The Core

https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/14/23024905/elon-musk-offers-to-buy-twitter

What could wrong?

"Piper Sandler analysts called the offer "reasonable" while Bloomberg observed that a competing bid would be unlikely to exceed $50 billion. At $54.20 per share, Musk is seeking to take the company private for a total of roughly $43 billion.

The most confounding take came from Goldman Sachs, whose strategists were hired to advise Twitter's board in regard to Musk's offer. They said $54.20 was too low to be taken seriously, yet Goldman currently has a SELL rating on TWTR with a price target of just $30 per share."

Goldman Advisors Say "No Deal" to Musk's Twitter Bid
https://www.unseenopp.com/goldman-advisors-say-no-deal-to-musks-twitter-bid/

Debbie is definitely uneasy about an un-stifled Musk twitter platform.

Mark Cuban says Musk is just pumping the stock price on the 10% of twitter he owns and he'll sell out for a good profit.  Musk did similar with Tesla, announcing he was going to take it private. Stock shot up.

Now that makes sense.

Same with dogecoin.

Twitter to accept Elon Musk's $45 billion bid to buy company (independent.co.uk)

Musk Seals $44 Billion Deal For Twitter, Pledges To Defeat Spam Bots
https://www.ibtimes.com/musk-seals-44-billion-deal-twitter-pledges-defeat-spam-bots-3484478

>defeat

That would be a major thing.

Yeah, this will be interesting to watch. 

Looking at my timeline at Mastodon.social.  People are reporting a flood of new signups that is taxing the timeline with some saying TL is an hour behind.

Admins from other Mastodon communities are also reporting a big influx.

Looks like a bunch of Twitter users are stomping out.

Alright Elon, don't fuck it up | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/25/alright-elon-dont-fuck-it-up/

^{Theory Y, meet Theory X...}

Twitter Employees Are Freaking About Elon Musk, Their Soon-to-Be New Boss
https://www.thedailybeast.com/twitter-employees-are-freaking-about-elon-musk-their-soon-to-be-new-boss?source=us-news&via=rss

^{Yes, please, and add Twitter to the list.}

https://old.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/uca222/1er_pranks/

EU warns Elon Musk over Twitter moderation plans | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/04/eu-warns-elon-musk-over-twitter-moderation-plans/

Musk told banks he will rein in Twitter pay, make money from tweets -sources | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/musk-told-banks-he-will-rein-twitter-pay-make-money-tweets-sources-2022-04-29/

Twitter warns of possible employee exodus before Musk completes purchase | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/05/twitter-warns-of-possible-employee-exodus-before-musk-completes-purchase/

Musk playing with charging corporations and government to Tweet.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/4/23056524/elon-musk-twitter-business-plans-charging-governments-corporations

I want to say charge politicians and PACs but that probably isn't a good idea.

Audio of Twitter all-employee conference call leaked
https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/27/twitter-leaked-all-hands-call/

Bravado and bad business acumen leave Musk facing a $1B penalty for his Twitter fiasco

https://boingboing.net/2022/05/17/bravado-and-bad-business-acumen-leave-musk-facing-a-1b-penalty-for-his-twitter-fiasco.html

It would appear Musk waived his right to due diligence in his offer.  So bot count does not matter. 

I really do not understand this purchase.  Musk should be busy enough with Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and Boring.  This is like the opposite of too many people digging a whole in the ground.

Maybe it just comes down to him wanting to say what ever the hell he wants without anyone being able to shut him down?

^{I hope he doesn't buy it but Debbie says he's right to question the bot count.}

More than 23% of Elon Musk's Twitter followers are spam or fake accounts, research groups say (businessinsider.com)

Quote from: littleman on May 17, 2022, 09:07:26 PM
I really do not understand this purchase.

This won't work well in writing, but here goes. How do you spell megalomania? M-U-S-K.

I've been so out of the social media thing for so long, I really don't even know how most of it works. What is the purpose of all of these Twitter bots? Is it all just affiliate link drops? How do bots make money? Are there incentives other than money?

