I'm just going to say it. X, formerly Twitter, is one of the weirdest places I've ever tried to grow something online. And not weird in a good way.
I've been spending time on there trying to get the word out about NexURLs, sharing websites, commenting on other people's posts, talking to people, and doing what everybody tells you to do if you want to build an audience. And the more time I spend on X, the more I wonder what the hell everybody is actually doing.
Everybody's talking. Is anybody listening?
Open your feed and look around. Somebody says, “Drop your startup and I'll check it out.” Another says, “Drop your website and I'll give you feedback.” Then somebody asks a question so obvious that you know the entire point is to get 500 replies.
And the replies? Half the time it looks like the same people saying the same things to each other all day long. Post, reply, like, repeat. It's like walking into a room full of people yelling, “Look at me!” while nobody is actually paying attention.
Maybe some of those people genuinely check out the links. I'm sure some do. But from what I've seen, a whole lot of this feels like engagement bait dressed up as helping people.
Those big numbers don't impress me anymore
I've seen posts that say practically nothing get piles of views and replies. Meanwhile, somebody shares a real project, a useful website, or something they've spent hours making and it barely moves.
That's what bothers me. Not that somebody else gets attention. Good for them. It's that the platform can make empty conversation look like something important is happening.
A view isn't a visitor. A like isn't somebody using your product. A reply that says “Great project!” doesn't mean that person even clicked your link.
I'm not claiming every interaction is a bot or that every creator is faking it. I'm saying the experience feels fake to me. There's a difference.
Trying to grow a new account is a pain in the ass
I started putting in the work. Sharing URLs, commenting on other posts, trying different types of content, and actually participating. I got some followers. At first, it felt like things were moving. Then the reach seemed to slow down.
Maybe it's the algorithm. Maybe it's the content. Maybe it's just how competitive X has become. I can't see behind the curtain, and I'm not going to pretend I know exactly why.
But I do know how it feels when you're trying to build something from scratch: you can spend more time figuring out how to get seen than actually doing the thing you came there to promote.
And apparently the answer is to keep posting more and more. Post ten times. Post twenty times. Reply to everybody. Chase trends. Ask bait questions. Become a full-time engagement machine.
Man, I just want people to discover cool stuff on the internet.
Remember when finding a website was actually fun?
That's one of the reasons I built NexURLs. The internet is massive. There are amazing websites, strange websites, funny websites, useful tools, small communities, interesting articles, and things you've probably never heard of.
But it feels like so much of our online time is spent scrolling the same feeds, seeing the same recycled conversations, and waiting for an algorithm to decide what we get to see.
NexURLs is about something simpler: another URL. Find something interesting. Share it. Discover something you didn't know existed. It doesn't have to be about one niche or one trend. It can be about anything.
I'm not pretending my site is going to replace X tomorrow. Hell, it's still growing. But I'd rather spend my time building a place where the actual links and discoveries matter than trying to win an endless game of engagement bait.
My advice? Don't build your entire future around X
If X works for you, great. Keep using it. There are real people there and real connections can happen. But if you're a new creator, a small business, or somebody building a website, don't let that feed convince you that you're failing just because a post gets ignored.
Put your energy into things people can actually find and use. Build your website. Make videos. Publish something worth reading. Connect with people who are interested in what you're doing, not just people trying to get another reply.
And don't confuse attention with progress.
I'm choosing the actual internet
I'll probably still post on X whenever I feel like it. I'm not making some dramatic announcement that I'm deleting my account. But I'm done acting like a bunch of likes and recycled replies are the only way to get anywhere.
I'd rather discover one great website than scroll through a hundred “Drop your startup” posts.
That's my opinion. You don't have to agree with it.
And if you're tired of the same old feed, come explore NexURLs.com. There's always another URL.
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