Umar Hague argues convincingly that social media has not fulfilled its promise because it has allowed a culture of abuse to flourish. And that has driven people away – abuse turned Facebook into something it didn’t start out to be and abuse is threatening to end Twitter.

He ends the essay thus, calling for companies to focus on the abuse of others at least as much as they focus on serving up advertisements:

Can we create a better web? Sure. But I think we have to start with humility, gratitude, reality — not arrogance, privilege, blindness. Abuse isn’t a nuisance, a triviality, a minor annoyance that “those people” have to put up with for the great privilege of having our world-changing stuff in their grubby hands. It will chill, stop, and kill networks from growing, communities from blossoming, and lives from flourishing.

Do read it all, it’s worth your time.