

Revolution.Social
Rabble a.k.a. Evan Henshaw-Plath
A podcast about the future of social media and reclaiming our digital communities.Revolution.Social is hosted by technologist and community advocate Rabble, a.k.a. Evan Henshaw-Plath — who was Twitter’s first employee and hired Jack Dorsey. In weekly interviews, Rabble will interview thought leaders, technologists, academics, and more about the need for a new social media "bill of rights." Just as the original Bill of Rights protected individual freedoms from government overreach, we need fundamental protections from corporate control and surveillance capitalism. This is the start of a conversation about what developers are building, how they're building it, and what consumers need to be asking for. Guests will include Jack Dorsey (former CEO & co-founder of Twitter); Kara Swisher (host of On with Kara Swisher, co-host of Pivot); Cory Doctorow (science fiction author & former editor of Boing Boing); and Taylor Lorenz (founder of User Mag, host of Power User).
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 2, 2025 • 21min
Why We Need a New Social Media Bill of Rights
Delve into the concept of a social media bill of rights, recognizing its importance in the digital age. Explore the need for user ownership and algorithm transparency, contrasting the motives of big tech with user needs. Learn about the 'right to be forgotten' and the significance of personal identity ownership. Discover innovative protocols like Noster that prioritize private communication. This conversation sparks a call for a social media revolution, emphasizing the need for a more user-friendly online environment.

Jul 31, 2025 • 57min
Yoel Roth on Banning Trump, Battling Bots & the Difficult Job of Trust & Safety
"Content moderation decisions are like assholes," says Yoel Roth, the former head of trust & safety for Twitter. "Everybody's got one."
The underrated challenge of working in trust and safety is that every decision could affect millions of users, and the reasons for those decisions are often opaque. Today on Revolution.Social, Yoel and Rabble talk about what goes on behind the scenes when a platform like Twitter wants to do something like ban President Donald Trump; how moderation best practices can work on decentralized protocols; and the fallout of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.
" The most striking thing to me from a lot of that work was how a lot of the Russian accounts that we identified on Twitter weren't posting lies."
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:42 Yoel's Origin Story
06:25 How Content Moderation Starts
08:56 Banning Trump
11:22 The Future of Social Media Protocols
16:12 Trust and Safety on Decentralized Platforms
21:12 Inauthentic Activity and Bots
28:22 The Arms Race Against LLMs
29:47 Community Self-Governance
38:28 No, You Need Moderation
42:09 The Homogeneity of Tech Founders
46:20 Should Twitter Promote Democracy?
48:59 Why Spam Really, Really Matters
51:31 Who Else Should Be on the Podcast?
Follow Rabble:
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This episode was produced and edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm, and executive produced by Alice Chan from Flock Marketing.
To learn more about Rabble’s social media bill of rights, and sign up for our newsletter, visit https://revolution.social/

Jul 24, 2025 • 49min
Kara Swisher on Tech Founders' Flaws & Why Social Apps Are the New Cigarettes
In this insightful discussion, Kara Swisher, a seasoned tech journalist and co-host of Pivot, critiques the motivations of social media founders, claiming their focus has shifted from ideals to profit. She compares tech giants to the Borg, emphasizing their relentless expansion. Swisher also advocates for user-driven community moderation, urges schools to ban cell phones, and reflects on the mixed outcomes of Elon Musk's Twitter takeover. With a keen eye on platforms like Bluesky, she emphasizes the need for healthier online spaces.

5 snips
Jul 17, 2025 • 50min
Jack Dorsey on Selling Twitter, Leaving Bluesky & What He's Building Next
Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former CEO of Twitter and Block, delves into his vision for a decentralized future for social media. He discusses the misguided trajectory of Twitter as a traditional tech company and passionately advocates for open protocols like Nostr. Dorsey reflects on his encouragement for Elon Musk to buy Twitter and addresses why he left Bluesky. He emphasizes the challenges of centralized AI firms and articulates Bitcoin's revolutionary potential in reshaping financial systems. Community engagement is key to evolving user-driven technology.

Jul 11, 2025 • 4min
The Internet Doesn’t Have to Be Like This
Dive into a transformative discussion on reshaping social media into inclusive spaces. Examine the origins and intentions behind social platforms while learning from their histories. Hear insights from notable guests, including former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, on how we can reclaim our digital communities. The conversation challenges the status quo and inspires visions of a better internet experience.