Elon Musk notifies Twitter he is terminating deal (cnbc.com)

How Elon's bizarre Twitter takeover saga could have just been a cover for him to sell $8.5 billion in Tesla stock (https://fortune.com/2022/07/09/how-elon-musk-bizarre-twitter-takeover-saga-could-have-just-been-a-cover-for-him-to-sell-8-billion-in-tesla-stock/)

15 Revelations in Twitter's Suit Against Elon Musk
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/07/twitters-lawsuit-against-elon-musk-15-revelations.html

And it's back on again:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/04/tech/elon-musk-twitter-deal/index.html

Yet another front to pull money out of Tesla?

> back on

Crud, now it's going to be even more drama on Twitter than before.

Report: Elon Musk plans to cut 75% of Twitter workforce - ABC News

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/report-elon-musk-plans-cut-75-twitter-workforce-91857677

Not that Twitter is any prize, but this is not going to go well.

This is going to be like Murdock and MySpace.

I give it two years tops.

>Murdock and MySpace

Debbie agrees.

On Thursday night, Mr. Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy the social media service, said three people with knowledge of the situation. He also began cleaning house, with at least four top Twitter executives — including the chief executive and chief financial officer — getting fired on Thursday.

Elon Musk Completes $44 Billion Deal to Own Twitter, Fires CEO and CFO - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/27/technology/elon-musk-twitter-deal-complete.html

Quote of the day...

Quote"It's a 'back-to-the-future' reversion to content rules circa 2010, but one that ignores the lived experience over the last decade," said Colin Crowell, Twitter's former head of global public policy, who left the
company in 2019. "People eventually realize that the Wild West needs a sheriff, both for ensuring the safety of citizens but also for enhancing the prospects for commerce."

>enhancing the prospects for commerce

That's been /r's problem, as well.  It takes years of moderating and site re-development/morphing to make a social portal palatable for top-tier advertisers.   ...And only a misstep or two to blow it.

>commerce

This is the key.  Musk does not care what individual Twitter users like me think or want, but reality hits the road with advertisers and if they make it clear that that they want limits on the craziness or they take their money elsewhere, Musk will listen.

hhh!

Welcome to hell, Elon
You fucked up real good, kiddo. - The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/28/23428132/elon-musk-twitter-acquisition-problems-speech-moderation

That was a beautiful article. 

Trump Says He Won't Return to Twitter

https://politicalwire.com/2022/10/28/trump-says-he-wont-return-to-twitter/

I don't see how we break the Gordian knot that the internet created - publishing platforms with near open access and no editorial process. That's a new thing. It's not like a traditional publisher where multiple people along the chain (agent, acquisitions editor, editor, bookstore buyer) all have to make a positive decision, not a block but a buy decision, before something sees the light of day. It's also not like a traditional common carrier where my phone calls are not broadcast and available to the world.

Will it just come down to advertisers forcing platforms into policing the internet?

It would seem so, based on Elon's letter to advertisers saying that Twitter cannot become a free-for-all- hellscape
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1585619322239561728/photo/2

And it turns out, Truth Social is pretty aggressive about banning people they don't like, especially people who don't like Devin Nunes... though the driver is less clear (Devin Nunes personal ego or user feedback or just a fear of actual free speech on Truth Social).
https://www.techdirt.com/2022/02/24/as-expected-trumps-social-network-is-rapidly-banning-users-it-doesnt-like-without-telling-them-why/

Amidst that some legislators want to overturn Section 230 so they can make websites responsible for moderating content. Others want to overturn it in order to prevent websites from moderating content.
https://www.theverge.com/21294198/section-230-tech-congress-justice-department-white-house-trump-biden

Meanwhile, a Texas court has ruled that Texas bill HB 12 can go into effect, because Youtube and Facebook are not websites, but are common carriers
https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/13/23068423/fifth-circuit-texas-social-media-law-ruling-first-amendment-section-230

QuoteHB 20, to recap a little, bans social media platforms from removing, downranking, demonetizing, or otherwise "discriminat[ing] against" content based on "the viewpoint of the user or another person." It applies to any "internet website or application" that hits 50 million monthly active users and "enables users to communicate with other users," with exceptions for internet service providers and media sites. Social networks also aren't allowed to ban users based on their location in Texas, a provision clearly meant to stop sites from simply pulling out of the state — which might be the simplest solution for many of them.

