Twitter On The Fly

"Nearly four months into Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter, one of the most influential social media websites has been transformed into a mercurial billionaire's personal sandbox."

"Twitter users knew the site would change under Musk, who purchased the company in October for US$44 billion and installed himself as CEO on a promise of restoring 'free speech."

"What many underestimated was the extent to which Musk would make wholesale changes with the potential to disrupt the experience across the site for his own benefit."

Faiz Siddiqui and Jeremy B. Merrill, San Francisco 

Elon Musk ordered employees to email him a summary of what their software code has “achieved” in the past six months, “along with up to 10 screenshots of the most salient lines of code."   Reuters

It was reported on Platformer that Twitter has undergone major algorithmic changes on Musk's orders. The result is that some users now see the tweets posted by Musk before any others. Evidently Elon Musk was concerned that his viewer engagement was in decline. This new fix ensured that Musk's tweets would be pushed to the top of many Tweeters' feeds.

According to a new feature that displays view counts rolled out late last year, Musk's tweets were driving massive engagement; over a billion views on December 18, as an example. The Twitter owner's tweets on a typical day in December were shown 231 million times. When that number dropped significantly in the new year that they were shown only 137 million times on a typical day the wealthiest man in the world was rather disturbed.

After all, if such immense wealth cannot buy focus loyalty, what can? Well, money can achieve miracles; from this week when his posts were artificially boosted he's back in business with around 400 million views per day. Musk, as many might be aware, and many might not care, is a prolific Twitterer. His healthy ego spurs him to tweet whatever's on his mind.

With close to 130 million followers, he has quite an admiring Twitter retinue, one of the most popular site users. When he expressed an interest in acquiring Twitter back in April of 2022, he stated his wish to restore 'free speech' and to solve the persistence of spam and bots. Several former Twitter employees with direct knowledge of his prioritized issues revealed that changes initiated by Musk frequently were geared to improving his own user experience.

His imperative clearly was to 'improve' his personal experience on the site. Since his takeover as CEO of the Twitter social media site major changes include several directly benefiting Musk, according to former employees ... with little potential upside for the legion of Twitter users. "Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended'; a new policy posted by Musk on November 6.

"I remember people on our team thinking he's having a very personal experience unique to him on the platform."

"Our impression was just that he was describing his very specific experience as a Twitter users and Elon Musk is not a typical Twitter user."

Anony7mous former Twitter employee

While in Qatar for the World Cup Final, a policy banning the promotion of other social media sites on Twitter, such as Instagram was posted, along with prohibiting users from pushing links to competing sites like Mastadon. A swift backlash followed from those pointing out the new policy flouted free speech, Despite Musk's own stated conviction that it must be upheld. A day later, Musk backed down.

Then came a poll asking whether he should stand down as CEO of Twitter. Respondents voted yes in the majority, leading Musk to commit to finding a replacement. No clear candidate has yet emerged. Musk announced at an international summit he likely would require to the end of 2023 to find a successor in the Twitter CEO role.

“I think Elon Musk is a visionary. Almost singlehandedly, he’s changed the way Americans think about automobiles. I have a Tesla and love it."

 "That said, he’s been a terrible fit for Twitter. He appears to be making it up as he goes along.”

Stephen King, Horror novelist

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images/Gotham/GC Images

Twit-In-Chief is now in Residence

"Should Mr. Musk choose to remain a participant and provocateur on Twitter, it’s likely the platform is headed deeper into the world of toxicity and partisanship. If that happens, Twitter is doomed, from the perspective of advertising revenue."

"There’s little motivation for any advertiser to support a platform or proprietor who is likely to produce more pain than gain. In Mr. Trump’s case, his public statements have cost him business, beyond Truth Social, at his hotels and golf courses, including the indefinite removal of the Turnberry golf resort from the Open Championship schedule in Britain. It’s too early to say if the potential toxification of Twitter might affect Tesla and Mr. Musk’s other business interests, but it is fair to say that few have more to lose than the world’s richest person."

Rob Norman, The New York Times

Elon Musk's photo is seen through a Twitter logo in this illustration taken October 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

Now that Elon Musk's $44B Twitter acquisition is reality, history will record whether the world's wealthiest tycoon with a myriad of far-reaching business interests that truly can be thought of as 'out-of-this-world', history will also tell whether as an investment Mr. Musk was bold and wise or over-reached in a sphere he had no business-related experience with, apart from his dislike of the way the social media platform operated and his stated penchant for returning 'free speech' to the much-criticized yet popular platform..

Most experts in the business world are skeptical whether he and his backers will recoup their faith in their decision to overpay for Twitter. Vanity project or commitment to the public good in releasing the fetters that placed limits to 'free speech? Business venture with great potential or a stumbling effort to prove that whatever this whiz-kid turned his considerable talents and vision to could not fail to succeed in his version of a bold new world...?

There are no end of doubters, from those in the world of finance down to the ordinary twit who regards Twitter as their home away from home and virtual social contact of necessity. Including those who vent their spleen and vomit hate at every opportunity. Will this man make a corporate decision on his new social media platform to accommodate the targets of hate by maintaining those efforts to keep racists and misanthropes and misogynists in check? Would he consider going even further and disinvite accounts of terrorist entities?

 

Jim Watson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

 

The chief Twit of Twitter is considering charging a monthly fee for users; all users or some? Will everyone be glad to pay $8 monthly for the privilege of maintaining an account where if 'free speech' is unshackled to the moral public weal they will be subjected to ever more venomous messages of malice intended to harm? Twitter's current feeble efforts at removing the vile presence of abusers already has some subscribers in an uproar.

