masto certified hot wife 🧿 (@PublicChaffinch@mastodon.social)
Attached: 1 image · Content warning: twitter, Elon, drilmastodon.social
elon gave him a blue check because this guy was he was shytting on blue subscribers.
Twitter has officially removed all the blue checks from verified accounts
- Thread starter Paper Boi
- Start date
Remember,
it wasn't too long ago that many Elon fans used to use "blue checks" as a derogatory term for certain twitter posters. Now that Elon has come in and changed up the app, many are all in.
theoutline.com
www.urbandictionary.com
it wasn't too long ago that many Elon fans used to use "blue checks" as a derogatory term for certain twitter posters. Now that Elon has come in and changed up the app, many are all in.
“Verified” is now a derogatory term on Twitter
Somehow being verified has become synonymous with being a liberal elitist.
theoutline.com
Urban Dictionary: Bluecheck
Noun- The shortened form of Blue Checkmark. Bluecheck refers to a particularly obnoxious denizen of the Hellsite known as Twitter. Typical BlueChecks are Z-List celebrities and underpaid Journalists who hate their audience united by hopeless Twitter addiction and the shared delusion that a blue...
www.urbandictionary.com
humminbird
Veteran
What an idiot
Like he doesn't have a team to test these ideas with? He just tries things out, loses a few million users or dollars when it fails and then tries to roll it back?
LexDiamonds
Superstar
Dril and other Twitter power users begin campaign to 'Block the Blue' paid checkmarks
After Elon Musk removed legacy verified users' checkmarks, Twitter's biggest users are blocking everyone who pays.mashable.com
Dril and other Twitter power users begin campaign to 'Block the Blue' paid checkmarks
After Elon Musk removed legacy verified users' checkmarks, Twitter's biggest users are blocking everyone who pays.
By Matt Binder on April 21, 2023
Popular Twitter accounts are going forward with a plan to "Block the Blue," targeting users who are paying Elon Musk for a checkmark on the platform. Credit: Mashable composite; Twitter, Shutterstock / Rolandas Grigaitis
On Thursday, April 20, Elon Musk made a rare move: He delivered on a promise.
Since acquiring Twitter in October of last year, Musk has been open about his disdain for Twitter's old verification system. Musk has made it clear that "legacy verified" users would eventually lose their checkmarks. And, after missing the originally scheduled date on April 1, yesterday Musk finally removed the blue checkmark from all accounts unless they opted to pay for it via the $8 per month Twitter Blue service.
There are up to about 630,000 subscribers to Twitter Blue at this time, according to independent research Travis Brown, who has been tracking the data(opens in a new tab).
Now, that it's finally happened though, the campaign to "Block the Blue" – that is, any user still with a blue checkmark which signifies they are paying Musk for it – is in full swing.
"99% of twitter blue guys are dead-eyed cretins who are usually trying to sell you something stupid and expensive, and now they want to pay a monthly subscription fee to boost their dog shyt posts front and center," Twitter user @dril told me in an email when I asked about his thoughts on the #BlockTheBlue campaign.
"blocking them and encouraging others to do the same on a massive scale is the complete opposite of what they want," he continued. "Its funny."
That's big coming from @dril(opens in a new tab). Part of the "Weird Twitter" subculture of funny shytposting accounts, @dril is a legend on Twitter and his reach goes far beyond any niche community. His tweets are regularly used as replies and memes. Screenshots of his tweets often spread on other platforms. His content empowered him to co-create an Adult Swim show. @dril has built a following of more than 1.76 million followers just with his funny Twitter posts over the years and he's done it almost completely anonymously – he finally confirmed(opens in a new tab) his identity just earlier this month.
To stress how important @dril is to Twitter, let's put it this way: Last month, Platformer reported(opens in a new tab) on a secret "VIP" list of just 35 popular accounts that Musk wanted to promote(opens in a new tab) to users via the algorithm to encourage more use of the platform. That list included NBA star LeBron James, President Joe Biden, YouTube's most subscribed creator Mr. Beast, and @dril.