So thirty years on, we still have not settled who is a publisher and who is a common carrier and somehow Twitter has to navigate all that.

Twitter Blue to Reportedly Cost $20 a Month as Musk Revises Verification Process

http://technologyembryo.com/twitter-blue-to-reportedly-cost-20-a-month-as-musk-revises-verification-process/

Takeaways:

1. Musk wants to start charging $4.99 a month for users to have the blue verification check mark.

2. Musk wants to charge $20 for subscription service "Twitter Blue" which supposedly also verifies but also gives subscribers access to more better features.

I don't see his proposal as bad tbh. If anyone wants to flaunt themselves as a verified figure, pay a few quid.

Maybe part of the thinking is it pays to kick out the ones that are pretending to be them.

Could perhaps tax that amount to fund alternative 'platforms' to have a conversation, to mitigate any crazy Twitter decisions on what's right and wrong.

Same here, it's not altogether bad, especially those building brands should pay. 

One famous person did ask (paraphrasing) "How will people distinguish between me and those posing as me so that people send the death threats and abuse to the right account?"

This is all pretty minor stuff.  Musk needs to go after the robots and agents provocateur accounts and generally clean up the dreck.

I guess I see it differently, he is literally proposing to charge the content creators.  If anything the pay should be going in the other direction.

Unless the content creators are using twitter's reach to build their brand ...or they're hooked on stardust.

Quote from: littleman on November 01, 2022, 08:03:27 PM
I guess I see it differently, he is literally proposing to charge the content creators.  If anything the pay should be going in the other direction.

I see your point LM:  he should be glad Taylor Swift is on Twitter.  Ditto people like the US President and members of the administration because they help make Twitter the go to network. 

Quote from: littleman on November 01, 2022, 08:03:27 PM
If anything the pay should be going in the other direction.

https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1587042605627490304?s=20

Quote$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I'm gone like Enron.

Elon Musk is haggling with Stephen King over Twitter's new fees

https://qz.com/elon-musk-is-negotiating-his-new-twitter-fees-in-real-t-1849729986

Debbie is starting to like this guy....

Musk Eliminates 'Days of Rest' From Twitter Employee Calendars - Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-03/musk-eliminates-days-of-rest-from-twitter-employee-calendars

'The Expectation Is Literally To Work 24/7': Elon Musk Orders Twitter Staff To Work 84-Hour Weeks As 75% Of Employees Face Being Fired (https://radaronline.com/p/elon-musk-twitter-staff-work-84-hour-weeks-75-percent-employees-fired/)

Quote
According to Business Insider, Musk is not only ordering his employees to work 12-hour shifts seven days a week, but he has also threatened to cut a whopping 75% of Twitter's workforce following his $44 billion acquisition of the company.

>'The Expectation Is Literally To Work 24/7': Elon Musk Orders Twitter Staff To Work 84-Hour Weeks As 75% Of Employees Face Being Fired

"Work 12/7" order will quickly pare the payroll.

Stephen King fires back at Musk's offer to only charge $8 instead of $20.

"Musk makes me think of Tom Sawyer, who is given the job of whitewashing a fence as punishment. Tom cons his friends into doing the chore for him, and getting them to pay for the privilege. That's what Musk wants to do with Twitter. No, no, no."
https://mobile.twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1587971854760820736


>> pare the payroll.

The problem with attrition through flogging as a way to bring down headcount, is the heads with the most options will be the first to leave, and the heads with the most options are likely to be the heads who do more in 42 hours than the ones without options do in 84.

 With Twitter in chaos, Mastodon is on fire  (https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/05/tech/mastodon/index.html)

I've signed up as a patreon just to show my support against centralised social media.

I've asked for an invite on a tech server ...mostly to reserve my nic.

Yeow! Twitter is losing $4m/DAY!

Jack Dorsey: Twitter co-founder breaks silence on Elon Musk takeover - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63527893

I looked up Twitter's numbers - it has only made a profit two years in it's entire history.

simplytheresa tells me that in David Heinemeier Hanson's newsletter he said that they (Basecamp) hired a software engineer from Twitter. He said he's a good programmer, but in two years at Twitter, did not finish a single project. Everything he worked on got canceled before launch.

