As promised, today I wanted to talk about Gab again. And here’s why, in a nutshell: It is demonized by those who don’t know any better – or do know but just want to speak badly of it, or of its creator Andrew Torba. And as a user who LOVES Gab, I’m here to help you learn the truth for yourself.
I have written about Gab before (glance through my social media tagged posts) but will briefly repeat what I’d written. The whole purpose of this post is to help people like me, who want to use Gab but also don’t want to be inundated by the profanity and nastiness that many users seem to think “free speech” means. So this is a primer about how to enjoy a kinder, gentler Gab, especially in your early days as you find your way around.
First, spend time writing an accurate profile of who you are and what you like. I can’t tell you how many times I don’t follow someone that I otherwise may have, because their profile isn’t telling me anything about them. Your posts will also speak for you, but your profile is where other members will look.
Next join groups that interest you. When you visit Gab, use the Groups Timeline rather than the Home Timeline (which can, at times, become a free-for-all). Comment on others’ posts showing your interest in what they say. Post appropriate messages of your own in these groups that show what kind of heart you have for others and for the topics. Read the profiles of people who post the kinds of things you want to read; follow back those who follow you if their profiles also attract you; scanning their past posts can also help you learn more about people.*
Use the lists function to create lists of people you follow with whom you share interests, or those whose posts you don’t want to miss, or whatever other criteria you want to use. In the future you can select a list just to see posts by the people you included there. (I use this for quick checks when I only have a couple of minutes, or for keeping up with my IRL friends, or people from the pet lists whose pets have special needs or issues and I want to check on, prayer requests/answers from Christian friends, or…)
Use the mute and block functions so that you don’t have to see those who post things you find offensive or otherwise distasteful. (Note that these don’t always work, and I’m not sure why, but I’ve found that if I’m persistent sooner or later I stop seeing them.)
Once you’ve established yourself and are comfortable, venture out to see what else Gab offers. (GabTV is great too!) Explore what others are writing about, or check out breaking, trending, or latest News; you can even choose news from the sources that you like best! And of course you can also find Gab news to see “Updates From The Free Speech Social Network.”
And there’s the nutshell, full of the benefit of my own experience. Gab is what you make it, and I hope that these simple suggestions will help you to make it what YOU want to see as you learn to find your way around, and beyond!
*Some of the groups that I used in the early days were Doggos, Forward in Christ, Cooking, Rural Life, and The Good Morning Brigade, among others. Though I didn’t post frequently on them all, these are where I started finding people to “meet” (by commenting on their posts) and follow.
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