Constructive. Therapeutic. Restorative. These are just a few of the words that bounced around in my head today during the ex-Tweeps for Good Day. The fact that people who had just lost their jobs self-organized to fulfill some of the volunteer commitments Twitter’s current owner failed to honor says everything you need to know about the people who worked for The Bird App.
As I may have mentioned, there were a ton of reasons I always wanted to work at Twitter. Pretty high up on that considerable list was their commitment to giving back. They did this in many ways, but the most visible way was the twice-yearly days of services. Originally called “Friday for Good” (for reasons I’m sure you can figure out), they were eventually renamed “Twitter for Good Days,” and took place in every city where Twitter had an office. This year’s fall sessions were originally scheduled for today, but after the takeover — and unceremonious dismissal of the team which organized these — every event was essentially canceled. But Tweeps found a way.
Using the Alumni Slack, we quickly put together as many teams as possible to show up to as many of the original projects we could. And what’s even better is that what used to be Tweep-only affairs were now able to welcome people from our entire history. I immediately signed up for two.
In the morning, I headed to Compass Family Services for my first project, where we spent time with some of the kids there before rolling up our sleeves to clean, sort, and organize the library, art supplies, and teaching tools for the unhoused and at-risk kids. Obviously, the work was rewarding. But what I was not prepared for was how meaningful it was to talk with other former Tweeps about what was going on. Some had left years ago. Some in the last month. And for a handful, they walked out yesterday. But all of us had an undeniable connection, both to that place and to the commitment we had to giving back. It was the fullest definition of gratifying.
When that first session was over, a few of us got an impromptu tour and history lesson around some of the Tenderloin from former Tweep and Neighbor Nest impresario Leah Laxamana. One of the places she highlighted was at the corner of Golden Gate and Hyde: La Cocina. So, a few of us stopped for a quick bite before rejoining her at Faithful Fools for my second project. There, we helped make banners featuring the names of the more than 400 people who have died on the streets of San Francisco this year. These banners, and others being put together by other groups around the city, will all be part of a memorial ceremony at Civic Center Plaza starting at 5 p.m. on 15 December. It was as humbling as it was important.
From there, a number of people from projects all around town, and a few former Tweeps who spent the day at their current gigs, gathered at Zeitgeist to reconnect. And hug. And cheers. It was glorious. And one common theme which kept coming up in conversation after conversation was how connected we felt to each other all because of the happenstance of, at some point, being able to call ourselves Tweeps. It’s a bond I’ve only read about in groups who have survived a traumatic event. And in some respects, no matter when we worked there, we have. But it feels bigger than a common email domain. More than a shared mission statement. It feels like a lifelong commitment both to each other and the ideals we worked to implement each and every day to make Twitter. For good. And I hope that feeling never ends.
Attrition
18 November 2022
Good for Twitter.
Constructive. Therapeutic. Restorative. These are just a few of the words that bounced around in my head today during the ex-Tweeps for Good Day. The fact that people who had just lost their jobs self-organized to fulfill some of the volunteer commitments Twitter’s current owner failed to honor says everything you need to know about the people who worked for The Bird App.
As I may have mentioned, there were a ton of reasons I always wanted to work at Twitter. Pretty high up on that considerable list was their commitment to giving back. They did this in many ways, but the most visible way was the twice-yearly days of services. Originally called “Friday for Good” (for reasons I’m sure you can figure out), they were eventually renamed “Twitter for Good Days,” and took place in every city where Twitter had an office. This year’s fall sessions were originally scheduled for today, but after the takeover — and unceremonious dismissal of the team which organized these — every event was essentially canceled. But Tweeps found a way.
Using the Alumni Slack, we quickly put together as many teams as possible to show up to as many of the original projects we could. And what’s even better is that what used to be Tweep-only affairs were now able to welcome people from our entire history. I immediately signed up for two.
In the morning, I headed to Compass Family Services for my first project, where we spent time with some of the kids there before rolling up our sleeves to clean, sort, and organize the library, art supplies, and teaching tools for the unhoused and at-risk kids. Obviously, the work was rewarding. But what I was not prepared for was how meaningful it was to talk with other former Tweeps about what was going on. Some had left years ago. Some in the last month. And for a handful, they walked out yesterday. But all of us had an undeniable connection, both to that place and to the commitment we had to giving back. It was the fullest definition of gratifying.
When that first session was over, a few of us got an impromptu tour and history lesson around some of the Tenderloin from former Tweep and Neighbor Nest impresario Leah Laxamana. One of the places she highlighted was at the corner of Golden Gate and Hyde: La Cocina. So, a few of us stopped for a quick bite before rejoining her at Faithful Fools for my second project. There, we helped make banners featuring the names of the more than 400 people who have died on the streets of San Francisco this year. These banners, and others being put together by other groups around the city, will all be part of a memorial ceremony at Civic Center Plaza starting at 5 p.m. on 15 December. It was as humbling as it was important.
From there, a number of people from projects all around town, and a few former Tweeps who spent the day at their current gigs, gathered at Zeitgeist to reconnect. And hug. And cheers. It was glorious. And one common theme which kept coming up in conversation after conversation was how connected we felt to each other all because of the happenstance of, at some point, being able to call ourselves Tweeps. It’s a bond I’ve only read about in groups who have survived a traumatic event. And in some respects, no matter when we worked there, we have. But it feels bigger than a common email domain. More than a shared mission statement. It feels like a lifelong commitment both to each other and the ideals we worked to implement each and every day to make Twitter. For good. And I hope that feeling never ends.
See you tomorrow?