Karl has been a fixture of SF's online identity for years, amassing a massive following on what we used to call Twitter. The anthropomorphized fog became a genuine point of civic pride — a rare thing that united tech bros, old-school San Franciscans, and tourists alike. Karl was funny, self-aware, and refreshingly apolitical. Just vibes and visibility jokes.

But here's the thing about building your brand on someone else's platform: when the platform crumbles, so does the megaphone. And X — formerly Twitter, formerly relevant — isn't exactly the town square it used to be.

As one local put it bluntly: "Who the fuck uses Twitter anymore?" Another SF resident chimed in with a more practical question: "Deleted Twitter a couple years ago. Where else is Karl active?"

Fair questions, both. Karl does maintain an Instagram presence, but the magic of the account was always its real-time, quippy commentary — something that thrived in Twitter's old format. The shift to X has scattered communities and audiences alike, and Karl's reach has arguably suffered for it.

There's a broader lesson here for any San Francisco institution — digital or otherwise. Dependence on a single platform, a single revenue stream, or a single political patron is a recipe for irrelevance. Karl the Fog didn't do anything wrong. The infrastructure just moved out from under him.

So pour one out for a local legend who's still out there doing the work every morning, rolling past Twin Peaks, swallowing the Sunset, and keeping our summers honestly cool. Karl doesn't need a platform to exist. But San Francisco's a little less fun when we can't hear from him.

Here's hoping Karl finds a new home online. The fog always finds a way in.