QuoteTo illustrate, we once had a designer at 37signals who had worked at Twitter previously. This person had spent over two years at Twitter and never shipping anything. It was mockups, meetings, and then eventual cancelations that propelled life in the product group at that time.

The blog post is here
https://world.hey.com/dhh/setting-the-pace-03d4539a

This is an interesting post about how Jobs laid of 4100 people when he came back to Apple in 1997. The linked video is worth a watch
https://world.hey.com/dhh/apple-fired-4-100-when-steve-jobs-returned-in-1997-57ed6bc6


He has a lot of thoughts on Twitter actually

QuoteWhen WhatsApp was sold to Facebook in 2014, it had almost half a billion monthly users, but a team of just 50 people running everything. Compare this to Twitter, which today has a staff of 7,500 to manage half the number of users. Yet Musk is the crazy one here for suggesting that maybe Twitter could operate with a mere TWO THOUSAND employees? Please.

https://world.hey.com/dhh/need-it-take-7-500-people-to-run-twitter-a8cb36a6

Bloat aside, this seems to be the ultimate vanity purchase.  Musk literally tweeted about what Reddit was saying about him yesterday.  Does the man even work anymore?

Twitter has lost 50 of its top 100 advertisers since Elon Musk took over, report says (https://www.npr.org/2022/11/25/1139180002/twitter-loses-50-top-advertisers-elon-musk)

Quote
Half of Twitter's top 100 advertisers appear to no longer be advertising on the website. A report from Media Matters for America states that these 50 advertisers have spent almost $2 billion on Twitter ads since 2020 and more than $750 million just in 2022.

Seven additional advertisers have slowed their advertising to almost nothing, according to the report, which was published on Tuesday. These companies have paid Twitter more than $255 million since 2020.

BREAKING: Elon Musk has said he'd "make an alternative phone" if Google and Apple remove Twitter from their App Stores.

Speculation in thread.
https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/1596270713262202880

Getting a phone OS is easy at this point:

• Several forks of Android Available
  Several Linux Mobile Flavors Available although they need work and have few apps.
  That Mozilla phone OS could be revived

The problem is getting the apps that people want.  But Musk doesn't care about privacy so that makes it simpler.

>Getting a phone OS is easy at this point

Teslas already include a cellular-connected tablet OS. SpaceX already offers satellite connectivity. He could build a phone, but it'd have to be very compelling for people to switch from Apple and Android.

>>Getting a phone OS is easy at this point:

>>The problem is

People just want more iPhones, at least in the US
https://9to5mac.com/2022/09/02/iphone-us-market-share/
https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/us-smartphone-market-share

>But Musk doesn't care about privacy so that makes it simpler.

I went on a factory tour of Tesla a few years back.  In their showroom there was a map on a large LCD screen where they showed the real time location of every Tesla in the United States.

Honestly, I can't see this plan working.

EU warns Musk that Twitter faces ban over content moderation -FT | Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/technology/eu-warns-musk-that-twitter-faces-ban-over-content-moderation-ft-2022-11-30/

>> phone

I was just listening to a John Stewart podcast and he was riffing along and dropped, "Yeah, I've been locked out of the networks, so I'm going to start selling my own TV. If you don't buy my TV, that's because you hate democracy and don't care about free speech. No, it doesn't work like that."

A thread about long-standing issues on the technical side:

"The stuff uncovered in the Twitter whistleblower report is much crazier than anything in the "Twitter files" but it's much less politically/tribally salient so it got no attention. Going to do a thread on some of the craziest things, in no particular order."

https://twitter.com/AvidHalaby/status/1602127460677844993

Twitter has reportedly stopped paying rent on San Francisco HQ and other offices


https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2022/12/13/twitter-rent-offices.html

Lately this guy seems like the ultimate expression of FU money.

