General Elon Musk Fukkery Thread
- Thread starter Armchair Militant
- Start date
Musk's 50k extortion doesn't seem to be working. Folks can take that 50k a month and build a downloadble app that they have control of and can issue customised notifications through.
What was Musk THINKING?
What was Musk THINKING?
I never used Twitter like that so when I live in DC, I just went their app. Elmo Must dumbass overestimated Twitter’s reach.
Most people are not on Twitter dumbass. They go to the company’s website or app for the latest info. Might as well keep that $600K in house.
What kind of dummy thinks he can start charging exorbitant fees for something that used to be free? A service that ultimately benefits Twitter.
Meta’s Twitter Alternative ‘Barcelona’ is Taking Shape
Meta's looking to provide a Twitter alternative to gather up cast-offs.
Meta’s Twitter Alternative ‘Barcelona’ is Taking Shape
Published April 24, 2023
By
Andrew Hutchinson Content and Social Media Manager
Early last month, reports began to circulate that Meta was eyeing the rising angst among Twitter users, with a view, potentially, to creating its own Twitter replacement, which could then enable it to scoop up any Twitter refugees looking for a new home.
As Meta confirmed to Platformer in early March:
“We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.”
Which, of course, sounds very Twitter-esque, and the speculation has been that the project, initially codenamed ‘P92’, would be designed to go after Twitter cast-offs, who are seeking an alternative amid the various changes at the app under new owner Elon Musk.
Now, that project seems to be moving ahead, with Meta’s new ‘Barcelona’ text-based social app slowly taking shape.
Barcelona sounds similar, though in a dedicated app, with users able to follow others and stay on top of their text updates.
Here’s what we know about the Barcelona project thus far:
- Barcelona will be a separate app, which will use your Instagram credentials to log in
- As you can see in the above screenshots, Barcelona will also use your Instagram ID as your username in the new app
- The maximum length for Barcelona posts will be 500 characters
- Barcelona will be decentralized, though it’s not entirely clear what that means in a Meta context as yet
That suggests that Meta sees significant potential here. And as Musk continues to spark angst at Twitter, there’s definitely a desire among many users for an alternative, as difficult as it will be to usurp the short-form content leader.
The challenge here is that most businesses are already aligned with Twitter, and are accustomed to sharing updates there. To establish a true alternative, you need a lot of current Twitter users to migrate to a new app, and only then would it be truly valuable, with the same key Twitter users posting in the new space.
That’ll take time to establish, but maybe, by using its scale, Meta is in a better position than others to build the next thing, that’ll see mass adoption and scale.
It’s still a way off, and we only have a few details as yet, but it is interesting to note the progress.
We’ve asked Meta for more info on the project, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
stable genius thoughts
Elon Musk Is Thoughtlessly Ditching a $20 Million Promise Twitter Previously Made
Just another day in the life of Twitter's Elon era.- COLIN SALAO
- APR 24, 2023 6:00 PM EDT
Twitter is backing out of a previous agreement that the pre-Elon Musk regime had originally made.
The social media giant has a long history of backing venture capital firms during its days as a public company, and in recent years began shifting towards backing founders from underrepresented communities. But according to Forbes, these VCs are no longer receiving funding totalling $20 million from Musk’s Twitter.
Forbes reported that the Twitter-backed VC heads received a note in January saying that the Twitter team previously handling their accounts no longer existed given the takeover of Musk. This tip was sent from a personal account of a former Twitter employee, and included an apology that the team could not “do better by them.”
Some VCs have been reached out to by Musk’s team, but Forbes’ sources said that Twitter does not intend to fulfill the requirements of any money still owed. Twitter is also hoping the firms facilitate finding their own buyers.
Twitter has been cutting costs in several ways since the Tesla founder took over, including mass employee layoffs, and finding more ways to monetize through its much-maligned subscription service, Twitter Blue.
Twitter responded to Forbes’ request for comment with a poop emoji, which Musk had previously mentioned is the default response of the company’s press email.
ADevilYouKhow
Rhyme Reason
Elon Musk cuts Twitter’s parental leave from 20 weeks to 2, internal docs show
Twitter has reportedly altered its previous policy to “whatever is required by law in the region where the employees work…”
nypost.com
Trash
Twitter Removes Evidence of Blue Check Support for Mass Murder — Assigned
Alejandra Caraballo surfaced evidence that MMA fighter Jake Shields asked his followers if they supported executions for trans people and their supporters. Many did. Now Twitter has hidden the evidence.
www.assignedmedia.org
Twitter Removes Evidence of Blue Check Support for Mass Murder
Alejandra Caraballo surfaced evidence that MMA fighter Jake Shields asked his followers if they supported executions for trans people and their supporters. Many did. Now Twitter has hidden the evidence.
by Evan Urquhart
This morning on Twitter a post from Alejandra Caraballo began to circulate widely. It showed a Tweet by MMA fighter Jake Shields asking his followers, “Would you support public executions of anyon who helps a child transition? This would include doctors, therapists, teachers, guidance counselors, etc.” Caraballo’s initial post also included the responses, by blue-checked Twitter accounts, all saying that they would, in fact, support the murder of therapists, doctors, and teachers.
screenshot from Caraballo’s Twitter account
Twitter removed the posts, presumably because advocating for mass murder is still against the TOS. They also removed the evidence. Tweets, including Caraballo’s, that contained a collage of screenshots including the question and the affirmative answers. Those tweets now show only a blank panel. Asked to comment, Caraballo responded over text message:
Caraballo speculated that the involvemenet of Ella Irwin may have been a connecting factor, as both her own post today and an earlier example of a blanked out image were Tweets where Irwin was tagged directly by concerned users attempting to find relief after the normal reporting process failed to result in their removal.
Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, has long presented himself as a champion of free speech, and contrasted that approach with the site’s previous ownership. His changes at the company have included reversing bans of accounts that engaged in hate-fueled harassment, while at the same time banning journalists for reporting, including one incident as recently as last week. In the interest of preserving this information, we are including links to the internet archive of Jake Shield’s posts and the responses here and here as well as screenshots of the tweets as captured by Caraballo. While some of the accounts pictured have been suspended, not all have been and Shields himself has not been sanctioned by Twitter for tweeting in support of public executions of people who support gender-affirming medicine.
ADevilYouKhow
Rhyme Reason
New Tesla Model S Plaid Buyer Rants About Poor Build Quality On $140,000 EV | Carscoops
Peeling rubber, ill-fitting trim, and a frunk that rocks like it's about to fall off aren't issues you'd expect in a six-figure car
www.carscoops.com
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey says Musk wasn’t an ideal leader after all
The former CEO issued his strongest criticism yet of Musk’s takeover of the social media site
By Faiz Siddiqui and Will Oremus
April 29, 2023 at 12:15 a.m. EDT
Elon Musk received some harsh criticism of his leadership of Twitter from the social media platform's creator, Jack Dorsey, on Friday. (Marlena Sloss/Bloomberg News)
SAN FRANCISCO — Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey issued his sharpest criticism yet of Elon Musk’s leadership of Twitter on Friday, saying Musk has not proved to be the platform’s ideal steward — and should have walked away from buying the site.
The criticisms and explanations came in a series of reply posts Friday night on the fledgling social network Bluesky, a potential Twitter rival that Dorsey helped to start. The remarks illustrate how Musk’s erratic leadership has disillusioned a one-time friend and powerful ally, reflecting a growing backlash against a tumultuous tenure that has sent advertisers fleeing and users searching for alternatives.
Dorsey said he thought Musk, the Tesla CEO who serves in the same role at Twitter today, should have paid $1 billion to back out of the deal to acquire the social media platform. The comments are a stark reversal from Dorsey’s strong endorsement of Musk’s takeover, when he wrote a year ago that if Twitter had to be a company at all, “Elon is the singular solution I trust.”
“I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness,” Dorsey tweeted at the time.
In his remarks on Bluesky on Friday, Dorsey struck a far different tone.
What to know about Bluesky, the new alternative to Twitter
Dorsey said he didn’t think Musk “acted right” after pursuing the site and realizing his potential mistake, adding that he did not believe the company’s board should have forced the sale.
“It all went south,” Dorsey added.
Musk did not respond to a request for comment on Dorsey’s remarks. Musk appeared on Friday night’s “Real Time With Bill Maher” on HBO, and spoke on topics including his time in charge of the company, a recent meeting with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), and his concerns about rhetoric coming from the political left.
“It was on a fast track to bankruptcy,” Musk said of Twitter. “So I had to take drastic action. There wasn’t any choice.”
Musk took over Twitter in October after amassing a sizable stake in the company in early 2022, accepting — then reneging on — a board seat, and ultimately mounting a hostile takeover attempt in April. He offered $54.20 per share, valuing the company at $44 billion.
The Twitter board accepted Musk’s buyout by late April, commencing a deal that would take the company private. The terms of the deal included a $1 billion penalty, known as a “breakup fee,” should Musk decide to back out. (Experts have noted Musk could have owed an amount well beyond the $1 billion fee if he broke the agreement.)
Soon after the agreement, Twitter’s valuation fell significantly as economic pressures weighed heavily on the company and Tesla’s stock, the latter sharply reducing Musk’s net worth. Musk announced his intention to back out of the deal, and Twitter sued Musk to force him to complete the acquisition.
After a months-long court battle, which included a countersuit by Musk, Musk and Twitter agreed to proceed with the deal in October, which was finalized later that month for $44 billion.
Musk’s tenure as Twitter boss has been marked by steep job cuts, an intense work environment and a wholesale overhaul of the site’s user experience. Twitter has leaned heavily into a subscription model and curated feeds that aim to show users content with which they are more likely to engage. Since Musk’s takeover, Twitter’s staff has been reduced by around 80 percent.
Dorsey previously apologized for growing the company “too quickly” after Musk embarked on layoffs that reduced the company by around 50 percent. Since then, he has criticized Musk’s decision-making at times, taking to Twitter to express his disagreement with Musk’s renaming of the site’s “Birdwatch” feature to “Community Notes,” for example.
Dorsey rolled over his $1 billion stake in Twitter into Musk’s privatized Twitter, The Post previously reported.
In his posts on Friday, Dorsey did not take responsibility for Musk’s acquisition of the company, arguing that “every company is for sale to the highest bidder” and the board had no choice but to accept his offer.
“Was I optimistic? Yes,” Dorsey said. “Did I have the final say? No.”
Once Musk tried to back out, Dorsey added, “I wish the board would not have forced the sale. Maybe there was a chance, but now we’ll never know.” As for Musk’s decision to ultimately complete the purchase rather than pay a $1 billion penalty to terminate it, Dorsey said, “I think he should have walked away and paid the $1b.”
Bluesky is part of a project, initiated by Dorsey when he was still Twitter’s CEO, to build a “decentralized” social media system, in which no single person or company controls the experience. While Twitter has invested in Bluesky, it is now a separate company with its own CEO. In recent days, it has been rapidly attracting high-profile Twitter users, some of whom have become disenchanted with the platform under Musk.
Responding to a post in which a user said “It’s pretty sad how it all went down,” Dorsey replied simply: “Yes.”