I've dubbed it "the retweet from hell." A few weeks ago, Alex Salkever and I wrote an article for Fortune, extolling a fresh immigration policy endorsed by California Governor Gavin Newsom. This policy aimed at empowering promising entrepreneurs to set roots in the Golden State and kickstart their businesses. Once I shared the article link in a tweet, the governor generously retweeted it, reaching his expansive 2 million followers.
Yet, I was ill-prepared for what ensued: Our Twitter feeds were swiftly commandeered by vulgar, venom-spewing trolls tearing apart the article. The situation deteriorated to the point where my Twitter stream turned into a jumbled mess–most comments and mentions originated from these trolls, hurling various forms of abuse. Seeking insight, I messaged Governor Newsom, asking if this was a recurrent theme. His response? "Welcome to my world. :)"
