Social Question

filmfann's avatar

How will Twitter change?

Asked by filmfann (52487points) April 25th, 2022

It’s official. Elon Musk has bought Twitter.
What will be his first changes.
How long before he restores Trump’s account?

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

29 Answers

zenvelo's avatar

He has to take control, first. But then it will become a right wing waste land, and follow in the path of myspace.

And the Trump Truth media owner is down $5.22 today to $35.59.

cookieman's avatar

Perhaps change the name to Twit to reflect his personality.

rebbel's avatar

People will get mean on it.

zenvelo's avatar

^^^^^^ People will get meaner on it.

ragingloli's avatar

A lot of Musk critics will get banned.
If you think the man is some paragon of free speech, you are a fool.

elbanditoroso's avatar

For the worse. People will abandon it in droves. It will be a small shadow of its former glory. It will be an echo chamber for nasty people.

Kropotkin's avatar

I can’t see much changing. It’s already a toxic hellsite, and the moderation is a joke as it is.

The best thing would be for Twitter to be unplugged from the internet. Lazy shit journalists would have to stop using it as a source for their shit articles if it ended, but that’s my wishful thinking.

mazingerz88's avatar

Not sure how Musk defines “free speech” so I just don’t know. Not sure exactly why he paid 44 billion for that website. I don’t twitter. I don’t understand its appeal. Maybe Musk wants more attention. Because it’s good marketing? Promoting himself and his products.

Jeruba's avatar

Maybe Ben and Andrew will come back home . . .

KNOWITALL's avatar

He said he’ll upgrade the format and protect free speech by all.

elbanditoroso's avatar

@KNOWITALL we both know that is absurd. No moderation/no limitation means that you will have porn sellers, criminals or all types, nazis, and the hate groups of your choice all shouting on the platform, drowing out everyone else.

If Twitter goes unmoderated, advertisers will hurry to the exits.

Musk is totally nuts if he thinks that he will be able to get rid of all editorial controls.

Mimishu1995's avatar

@elbanditoroso could it be possible that he will change it to look something like Reddit? Reddit has a lot of different communities that aren’t exactly PC. Some communities are directly at odd with each other. And yet Reddit is thriving just fine, despite all the oddity and controversies. And I think I can see occasional ads on Reddit too.

It’s not like Reddit is a model website though. I’m just thinking that a website that can cater for free speech and diversity in ideologies without settling down to a niche isn’t too unrealistic. That is, if Musk is really committed to literal free speech.

ragingloli's avatar

Reddit also has mods that ban people, and sometimes entire groups get closed down or quarantined, and certain sections of the site are still just as toxic as twitter.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@elbanditoroso I suppose we’ll see. I’ve read a lot of extremely offensive posts right here that are deemed okay on a modded site.
I’ve learned to be okay with offensive things unless targeted to me specifically. Maybe we all should remember the internet, nee the world, is not a safe space. No one is forcing anyone else to partipate, it’s a choice.

Demosthenes's avatar

There’s no such thing as a “free speech paradise” so anyone who thinks that’s coming is being naïve. There will be moderation, bans, and accusations of censorship just like now.

Twitter is terrible though so I can’t pretend like I care. Not like it was such high quality before and Musk is what will ruin the delicate balance. Lol

Forever_Free's avatar

It will become the start of the first Anti-Social Media Platform.

seawulf575's avatar

Most likely those that like the echo chamber environment will leave. And more people that have avoided it because they know they are only allowed to talk about certain things or have certain views will start checking it out. Musk will eventually make changes to the way Twitter looks and works including getting rid of the Super Secret Squirrel “algorithms” used to censor people. He will get rid of the multiple ‘bots that swarm the platform currently. He will add functions people have said they wanted like an edit button. And people will be openly allowed to voice their opinions and be heard…not censored.

Jeruba's avatar

@seawulf575, it sounds as if you expect to like it. Will you come back later and tell us if you do?

elbanditoroso's avatar

@seawulf575 may be right. And as soon as the nuts get control, everone else will leave.

Twitter’s value is because it has a reputation for sensibility and balance, even if you don’t agree with everything. I sure don’t.

As soon as you wreck the balance, the loonies take over and everyone leaves.

Two predictions:

1) if Musk actually ends up closing the deal, either he sells it or closes it (or radically changes it) within 18 months.

2) Twitter will cease to be relevant or valuable within 6 months of the first ‘policy change’.

The way I see it, Elon Must just blew away $44 billion. Write it off. Twitter’s best days are behind it.

JLoon's avatar

BREAKING NEWS :Tech wiseguy uses a mere $4.9 billion in government subsidies to become world’s richest man – Says subsidies are bad!!
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2021/12/13/musk-spurns-subsidies-after-spacex-sought-them-out-799430

World’s richest man bitches about government after getting caught defrauding investors!!
https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2018-226

World’s richest whiner buys world’s shittiest social media platform – Promises more free speech, tells critics to shut up !!
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/nation/turning-twitter-into-a-free-speech-haven-might-not-be-as-easy-as-elon-musk-thinks

Somewhere there’s a battery powered robot space troll laughing his ass off.

Brian1946's avatar

It could become a big-time success, like SodaHead was. ;)

JLoon's avatar

@Brian1946 – HA! The perfect model.

Brian1946's avatar

@JLoon

“Tech wiseguy uses a mere $4.9 billion in government subsidies to become world’s richest man – Says subsidies are bad!!”

“World’s richest man bitches about government after getting caught defrauding investors!!”

“World’s richest whiner buys world’s shittiest social media platform – Promises more free speech, tells critics to shut up !!”

HO! The perfect dunks.

Jeruba's avatar

This one made me laugh today.

seawulf575's avatar

@Jeruba If I ever decide to go to Twitter, I’ll let you all know if I like it or not.

Jeruba's avatar

@seawulf575, hmm. So your comments were based on—?

seawulf575's avatar

@Jeruba My comment was based on (a) a basic understanding of Twitter, (b) the past couple years of angst by both sides over who gets censored and who doesn’t…and why, (c) the recent evidence of people leaving and people joining Twitter, and (d) the news reports from what Musk has stated about what he wants to do. Since the question was a speculative one anyway, I tossed in my suppositions.

ragingloli's avatar

In case anyone is still following this thread, here is a great timeline documenting Musk’s “free speech absolutism” on twitter:
https://musklovesfreespeech.com/

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