Leaving Tech

Escaping corporate tech. Layoffs and burnout survivor. I love and hate AI. Building my own thing on the side.
Sound familiar?

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

I'm surprised how many of you on 𝕏 are into 2 or 3 of these:

Tech
Money
Health

If that's you, let's connect.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

@iitsBilal Correction:
> X For you, X Following, X Tech, X AI, X lists, ...
> X analytics
🤣

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

@DanielSmidstrup X algorithm that limits my account for no reason.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

What's the most frustrating thing about social media platforms?

a) They punish the wrong people. Humans get flagged, bots run free.
b) They lock or limit you with no warning.
c) They never tell you why (lack of transparency).

Which one gets you the most?

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Lots of small accounts are getting limited or demonetized lately, and nobody can tell them why.

The irony: X says it's fighting bots to protect authentic creators. In practice it's throttling real humans while the actual spam bots run free (as it happened to me, see my previous posts).

So why? Two theories in my mind.

Money. There seems to be a pattern where new/small accounts growing fast are the ones getting limited. Though I find it hard to believe X needs to squeeze small creators.

Incompetence. They changed the algorithms to catch bots and it's catching humans too. As per the X's developers forum messages, It's been weeks, and it doesn't look like they know how to fix it.

I think it's the second. But honestly? Maybe even they don't know.

What's your theory?

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Another human account limited by X.

I believe they're targeting small accounts either monetized or close to it. Those of us that are growing fast.

Be careful. You can be next.

[intern @ekemini58110]

Seen all the comments, I wished I could reply 😢.

But I can't...

X has restricted me from replying

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

@ekemini58110 Also happened to you?

Dam, we were joking we reply fast
They don't want humans to engage
Specially those about to get monetized

Sorry bro

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

This is not a bug, it's a feature.

I've been interacting with X "Premium" Support the last couple of days and it has been absolutely useless.

- Grok bot couldn't help. I escalated it.
- One day later a "human" replied to me with a canned answer, which was even less helpful.
- After a few interactions and the same canned responses with a link to the rules I haven't broke, I realized that I was hitting a wall.
- I give up.

[Aditya Dand @dandaditya]

@Support @premium @nikitabier
Bro fix your support bot it can't be that tuff 😭

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

This limitation happened to me. I still don't know which rule I broke (they won't tell you becase I broke none). I can barely post a few replies a day, and this is one. This is my second day with limitations. This is incredible unfair and frustrating. What a terrible experience. X is totally broken and X "Premium" support is basically non-existent. I cannot reply more. Read my TL for more info about this nightmare I'm suffering. I feel you bro. https://t.co/tdDrZlHATy

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Unfollowed Elon. Got my account limited hours later.

I'm not saying it's connected. I'm just saying the timing is incredible.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Let see if I can reply to this one only. It's a fair feedback. Could be a small factor, but I think it's mostly pace. It flagged me on fast reply/follow bursts.

The catch is I post about layoffs, interviews and corporate dysfunction, so I keep this anonymous on purpose. Real name and face here could quietly cost me future opportunities, recruiters and employers do look. So a face pic isn't really an option for me.

But you've got a point that the avatar reads a bit cold. Any ideas for something that feels more human while staying anonymous? Open to suggestions.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

This is worse than I thought. Replying and following too fast apparently makes your content dangerous.

Whoever designed this has clearly never used it.
I checked logged out: to anyone who doesn't follow me, my profile reads "hasn't posted." 5,000+ posts, invisible. Then support answered my two questions with the same canned paragraph. Twice.

So there's nothing to fix and no one to ask. You wait it out, keep posting, and start building where they can't switch you off.

More soon, once I'm allowed to talk to you again.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Wow. This is happening to a lot of people. If they don't fix it, I'm losing my trust to X forever: https://t.co/xliG5UzfIs

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

This week X limited my account and flagged me as a bot. No reason, no appeal.

You don't own your audience here. You rent it. And the landlord can lock the door anytime, no reason given.

Build on land you actually own.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Wow. This is happening to a lot of people. If they don't fix it, I'm losing my trust to X forever: https://t.co/xliG5UzfIs

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Update after 1 day of inactivity: I now posted 3 replies and 3 likes in about 30 minutes, and the following message (see image) appears if I try to post/like another. This sucks a lot.

By the way, after escalating the issue via the support bot yesterday, apparently a human responded me today. Basically provided me with a generic text saying this is to protect X of bots and a link to X's rules. I asked for specific feedback/violation and if could lift the limitation. But they replied again with generic text and that the rate limit should reset after a period of time. So nothing more I can do, just wait and pray.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Update after 1 day of inactivity: I now posted 3 replies and 3 likes in about 30 minutes, and the following message (see image) appears if I try to post/like another. This sucks a lot.

By the way, after escalating the issue via the support bot yesterday, apparently a human responded me today. Basically provided me with a generic text saying this is to protect X of bots and a link to X's rules. I asked for specific feedback/violation and if could lift the limitation. But they replied again with generic text and that the rate limit should reset after a period of time. So nothing more I can do, just wait and pray.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

Quick heads up: X limited my account for 3 days. No following, likes or replies . Posting only. (*)

Tried to get help. X's support is basically non-existent and the appeal link doesn't even work for me.

If I leave you on read, that's why.

Please keep engaging and sharing. I'll reply and follow back as soon as the restriction lifts, probably Thursday. 🙏

---
(*) What a LLM recommended me: "do nothing for the next 3 days. In the meantime, avoid attempting any follows, unfollows, likes, or retweets, and don't change your profile info, picture, email, or phone. Every blocked action you attempt can reset or extend the timer. People stuck in week-long loops are usually the ones who kept poking it... Acknowledge it, sit on your hands for 3 days, keep tweeting, and let it expire. Frustrating, but you're not failing to find help, there just isn't a human to find for this one."

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

I unfollowed/followed one by mistake. And I unfollowed and then follower different accounts, perhaps 5-10 in hour.

I had 2 spam replies instantly on my account (I reported them). And there is one account that always likes my posts instantly (I believe is a bot but nothing can do about it).

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

I came to 𝕏 to talk to real people.

Instead, bots reply to me.
A bot limited my account.
Customer support is a bot.

The only thing X's bots block is actual human interaction. Meanwhile the real spam bots run free.

I'm tired of the bots. I just want to talk to humans.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

@ArunimaGanguly2 I appreciate the feedback. I thought about it. My account is verified but, for obvious reasons (e.g. potential impact on present and future employers) I prefer to keep the account without my real name photo.

Given that "anonymous" premise, what would be your suggestion?

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

I don't want to break the daily streak so I'm going to reply even if I can do just a few today, spacing them as much as I can.

The weird thing is I don't know if the account is still limited or not and for how long. This is a internal rate limiter but it's not shown anywhere.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

@SahilPanhotra Thank you bro. I'm trying to reply again but very occasionally.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

First day without replying and following because X restriction. Why people are unfollowing? Can I get some followers? I'll follow back as soon as I can.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

@mikeydsoftware Thank you, Mike. Let's see if allows me reply a few today.

[Leaving Tech @leaving_tech]

@justinhammon_ Thank you, Justin. I'm trying to reply, let's see if allows me to reply a few of you, spacing them from time to time.