Soldato
The ongoing Elon Twitter saga: "insert demographic" melts down
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Soldato
It's terrible. You can't even read any comments. Comments now doubt encourage engagement and increase user activity. So if I randomly read a post shared on here, click it to view, I can't read the comments. I may read something like "twitter is successful because free speech has returned" and think, jesus, forget the times when Elon complies with governments that require him to stop users being able to use twitter at all, my IQ has reduced reading that, and I need to share that ti he the case, but now I don't even get to read those ridiculous comments on twitter. Nothing that encourages me to join in.
It is however easy to sign up to twitter so at least it has thst going for it lol.
Engagement is Twitter's life blood at the end of the day - and that only properly happens when people have accounts.
Twitter is the one which wants people to make accounts, and there are always going to be people who've not used Twitter before and don't have accounts. Sure making an account is easy but people won't necessarily do so and/or just be put off by the way Twitter tries to beat them with a stick for no actual good reason. (EDIT: Also doubly so - if we take your side of the argument there is no reason for Twitter to make it so difficult for people who don't have an account...)
Personally I don't have a Twitter account due to the silly games they play - and can fully use the site read-only wise without hindrance better by using other sites which strip the **** out for me. That does however mean I'm engaging less with the site so not a useful user for Twitter when I could very well be and engagement only helps Twitter, in fact as above it is its life blood.
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X will go through a process of enshitification, where it loses its main focus and goes after all kinds of nonsense like payments and dating.
It’ll slow fade away but still retain a hardcore of users - just like internet forums.
It’ll slow fade away but still retain a hardcore of users - just like internet forums.
Soldato
OCUK dating that would have been …. Ummm ….. Terrible!X will go through a process of enshitification, where it loses its main focus and goes after all kinds of nonsense like payments and dating.
It’ll slow fade away but still retain a hardcore of users - just like internet forums.
Caporegime
Requiring an account for basic read functionality shows a complete and total lack of understanding for why the platform was successful.
Soldato
You do realise less relevant doesn’t mean irrelevant? Twitter was hugely successful and market dominant you don’t loose that position overnight it takes time to really screw it up before you fade into obscurity say hello to my friends Nokia and Blackberry if you ever see them around!
Perhaps it's a fair criticism and they should do more to advertise the benefits of creating an account, however there's really so few barriers into creating one I think it's probably a tiny amount of people who'd need convincing of the benefits of signing into a Twitter account. Also it's basically industry standard that you have limited access to the platform if you aren't signed in, if I'm not signed into Instagram on my PC then it'll let me view a few posts them prompt me to login, Facebook is also pretty locked down if you aren't logged in I believe.
X will go through a process of enshitification, where it loses its main focus and goes after all kinds of nonsense like payments and dating.
It’ll slow fade away but still retain a hardcore of users - just like internet forums.
Just like Facebook did.....
Soldato
Agreed I’ve never had an account on Twitter but would often click links on here or news sites and then browse the comments and generate a load of ad views for twitter now I simply don’t click through. Why don’t I have an account? I guess I’ve never had a need before as I didn’t want to post or follow specific things and now I’ve realised browsing the comments wasn’t actually that great.
Soldato
Facebook hasn’t taken a massive dump in its own front garden, changed its name etc.
Soldato
You measure success in extremist views being more available and promoted by paying $8 a month at the cost of less users and less app use? That is some business plan and a great way to ruin a platform. Its not going to die overnight, people are too invested in the instant news but all they are waiting for is a real alternative to come along that gives them that and the next thing, what ever that might be. Then they will peel off and it will just become an echo chamber like Parler, Gab or even Truth Social if it still exists then.
I never watch CNN, I never watch MSNBC or Fox or any other news station. I can't remember the last time I watched BBC News channel, maybe when there was some huge breaking story and I put it on iplayer. Haven't watched BBC news at 6 or 10 for years, the format holds zero interest.
Soldato
Oh I don't think its going to die any time soon. Its very venerable to another platform coming along that offers the same instant news + something new, whatever that might be. No platform is above becoming less relevant, Facebook is only used now it seems through habit and just as a way to stay in touch with friends. Its hey days are long behind it. I'm sure it will be with us for years and it has IG and other platforms to keep it relevant. Hopefully Congress will grow some balls and force the break up of companies like Meta and Alphabet.
It seem to me that Elon is trying to force it to his will but he is famous for his lack of understanding of humans. It sounds like what happened with early Paypal when he was there and was blowing money chasing his "X" platform when the real money making was there in Paypal. The board had to sack him as his obsession was in danger of ruining the company. There is no board to sack him now. I'm sure his Saudi backers are very happy for their money being used to promote social division in the US and West in general, its a bargain and a few $b is pocket change for them. Just as long as he makes sure nothing gets over promoted that undermines their regime. Free speech only counts where in some places, in others Elon immediately bends to their will.
Soldato
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It's fine, you ideologically don't value free speech. I get that. If you don't understand why free speech is an important part of a functioning Democracy then it's beyond me at your age to educate you. You can just blanket anyone who claims to value free speech as some far right nutter.
There won't be an alternative because every other platform will censor your views. So all the interesting people and relevant debate will stay on Twitter, it is the only platform that won't bow down to advertisers.
The BBC is mostly fine and usually not a bad place to get the news from.
Soldato
Twitter doesn’t really do free speech though as it unequally promotes certain posters and posts, if it was really such a bastion of free speech you wouldn’t be able to pay to shout over everyone!
Soldato
Exactly and it should lose its section 230 protections now it chooses what content it promotes. Any platform that does that should lose its protections.
Soldato
Its not free speech. In many cases its promoted speech, extremist views on both sides are promoted for $. That isn't free speech.
Of course there will. If platforms that promote extremist views are so popular why are all the ones that do it so unpopular? Why is app use dropping with Twitter? If Elon was improving it and making it more attractive for people those figures would be going up. Its a niche site really compared to other social media sites anyway. I'm not sure why you think the debate can't/won't move elsewhere, plenty of big sites have declined when an alternative comes along.
That isn't how free speech works though, Elon Musk has the most followers so his speech is also unfairly promoted, is everyone else less free than him? Or Obama, or any other celebrity with millions of followers?
The X rules: safety, privacy, authenticity, and more
Understand the limitations on the type of content and behavior that we allow, to ensure free and safe conversation.
help.twitter.com
What are these extremist views that you see promoted? Twitter does have rules around speech, mostly I'm referring to legitimate political views.
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