obvious user fatigue in the traditional social media companies. It comes as a direct result of its censorship and bias. Appetite is strong for a legitimate social media platform that will truly allow Free Speech. With so much censorship and bias in the legacy companies, it has become little more than an echo chamber for the radical left. This is surely why former President Trump is launching Truth Social.

It is entirely fitting that on President’s Day the new social media application was made partially available to some users. There is so much happening in the world where a robust marketplace of ideas is required to solve problems. Inflation, mask mandates, supply chain issues, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and more present opportunities for a robust debate. By limiting the discussion, we all lose.

The demand for Truth Social is strong. The application had the most downloads of any app, spending multiple consecutive days at number one in the app store. There is a waiting list for those once they register. The barrage of interest has made it difficult for the Truth Social to keep up – but some are getting in early, and more are getting admitted.

The strong excitement and remarkable patience people are exhibiting has less to do with Donald Trump’s involvement, and everything to do with a forum where Free Speech can thrive. No one should have the power to limit Free Speech – not the government, not the media, and certainly not social media platforms that enjoy protections (Section 230) against getting sued.

We all should enjoy the same opportunities to advocate for a position or share a message and seek to influence opinions or support candidates for office. Unfortunately, just like so many in the traditional media, social media executives decided to limit so many activists, or worse, like in the case of former President Trump, eliminate the possibility to share information, opinions, or perspectives.

It is easy to see the opening for a successful business opportunity here. It looks like now, with the launch of Truth Social, President Trump will have a new platform to share his voice and the voices of those who disagree with him – and surely make a profit doing so.

As Truth Social gains more members and users, we are likely to hear less about it than we do now. The anticipation is obvious, and the downloads and wait list cannot be ignored. The less we hear, however, the more likely the app will be successful – and once it is, everyone, regardless of political leanings, will enjoy a much more diverse political dialogue, robust debate, and solutions to benefit all Americans. It will surely be a victory for conservatives and liberals, and more importantly, the First Amendment.

Truth Social will not be the direct cause of the end of the legacy social media companies, they destroyed themselves long ago. Now that there is an alternative emerging, their decline will be accelerated.

Trump and his Truth Social team understand that embracing woke culture at the expense of Free Speech ultimately fails. They know that many open-minded individuals are hungry for a fair platform that welcomes all ideas and ignores the cancel culture. When information from multiple perspectives is shared, better ideas and action result – and it is more exciting, too. Hopefully, that is exactly what Truth Social will become.


Shaun McCutcheon, a Free Speech advocate, is an Alabama-based electrical engineer and inventor. He was the successful plaintiff in the 2014 Supreme Court case McCutcheon v. FEC.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: censorship; socialmedia; twitter
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1 posted on 02/27/2022 6:43:31 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Has anyone been able to actually login to truth social yet? I’m still number 152,667th and waiting. It’s been almost a week now.


2 posted on 02/27/2022 6:44:30 AM PST by redguyinabluestate
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To: Kaslin

Downloaded... I’m number 129,462 on the wait list, still nothing

I have seen numbers above 900,000 already on twiiter


3 posted on 02/27/2022 6:45:27 AM PST by janetjanet998 (ev)
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To: redguyinabluestate

I’m +677,000!


4 posted on 02/27/2022 6:48:50 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything.)
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To: redguyinabluestate

I’m not doing an app. I’ll wait for the website. Supposed to be mid March for that. I signed up on the website a year ago but haven’t got an email saying opening soon. I learn about it from the internet.


5 posted on 02/27/2022 6:51:07 AM PST by Pollard (PureBlood -- https://youtube.com/watch?v=VXm0fkDituE)
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To: Pollard

First time google doesn’t like what is being said they will shut it down, we need to figure out how to get word out without being cancelled.


6 posted on 02/27/2022 7:01:51 AM PST by Striperman (Striperman)
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To: Striperman

Google is not the only one who uses Crawlers and Spiders. A concept thing large will be self perpetuating and propagating. But while they can’t stop it from being listed in search results they might mark it as untrusted, or have a negative review attached.