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey laments state of app | The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-jack-dorsey-elon-musk-mastadon-signal-b2244988.html

Jet-tracking teen lashes out at Elon Musk for suspending Twitter account

https://nypost.com/2022/12/14/jet-tracking-teen-lashes-out-at-elon-musk-for-suspending-twitter-account/

"full-on hypocrite"

Debbie has been screaming this for weeks now...

https://i.redd.it/rn2n2av8yv5a1.jpg

>Jet-tracking teen lashes out at Elon Musk for suspending Twitter account

Now Elon says he's taking legal action against the kid (for tweeting publicly-available information).

"Legal action is being taken against Sweeney & organizations who supported harm to my family."
https://www.the-sun.com/tech/6919934/elon-musk-twitter-sweeney-suspended-stalker-lil-x/
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1603190155107794944?s=20&t=ehE6OeNH03CJJmvhjEP8Mg

Twitter is blocking links to Mastodon

https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/15/23512113/twitter-blocking-mastodon-links-elon-musk-elonjet

Elon Musk's Twitter bans CNN, NYT, WaPo journalists | CNN Business

Elon Musk bans several prominent journalists from Twitter, calling into question his commitment to fr## sp##ch

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/media/twitter-musk-journalists-hnk-intl/index.html

+

EU warns Musk of sanctions after Twitter suspensions

https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/1216/1342161-twitter-journalists/

+
Elon Musk's Jet (@elonjet@mastodon.social) - Mastodon

https://mastodon.social/@elonjet

Streisand effect: Elon Musk's attempts to discourage people from tracking his plane have backfired tremendously...

Reddit now has a subreddit entirely dedicated to tracking Elon Musk's jet
https://fortune.com/2022/12/16/elon-musk-plane-tracking-subreddit/

https://old.reddit.com/r/ElonJetTracker/

I never really cared about his jet before, but now I kinda find the topic entertaining.   The Streisand effect is on full force.

This happened with Google and Eric Schmidt.  Eric was mouthing off about how good it was for Google to know so much about you, so somebody, using only Google published tons of publicly available info on Eric.  Eric had a temper tantrum.

There are different rules for little people and Big Shots.

He's making the front page of /r. We may need to rename it the "Musk Effect."

Jet HAS LANDED. Flight from San Jose, California, USA, took off at 12:13 PM local time (PST), landed in Luten, UK 5:41 AM local time (UTC). Tail #N628TS : ElonJetTracker

https://old.reddit.com/r/ElonJetTracker/comments/zorhdk/jet_has_landed_flight_from_san_jose_california/

+

A new subreddit dedicated to the Elon Musk jet tracker is one of the fastest-growing pages on the website, with almost 40,000 members in 2 days

https://www.insider.com/elonjet-jack-sweeney-twitter-bot-banned-elon-musk-reddit-2022-12

++

Congratulations to /r/ElonJetTracker for hitting 100,000 subscribers in just over 3 days!


Reddit admins suspended, then unsuspended, the tracking account. Admins confirmed it was a mistake (for now).  The account is a bot (or was on Twit) and used publicly available flight data.

Elon Musk's Twitter poll ends with users seeking his departure | AP News

https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-8dac8ae023444ef9c37ca1d8fe1c14df

I am perplexed at how much a mess he has made of this so quickly.

Its like he's doing it on purpose but I can't see his endgame.

https://twitter.com/FilipeMagellan/status/1605049540410855424

QuoteFrom a technical standpoint, if the owner of a publishing platform needs to get into tricks and publish lies to catch bots, he already failed his leadership over his tech teams and his user base before he even pressed the Post button.

Elon Musk says Twitter 'not on the fast lane to bankruptcy anymore' | Business News | Sky News

https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musk-says-twitter-not-on-the-fast-lane-to-bankruptcy-anymore-12774290

Just 0.2% of Twitter users pay for a subscription | The Independent

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-blue-users-elon-musk-b2277207.html

Twitter's plan to charge for crucial tool (API) prompts outcry | Stars and Stripes

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2023-02-13/twitter-plan-charge-api-9128250.html

>I am perplexed at how much a mess he has made of this so quickly.

He just seems like a know-it-all dick.

