Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources • Hacker News Board

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#131

Post by xwowsersx » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:23 PM UTC

V__ wrote: post #89

Looking at the problems Twitter has, why does anyone think Musk can even solve one? If one believes Twitter has a free speech problem: Musk shouts about free speech but shut down Teslas PR department, lashes out against any criticism against him, canceled a preorder because he didn't like a journalists' article etc. Musk is great at self-promotion and this often helps his companies in some sense, but what else does h…

I'm not defending Musk's shutting down of Tesla's PR department or cancelling a preorder because he didn't like a journalist's article — and point well taken that those events might indicate his behavior/orientation — but these are hardly comparable in the sense that Twitter is fundamentally a speech platform - that's what it enables its users to do - whereas Tesla is not. To extrapolate from his behavior re Tesla to the way he views Twitter or would operate it seems like a stretch to me. It's possible for a person to bifurcate.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#132

Post by Symmetry » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:23 PM UTC

mmastrac wrote: post #6

Part of me hopes this is the end of the social media age. I've been on twitter since the very beginning and lately it feels like it's a toxic cesspool on all sides. I say this as a twitter addict and prolific poster over more than a decade.

Twitter is a big place. I follow a lot of reporters, policy analysts, space entrepreneur, etc and don't get much toxicity. There are some people whose long form writing I really enjoy but who are just too negative on Twitter for me to follow them there, I just hope that other people will retweet their good stuff.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#133

Post by shreyshnaccount » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:23 PM UTC

Elon is probably doing it for increased political and social influence. Like I've said before, whoever controls twitter, controls the next election.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#134

Post by gwn7 » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:23 PM UTC

V__ wrote: post #89

Looking at the problems Twitter has, why does anyone think Musk can even solve one? If one believes Twitter has a free speech problem: Musk shouts about free speech but shut down Teslas PR department, lashes out against any criticism against him, canceled a preorder because he didn't like a journalists' article etc. Musk is great at self-promotion and this often helps his companies in some sense, but what else does h…

> If one believes Twitter has a free speech problem

Twitter HAS a free speech problem. This is not controversial. Now you may not agree that Twitter SHOULD allow free speech, but you can not deny that censorship exists on Twitter and it is serving the political agenda of some people.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#135

Post by bigbillheck » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:24 PM UTC

I wonder if there'll be a clause in the terms of purchase where Musk gets to call himself a founder.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#136

Post by frebord » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:25 PM UTC

V__ wrote: post #89

Looking at the problems Twitter has, why does anyone think Musk can even solve one? If one believes Twitter has a free speech problem: Musk shouts about free speech but shut down Teslas PR department, lashes out against any criticism against him, canceled a preorder because he didn't like a journalists' article etc. Musk is great at self-promotion and this often helps his companies in some sense, but what else does h…

Will only really matter what problems Musk thinks twitter has, and seems weird to doubt musk can fix them at this point.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#137

Post by thejackgoode » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:25 PM UTC

I can empathise with both ends of the table here, but you have to agree that entering such a world of pain as moderating Twitter and re-shaping it's dynamics voluntary (and paying $43B for it!) is yet another thing done by Musk that you will see once in a lifetime. This is "bread and circuses" of our time.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#138

Post by andyjohnson0 » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:25 PM UTC

Is "free speech absolutism" something that Twitter's advertisers (== paying customers) actually want?

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#139

Post by mellifluousbox » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:26 PM UTC

dkjaudyeqooe wrote: post #99

Once Musk lets Trump back on and is freed from all restraint with his and his alone god-mode account, Twitter will surely see an exodus and it'll fill up with "like minded" people. Together with his "subscription model" ideas, Twitter is toast. This is a great business opportunity for someone who wants to put together an alternative. Maybe a micro-blogging protocol open to all instead? Usetwitnet?

It already exists and is called Mastodon.

Re: Twitter set to accept Musk's $43B offer – sources

#140

Post by ui4jd73bdj » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 1:26 PM UTC

V__ wrote: post #89

Looking at the problems Twitter has, why does anyone think Musk can even solve one? If one believes Twitter has a free speech problem: Musk shouts about free speech but shut down Teslas PR department, lashes out against any criticism against him, canceled a preorder because he didn't like a journalists' article etc. Musk is great at self-promotion and this often helps his companies in some sense, but what else does h…

Very easy to solve the only problems I've had with twitter. Stop hiding content behind login prompts. Serverside render direct links to tweets (no infinite loaders/generic errors).