Finding out

As someone who visited Micro.blog fairly frequently until last year, even building an Android app and theme for it, I was stunned by how poorly Manton handled the situation that unfolded last week.

I'm surprised he would deflect Adam's points, insert himself into the discussion, and then spin it as if he'd been attacked. I'm confused why he couldn't give a clear answer to people asking about his working relationship with Vincent, who has, at a minimum, failed to clarify his stance on LGBTQ+ people and, at worst, decided it's a priority to support Elon Musk, both financially by paying for Twitter and with masturbatory praise for work he's been largely uninvolved in.

As an aside, Manton says this is okay because Vincent likes rockets. I think Melanie had the best reply to this:

liking a fascist because you "just like rockets" is like saying you like hitler for his paintings: no you don't, those rockets (and those paintings) are shit. good rockets don't explode, those are called bombs.

So, after days of painful back and forth, Manton chose to give Vincent the benefit of the doubt and continue to have him involved in Micro.blog, and that's fine; it's his choice. This way of thinking got us into our current situation and doesn't hold Vincent accountable for what he's done and continues to do, but... sure.

I deleted my account a year ago, but if I hadn't, I'd be doing it now. Adam raised a valid point about Vincent's conflicting values, and Manton made it about himself. He did a lot of telling and very little listening. If he can't see the issue here, it's not a place I want to be.