"I am actively rooting for the downfall of twitter," @dril tells me. "I hope to sabotage their efforts to become profitable, no matter how futile, in the hopes that they will eventually close up shop and release us all from this toilet."
Despite 15 years of apparent neutrality, @dril was one of the earliest – and certainly biggest – Twitter users to encourage those on the platform to block anyone with a paid bluecheck. This account that was once all about pure comedy is now at the center of a protest movement.
"absolutely block on sight," @dril tweeted(opens in a new tab) back in November, when Musk's Twitter Blue first launched. Included in the tweet was a screenshot of the label Twitter use to put on Blue subscribers in order to differentiate the paid checkmarks from the old "legacy verified" users.
But, @dril is far from the only big Twitter user to follow this new unwritten "Block the Blue" rule on the platform. NBC News reporter Ben Collins(opens in a new tab), Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic's Alejandra Caraballo(opens in a new tab), and countless(opens in a new tab) other highly-followed(opens in a new tab) Twitter accounts(opens in a new tab) have already(opens in a new tab) shared their intention(opens in a new tab) to block(opens in a new tab) all Twitter Blue subscribers(opens in a new tab).
There's even a Twitter account for the campaign, @BlockTheBlue(opens in a new tab), which is run by the creator of the automated Twitter account blocking app The Block List.
The Block List creator tells me that the app has unfortunately since shut down(opens in a new tab) due to Twitter's move from its free API plan to its high-priced new enterprise plans for API access, starting at $42,000 per month. However, before the app was killed off, more than 10,000 users were able to get in 610,677,100 automated blocks on Twitter Blue subscribed accounts. And, he's still using the @BlockTheBlue account to urge users to manually block blue checkmarks.
The checkmark stands for something very different now
To be clear, as Max Collins of the hit 90s rock band Eve 6 puts it, Block the Blue is not "just a petty retaliation" against Musk.
"Verification used to mean a person was like an actor or a journalist or something and now it means they’re a white nationalist with 30 followers or they’re hawking crypto or something," said Collins, who is also blocking the blue from his band's @Eve6(opens in a new tab) account, which he runs.
Collins isn't exaggerating about the types of users subscribing to Twitter Blue either. Disinformation and extremism researchers, like Shayan Sardarizadeh of BBC, have noticed neo-nazis(opens in a new tab) and white supremacists(opens in a new tab) getting verified by Twitter to spread their hate messages.
"Twitter blue subscribers are without fail the dumbest and most boring twitter users," Collins told me, moving on to the other, non-straight-up-hate accounts who subscribe. "I’ve gotten really good at being able to tell who pays for their blue check just by the quality of their replies to my tweets."
Many who are blocking Twitter Blue subscribers have shared that same sentiment. Paid checkmarks on the site often have very little presence on the platform – and Mashable previously reported, nearly half of all subscribers have less than 1,000 followers – and create low-quality content.
Eve 6 frontman Collins said even before Twitter Blue subscribers were the only ones left with a blue checkmark, you could tell they paid for the account due to their content. For example, Collins told me that if someone was in his replies and "completely misunderstood an obvious joke and he had a blue check, chances are he paid for it."
Of course, not all accounts with a blue checkmark fit the above descriptions. Recent Twitter Blue unsubscribers note that Twitter doesn't remove the checkmark right away. Some former Twitter Blue subscribers have noted that they canceled their paid subscriptions months ago, yet the blue checkmark remains stuck on their account in some apparent glitch. The feature has also been popular among some specific communities like sex workers and users who post long form videos. Still, those saying they'll block the blue have reflected they'll continue on with the blocking.
Under the old Twitter, the company provided blue checkmark badges to "notable" users on the platform. These users included Hollywood celebs, musical artists, pro athletes, and media figures. While the Musk fans who criticized the old system often focused on the "elitism" of the checkmarks, the real reason Twitter created verification is far from nefarious.
Celebrities and other well-known users were often impersonated by scammers or others looking to hurt their brand. After facing a lawsuit from former baseball player Tony La Russa over a fake account, old Twitter decided to roll out(opens in a new tab) its new verification feature in 2009. Twitter quickly grew in popularity with celebrities and musical artists due to the move and in turn many promoted Twitter as the sole way for the public to interact with them on social media.