7 posted on 02/27/2022 7:08:11 AM PST by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Kaslin

Not available for Android. It’s a shame. I gave up Fakebook and Twitter 2 years ago and I’d love to participate in Truth Social. But alas....


8 posted on 02/27/2022 7:10:05 AM PST by lucky american (Progressives are attacking our rights and y'all will sit there and take it.)
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To: redguyinabluestate
Has anyone been able to actually login to truth social yet? I’m still number 152,667th and waiting. It’s been almost a week now.

I got to the point where I was able to download the app and submit my email address for a login. I was told that a confirmation email would be sent and all I'd need to do would be respond and the process would be complete. It took five days for the email to arrive and by that time it had already expired. So some bugs still need to be worked out of the process.

9 posted on 02/27/2022 7:22:23 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: Kaslin

Only if it works. So far, over the past week, all I have seen is an embarrassing failure. Completely DOA. I suspect they low-balled the cost and hired Indian developers.


10 posted on 02/27/2022 7:32:56 AM PST by Reno89519 (FJB. Respect America, Embrace America, Buy American, Hire American.)
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To: redguyinabluestate

Still getting ‘405 Not Allowed’ message.


11 posted on 02/27/2022 7:46:00 AM PST by duckman ( Not tired of winning!)
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To: Openurmind

Truth Social,
I’m going to Wait till
It’s up and running.
I never twitted or Faced
but this may be “A Bingo!”


12 posted on 02/27/2022 7:50:31 AM PST by Big Red Badger (Make His Paths Straight!)
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To: Reno89519

“Only if it works. So far, over the past week, all I have seen is an embarrassing failure. Completely DOA. I suspect they low-balled the cost and hired Indian developers.”

_____________________________________

I have to agree with you, this is embarrassing. The liberals could now say with a straight face how can you run a country when you cannot run an internet chit-chat board?

I do not understand why Donald Trump put his name and reputation on this platform. He is doing himself and the conservative movement a huge disservice. And it was unnecessary. Not to say that an alternative to the sh*t show called tw*tter isn’t a good idea, rather the roll out/timing of this project is a disaster. Should have waited to have a product before taking orders.

I don’t know where the developers are located or their nationality but the team presently in charge should be shown the door. In a country of 320 million people there should be at least enough people presently available with the ability to make this thing work properly and do it now, not next month or whenever.


13 posted on 02/27/2022 7:58:02 AM PST by fatboy
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To: Reno89519

If I may add, even if there are problems the kicker is that there is no place to get reliable information on what is going on. No one seems to be in charge, no one seems to have a plan to climb out of this hole.


14 posted on 02/27/2022 8:03:39 AM PST by fatboy
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To: Kaslin

How will they deal with crude and lewd language?


15 posted on 02/27/2022 8:07:10 AM PST by kanawa ((Securing the 2022/2024 elections is of paramount importance.))
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To: Big Red Badger

“Truth Social,
I’m going to Wait till
It’s up and running.
I never twitted or Faced
but this may be “A Bingo!”

I hope it turns out well my friend. As for myself, I am going to exercise some patience and prudence and wait for the reviews to come out after others drive it for awhile. :)


16 posted on 02/27/2022 8:12:49 AM PST by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Pollard

“I’m not doing an app. I’ll wait for the website.”

Same here. And even at that I am going to hang back and wait for the reviews from others who have driven it for awhile. Never did like BETA environments or getting stuck with a lemon...


17 posted on 02/27/2022 8:18:24 AM PST by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: duckman

As am I.


18 posted on 02/27/2022 8:28:19 AM PST by traderrob6 (This is a political)
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To: kanawa

They hired Silicon Valley to censure free speech


19 posted on 02/27/2022 8:38:37 AM PST by roving
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To: fatboy

It isn’t as easy as you might think. You go ahead and be embarrassed.


20 posted on 02/27/2022 9:38:56 AM PST by webheart (I thought I was helping by getting vaccinated but they say I didn’t help at all. )
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