Will the platform operate itself, now that the decision has been made to reduce its workforce by half, dismissing 3,700 employees to start with? Mr. Musk has declared for the time being he is prepared to remain his new toy's CEO. The Twitter hierarchy knew full well their time had come with the completion of the handover, and speedily took to the platform to bid adieu. 

The appointment of new product leadership in Twitter's operation seems next on the agenda. The head of engineering, the general manager for consumer and revenue product are now unemployed. Employees are bemused and bewildered; who's on the firing list, who isn't -- yet? Managers have been asked to compile lists of those jobs meant to be cut. Ostensibly in an operational cost-cutting move. 

Mr. Musk is closing in on charging users for blue verification badges at $20 monthly, and already celebrities are preparing to refuse and sign off. Advertisers are wary; they won't want their brand associated with socially and culturally averse trash littering the Twitter landscape. They don't view Twitter as one of the world's most influential platforms, so it will be bye-bye, we're moving on. 

The new owner is also contemplating a greater focus on subscriptions, fewer content restrictions, the possibility of multiple algorithms for different timelines. Speculation abounds. Outrage is simmering preparatory of an explosive denunciation of a well-used platform springing leaks here, there and everywhere.

 

An image of Elon Musk is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos in this picture illustration taken April 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

Twitter/Musk : How Influential?

Elon Musk

@elonmusk

Joined June 2009

114 Following

92M Followers

"Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated."

"[It] won't be perfect. But I think we want it to really have the perception and the reality that speech is as free as reasonably possible."

"A social media's platform policies are good if the most extreme ten percent on the left and right are equally unhappy."

Elon Musk

"Elon's goal of creating a platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is the right one."

"Elon is the singular solution I trust."

Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder, former CEO

It is where people gravitate to, spontaneously and compulsively to air their opinions and equally if not more urgently, read and ponder the opinions and perceptions of other people. Often their responses are immediate and often enough to the point in either contesting or supporting or adding their own opinions to what has already been stated. These are the socially and politically engaged tweeters. Aside from those whose motivation for participating is not quite participation but a personal feeling they are 'obliged' to detail the detritus of their lives and inconsequential thoughts.

Then there are the combative types who obstinately support unpopular views and are there to defend them, facts be damned. Others whose ideological framework compels them to do battle with all others who post polarizing views to their own, taking them as personal affronts. Of course, there are personal affronts as well, those responders who, lacking a cogent argument will simply attack the source of views that they find irritating.

Analyzing mental states, types of participants, kinds of engagements and the constant spewing of victimhood's plaints alongside fulminating over 'wrongs' and 'rights', entitlements and taking sides in conflicts, claims of persecution and violent repression, they all run the gamut, including entries of accusations of human rights wrongs and rights, where ideological, tribal and religious opponents snarl at one another. all comprise the babel of voices on Twitter.

Elon Musk, evidently loves the inchoate, incoherent, frank and hostile or supportive drivel and trivia aired on Twitter. A healthy sign of an international community discussing vital issues. Discounting the venom and the baiting, perhaps yes. And he wants it to continue and to be unleashed from constraints. An exponent of freedom of speech, of thought, of expression and belief. Some levels of abuse will be tolerated, it seems, while those that knock up hard against the laws of democratic countries viewed as hate-mongering and dangerous might not be given free rein.

 

In the marketplace of ideas and conversations, of hostility and civility, Elon Musk would ideally like it all to hang out. Be visible, influencing people to either ignore or to surrender to introspection after introduction to another facet of thought illuminating other angles, not yet fully explored. The wealthiest man in the world who has dabbled in transportation, in explorations of outer space turns his attention to enabling people to speak up and out and over and around each other.

He has himself over a staggering 90 million followers. Not particularly in awe of his brilliant mercantile mind or his knowledge of science and technology, or his influence on government policies, but for reasons that always captivate the imagination of the wider public: wealth. The influence of wealth is never to be underestimated. It drives the world economy, it creates opportunities, it employs knowledge and it enjoys celebrity status like no other human condition does. It dominates peoples' dreams of success.

His vision for the future of Twitter is not embraced universally. While much of the world is curious about how matters will proceed under his ownership, control and vision, it would appear that the 'woke' democracies of the world are uneasy. The current Democratic administration in the U.S. seems to be doubtful about what a new, engaged and permissive Twitter might accomplish. They seem less than enthralled with the possibilities. 

Barack Obama, for one, links such a Twitter redesign as a potential for disinformation, therefore harmful. "Obama, like others in the Democratic party and in establishment media circles", wrote Byron York in the Washington Examiner, "is targeting some types of disinformation while remaining strikingly silent on others". The 'others', needless to say, that might do harm to the disinformation campaign that US Democrats are fond of, that turn out to be useful to their agenda.

Social media, explained Obama, was "tilting in the wrong direction". More censorship of disinformation is what is required: "content modification". The rise of social media contributed to "one of the biggest reasons for democracy's weakening", he warned. No one present to hear him speak, evidently reminded him of the Democratic allegations of a "well-developed conspiracy" between then-president-elect Trump and Russia, proven to be false.

Much less the obliging nature of America's free press given to liberal-democratic interpretations of the news, as when their role in suppressing somewhat embarrassing revelations contained within Hunter Biden's laptop fell into the category of "Russian disinformation", unworthy of any further discussion, let alone investigation to reveal potentially embarrassing details the Biden administration would flinch at making public.