Elon Musk says only verified^($$) Twitter users to show up in "For You" tab

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/28/elon-musk-says-only-verified-twitter-users-to-show-up-in-for-you-tab.html

>For You

Elon thinks of Twitter as only a means for people to grow business.  It will become dreck just like the Web has.

News orgs reject Musk's demand to pay for Twitter checkmark

https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/03/30/news-orgs-reject-musks-demand-to-pay-for-twitter-checkmark/

There seems to be a theme:


>"Some of you may be wondering whether or not the L.A. Times will pay for Twitter Blue subscriptions, and the answer right now is no, for several reasons: First of all, verification no longer establishes authority or credibility, instead it will only mean that someone has paid for a Twitter Blue subscription,"


> "will not pay for Twitter Blue service as an institution or on behalf of our journalists" because "it's evident that verified checkmarks no longer represent authority and expertise."

>"There are several reasons for this, but one outweighs them all: a blue checkmark no longer means the handle is 'verified.'"

The only thing the blue check mark means is that someone was willing to pay for it.  Kinda hard to build a business model on something that has no value other than that it costs money.  Right now the news outlets are providing free content in exchange for exposure.  Imagine what would happen if something like the NYT pulled out and demanded twitter start paying to display their content.  Just a few of those big organizations pulling out of twitter would greatly reduce twitter's consumer value.

Plus I didn't realize the cost $1000 + $50/head per month. For a huge organization like NYT that could amount to enough money each year to hire one more good journalist.

Twitter shuts down its free API and affects multiple apps

https://9to5mac.com/2023/04/06/twitter-shuts-down-free-api/

You all remember when Yahoo dropped Inktomi and then Inktomi's stock dropped down to around $0.50/share from it's high of something like $240/share?  A few months later Yahoo bought Inktomi for $1/share.  I feel like Twitter is very close to collapsing, all it would take is for a couple of big names to walk away.  Musk seems to be doing everything he can to make that happen.   Last week he stopped fact checking posts from state sponsored news from China and Russia, at the same time he started labeling NPR state sponsored media.

>>  NPR state sponsored media

You got me curious whether that was just being fair and even-handed which made me ask how much federal funding does NPR get? Answer:

QuoteWhile NPR does not receive any direct federal funding, it does receive a small number of competitive grants from CPB and federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce. This funding amounts amounted to less than 0.1% of revenues, according to its 2020 public filings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPR#Funding

Which made me wonder if it's worth all the political wrangling and Twitter labelling they get for that money.

>0.1% of revenues

I agree it would be nice for them to be untethered.

Twitter lifts restrictions on Russian government accounts | Ukrainska Pravda

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/04/8/7397036/

Elon Musk and Substack are beefing.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/technology/elon-musk-and-substack-are-beefing-here-s-a-rundown-of-the-back-and-forth-between-the-twitter-ceo-and-the-blogging-site/ar-AA19DHEe

Hard to starboard!!

BBC branded 'government-funded' on Twitter

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/04/09/bbc-branded-as-government-funded-on-twitter/

Guy is losing his mind.  He's changed his handle to "Harry Bōlz"
and just whited out the W in twitter in SF HQ sign so that it reads "titter".

NPR pulls out.

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/12/1169269161/npr-leaves-twitter-government-funded-media-label

Quote from: littleman on April 12, 2023, 03:54:56 PM
NPR pulls out.

That's excellent news. I was sort of hoping this would be a consequence of the Musk takeover. I listen to a handful of podcasts with journalists and they all seem addicted to Twitter. I've noticed on an individual level that people are pulling back from Twitter. But for too long it has been the discussion forum of choice for journalists, which I think is bad given the character limits and the gamification of the platform.

PBS pulled out. (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-12/pbs-joins-npr-in-quitting-twitter-over-state-backed-designation)

CBC 'pauses' (https://torontosun.com/news/national/twitter-adds-government-funded-media-tag-to-cbc-account)

Swedish Public Radio is out. (https://bnonews.com/index.php/2023/04/swedish-public-radio-is-4th-news-organization-to-leave-twitter/)

Microsoft kicks Twitter in the teeth | TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/19/microsoft-kicks-twitter-in-the-teeth/

Twitter removed the "government-funded media" tag on public broadcasters, including the CBC, on Thursday without any explanation.