Musk gave it to Alexander and Stiller for free now.
Celebs just need to complain or threaten to leave.looks like an easy lick since he claiming users are subscribed to twitter blue. "verified" was a status of authenticity, now he's making it seems like a whole bunch of celebs paid for twitter blue checks.
This entire shyt is in shambles. This fukking clown is absolutely failing at everything he tries. Mfers that are given free checks are changing their names to force the system to remove their checks because they dont WANT them. Im fukking screamingfukking Gandalf/Magneto got one free and felt the need to announce that he ain't paying, and they are telling him how to get rid of it
And now lames with blue checks are getting mad that they are getting dunked on and are reporting "This mf paid for Twitter" as possible hate speech.
I have never seen an L this fukking large. They wont pay him for his bullshyt, and when he gives it free they get angry and dont want it and try to remove it. This shyt is wild
Epic Games CEO Gets Dunked On For Buying Twitter Blue, Calls Everyone "Losers"
Tim Sweeney on Twitter Blue critics: "They're the cool kids from junior high who worked to exclude we nerds from cool kid events."
www.thegamer.com
Epic Games CEO Gets Dunked On For Buying Twitter Blue, Calls Everyone "Losers"
BYRHIANNON BEVANPUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO
After weeks of relative calm, Elon Musk has clumsily introduced yet another sweeping change to Twitter, causing a whole host of problems many of us saw coming a mile away. Yep, he finally got rid of all legacy checkmarks, meaning that anyone with a tick next to their name has paid for Twitter Blue. Well, not everyone. Some celebs were given one for free, for some reason. But we'll touch on that later.
Of course, this has led to celebrities leaving the platform, such as Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, and other users impersonating brands and high-profile figures. But perhaps most heartbreaking for Musk, his precious Twitter Blue subscribers are getting made fun of, including Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney.
It all started when unverified users started the #BlockTheBlue campaign. As the name suggests, this encourages users to go through the verified tab and block anyone who has paid for Twitter Blue, making their attempt to boost their accounts fruitless.
Sweeney, however, with his $11 checkmark in hand, didn't find this particularly amusing.
"People in this #BlockTheBlue pressure campaign are losers and goons," says Sweeney. "They're the cool kids from junior high who worked to exclude we nerds from cool kid events, plus the losers who joined in to gain cred."
He goes on to say that the old days of Twitter, before verification was introduced, was a "meritocracy", where likes and retweets ensued to "the best rose to the top." Then, he says checkmarks "broke the meritocracy with a policy deeming verification only for elite 'noteworthy' users."
"It was doled out to friends of employees without identity verification or noteworthiness, and it was revoked as punishment for speech." It's worth noting that a community note has been left on his thread, making it clear that users did have to verify their identity with the old system.
Simply Googling "why was Twitter verification introduced?" will also show that Sweeney has missed out an important part of Twitter's history. Famously, the checkmark was introduced to protect Twitter, not the celebs, after baseball player Tony La Russa sued the platform over other users impersonating him. Checkmarks made this much more difficult, with users able to differentiate trolls from the figures they were impersonating.
Sweeney is getting ratioed pretty bad for this take, particularly over his argument that Twitter Blue critics are comparable to high school bullies. He did get a reply from Musk himself though, so at least there's that.
It must be said, however, that Sweeney's argument has aged pretty poorly. As mentioned before, Musk appears to be dishing out free Twitter Blue checkmarks to figures he wants to keep on the platform. In other words, "dolled out" to the elite.
In any case, the #BlockTheBlue campaign shows no signs of slowing down. It's still trending on Twitter, causing some large accounts to insist they didn't pay for Twitter Blue, and had it given to them for free by Musk.
Thread by @lexlanham on Thread Reader App
@lexlanham: 2 things going on: 1. blue checks given out for free to certain celebs/big accounts w/o account owner's consent, despite twitter announcing blue checks would only be for paid subscribers 2. blue checks a...…
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This shyt like some "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson" shyt!