Kim Shorts: Try something new

I tried something new this year. In February, I became a Beta tester for a Canadian social media site.

Not just any site. It was for the new Gander Social site - Canada’s latest sovereign-hosted social media. That means the technology and infrastructure are built and hosted in Canada, and the owners are Canadian. Your data and privacy are protected by Canadian laws.

If you do the research on technology, you will find out very quickly that the majority of the technology we use in Canada – to run our computers, phones and E-mails, etc., are all run and owned by American companies.

So yes, this is one of my “Elbows Up” moments.

As a trained journalist, I am a media junkie. I love learning about world news but most importantly, I want to know what is going on in Canada. Mainstream media has changed more recently and you have to question and challenge a lot of things that you hear, read or see, in case it carries misinformation.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that "Kim Shorts" sits in the editorial section for a reason. My column is just that – a column containing my views and opinions. I try hard to include facts, keep them straight and/or quote a source. As an editorial, this column is not expected to be straight news reporting like you see in the Kincardine Record’s News and Sports sections. Editorials are allowed a lot of room to discuss a topic. I do try to provide information that may be helpful or educational, or is simply filled with joy.

Years ago, I was on Twitter when it was accepted as “informative” and “fun” social media that you could get in real time. When that site went downhill quickly, I quit it. Then I joined BlueSky which has
become messy, especially if you did not know how and whom to follow.

In the past year, like many Canadians, I have been spending time educating myself on what is Canadian-owned versus American-owned – including food, products and especially, the media. It’s been quite the education and a welcome journey. I gained deeper approval and support for our Canadian and locally-owned stores.

When Gander Social was floated as an idea last year, I was among the 34,000-plus Canadians who immediately signed up in an expression of support for something built in Canada. Gander Social’s goals are "to create a platform built for data privacy, respect, and community,” and to “protect democracy, youth, and mental health with a sovereign, Canadian-built alternative.” The reference to sovereignty has become quite ubiquitous for we Canadians in the past year.

One of the interesting parts about Gander Social is that it is moderated in the spirit of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In February, proponents of the site were ready to start the Beta testing, letting in 4,000 new users. Now there are about 8,000 testers who use and play with the new application (app). We call ourselves the “Flock” and when new users join, they are “Goslings.” There are a whole lot of fun, goose-related user names and the goose jokes are endless. If you’re looking for me on Gander Social, my handle is @kimmer.gander.social.

As a Beta tester, we flag anything that appears not to work correctly on our phones or iPad. For the first two weeks, the app kept closing on down on me. But watching them update and fix things has been kind of cool.

There was a lot of activity on Gander during the Winter Olympic Games as we were all cheering on our Canadian athletes. I don’t believe I will ever get that expression nor the image of “booping” that curling stone out of my head.

Watching the recent Artemis II adventure in space also had a lot of appeal to Gander users, especially the long wait getting the capsule open. There were a lot of funny comments while we waited for the inflatable porch to pop up, the door to open, and the four astronauts to emerge.

Whenever I open the app, I know I will close it with a smile. We are all trying to keep the political information to a minimum and we call each other out if there is any disrespect shown. Folks on the site are eager to share their “pet tax” photos, their musings, and there are some small business promotions.

The best part is that most people simply want to share their stories from across Canada. I should point out that we talk about world news too. We cannot operate in a vacuum. I love learning so much more about what is going on with people from Charlottetown to Fredericton to Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. Even people from far up north chime in. It’s always a pleasure to compare the weather, the beaches and our sunsets along Lake Huron in Bruce and Huron counties.

I know the site will evolve over time after it opens up to the public which is expected soon. Many of us on Gander hope the grace and respect demonstrated by Canadians will continue to filter through this new social media wonder.

Right now it feels like family.