The move came after the Global Task Force for Public Media called on Twitter earlier in the day to correct its description of public broadcasters in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.6817729

+ (more info)

Twitter drops 'state-affiliated', 'government-funded' labels  | Al Jazeera

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/4/21/twitter-drops-state-affiliated-government-funded-labels

I feel like there is a lesson in this for all of us.

It feels like not a single Musk reform of Twitter was actually thought out beforehand, by maybe a grownup.

The 16-Inch Main Battery is starting to lock on target Twitter.

https://www.battleshipnc.com/16-inch-main-battery-big-guns/



Twitter once muzzled Russian and Chinese state propaganda. That's over now : NPR

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/21/1171193551/twitter-once-muzzled-russian-and-chinese-state-propaganda-thats-over-now

Elon Musk's Twitter yanks blue checks from government agencies; impersonators emerge - oregonlive.com

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2023/04/elon-musks-twitter-yanks-blue-checks-from-government-agencies-impersonators-emerge.html

Twitter restores blue tick to high profile accounts - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65365366

Elon Musk says Twitter's ad revenue drops 50% and cash flow is negative | CNN Business

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/15/business/twitter-cash-flow-elon-musk/index.html

Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, is to charge all users subscription fees

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/19/elon-musk-twitter-x-subscription-fees-users-posts?CMP=twt_gu#Echobox=1695118249

This will be the end for me on Twitter.

>This will be the end for me on Twitter.

>This will be the end for me on Twitter.

From u/ThisCryptographer311 on Reddit: "Ah the ol "take something that used to be free for users and then make them pay for it" trick. Works every time."

It's the Billionaires' Internet, and We're Just Posting on It

http://th3core.com/talk/water-coolerextra/its-the-billionaires-internet-and-were-just-posting-on-it/msg78494/#msg78494

I've considered buying a Tesla. No more just because of his shenanigans. He's ridiculous.

Actually a small one-time payment in order to create an account is kind of a good idea. That seems to be what he's proposing as a possible idea.

It's not the amount that matters. As he says, it's the fact that the bots would need a separate payment method for each account.


That said, Elon should learn that his mouth functions best when closed and Tesla, which has benefited a lot from the Elon elan, needs to become more of a car company and less of a fan club if it's going to become the next Ford. The only other car CEO I can name is Mary Barra and that's only because the media made such a big deal about a woman being named CEO of a major auto manufacturer.

SOmebody mentioned this on the radio as a possible Elon Plan:  Musk has already said he wants people to be able to send money/payments via Twitter, plus other ecommerce stuff which I can't remember.  So this payment scheme means you have already registered your credit card details with Twitter so it's not as big a step to start sending money or buying merch and stuff on Twitter.

>Actually a small one-time payment in order to create an account is kind of a good idea. That seems to be what he's proposing as a possible idea.

You are assuming he's a rational actor.  His behavior over the last few years has shown that he's a jumbled mess and what ever decision he's making today will be changed again.

Quote from: littleman on September 20, 2023, 06:36:59 PMYou are assuming he's a rational actor.

Ha ha! I'm certain he is a "very stable genius."

I do like to see people, unstable or not, raise the idea of alternatives to a "free with ads" model.

I know Musk is not the person to do it and the hope itself that is ridiculous and the horse long ago left the barn.

Still, Buckworks (if she's reading) will know what I mean when I say that fundamentally the "free with ads" model for these big platforms was a bargain with Mammon that has had toxic effects.

As for Musk, I really don't care if he destroys X. It would be a shame if he destroyed Tesla and a problem for me personally if he tanks Starlink with his antics. I hope these companies can move past Musk who seems to have some level of clinical mental health issues.

I pay like $7 a month (if I remember right) for Micro.blog  which is both a social network community and a long/short blogging platform.  There are no ads and the fee helps keep spammers and assorted riff-raff at bay. 

I might have considered a monthly fee for Twitter pre-Musk but after seeing Musk run Twitter no way.  I only pay money to grownups. Plus I'm not giving Musk my CC details.

Despite usage declines, X remains 'stickier' than first thought | TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/26/despite-usage-declines-x-remains-stickier-than-first-thought/

While not a crash, that's a pretty significant year over year decrease.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2023/11/03/elon-musk-x-has-started-selling-off-old-twitter-handles/?sh=6057572f5bcf

Elon Musk's X Has Started Selling Off Old Twitter Handles For Upwards Of $50,000

"Emails obtained by Forbes reveal that a team within the company, known as the @Handle Team, has begun work on a handle marketplace for the purchase of account names left unused by the people who originally registered them. In at least some cases, X/Twitter has emailed solicitations to potential buyers requesting a flat fee of $50,000 to initiate a purchase."

A friend has a 3-letter X handle that matches the abbreviation for one of America's major airports. They currently are on X with the handle FlyXYZ.

He's in his 80s and not particularly motivated by money so I don't think he himself would sell, but it I doubt he has or cares about a succession plan for the account so Elon will probably get it in the end if Elon and X last that long.

Elon's Censorial Lawsuit Against Media Matters Inspiring Many More People To Find ExTwitter Ads On Awful Content

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/11/27/elons-censorial-lawsuit-against-media-matters-inspiring-many-more-people-to-find-extwitter-ads-on-awful-content/

Elon Musk curses out advertisers who left X over antisemitic content | Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/technology/elon-musk-curses-out-advertisers-who-left-x-over-antisemitic-content-2023-11-29/

He has to be an anchor on Tesla and SpaceX at this point.  Are these companies powerless to remove him?

I can't decide if Musk -

1. Is purposely trying to sabotage Twitter, without making it look like he's destroying Twitter on purpose.  Does he get a tax write off for the losses if Twitter goes under?

2.  Keeps screwing up and harming the company but is so ego bound he can't admit he's made a mistake, so he blames everyone else but never himself.

Third explanation comes from Morgan Housel and his idea of "wild minds."

The idea is that someone like Musk who decides to simultaneously take on Ford, GM and NASA has to have a wild mind to do that and to expect him to suddenly get on Twitter and shareholder calls and sound like the CEO of Procter and Gamble is not realistic. Rather his flaws and his genius are products of the same kind and that mind is always a bit unhinged, just that sometimes we admire the results and sometimes we are appalled.

He says that Gates is the only one he can think of who has that incredibly productive and hyper speed mind who managed to act as a fairly normal CEO. In many cases, the genius that makes a great innovator makes for a bad CEO and public figure.

Bill Shockley was Musk x 2 - total genius and totally offensive racist megalomaniac. I think the analysis would be similar. Brilliant but unhinged mind that turned out some of the best and some of the worst thought of then20th century.

Good luck with your boycott

https://old.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/1888qnm/good_luck_with_your_boycott/

Fourth explanation:  For whatever reason he's just not as sharp as he use to be.  I was watching an interview from around 2010 and he seemed like a very different person.

 The end of Elon Musk (https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/elon-musk-nyt-interview-18524602.php)

"And I think Musk could destroy Hamas almost instantly by becoming their CEO," Che joked.

- SNL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vbsStfNNok

>> sharp

That's a good observation. I haven't seen many interviews with him, but when I have I find myself asking about half the time if he has some sort of substance abuse problem or even some lève of bipolar. I don't really remember what young Elon sounded like though and, of course, I get filtered his most outrageous moments. Even being as charitable as possible, though, the very best case interpretation is that he has lost control of the narrative of his own life.

X is now licensed for payment processing in a dozen US states | TechCrunch   

https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/05/x-is-now-licensed-for-payment-processing-in-a-dozen-u-s-states/   

>>drugs

https://futurism.com/neoscope/elon-musk-ketamine

I can't see the payment system really taking off considering everything happening at X.

https://old.reddit.com/r/RealTesla/comments/18rq6bi/buyers_remorse/

Buyers remorse : RealTesla

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/01/since-elon-musks-twitter-purchase-firm-reportedly-lost-72-of-its-value/

Since Elon Musk's Twitter purchase, firm reportedly lost 72% of its value | Ars Technica
Fidelity cuts value of X stake, implying 72% drop since Musk paid $44 billion.