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

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

#831

Post by TrispusAttucks » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 9:54 PM UTC

fleddr wrote: post #708

I'm optimistic from a nihilistic point of view: for Twitter the only way is up, and yet even a complete failure would be a net improvement to the world. There's a laundry list of uncontroversial improvements he can make to the product itself. Twitter as a product is broken in so many ways. Musk is the kind of outcome-driven character to get things done. And it will be done in a way that does not directly conflict wit…

I am also optimistic because of these 3 D's.

1. de-censoring

2. de-radicalize

3. de-politicize

The twitter addicts aren't going anywhere. The de-censoring will allow left and right to meet on a level playing field. This should help de-radicalize the fringe extremes and allow for discourse without discussion or users being banned. With more room for nuance the center of the road folks will feel better about discussing their views. Also this should ultimately de-politicize platform and be a win for, at least, America.

--

PS. I would like to see censoring of violent terrorist groups increase. That would also be a win. Also new features!

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

#832

Post by sytelus » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 9:57 PM UTC

AviationAtom wrote: post #622

Wowza. The engagement in this post might beat Stephen Hawking's death announcement.

I haven't understood why people obsess so much about someone's death. Shouldn't they be thinking about them more when they were alive?

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

#833

Post by cwkoss » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 9:59 PM UTC

robbomacrae wrote: post #705

This could be dangerous for democracy. The worlds richest man can influence whether a politician is de-platformed or re-instated to Twitter whilst legally protected in such decision making by section 230. We have seen him act petty when offense is taken [0]. We have seen him be quite opinionated on tax proposals [1]. Is no one else concerned by this? It seems a more powerful control of the narrative and politics than…

That danger is already present in the entirety of mainstream media, and twitter before this announcement.

Why do you think Elon is uniquely dangerous in this regard?

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

#834

Post by bdefore » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 10:00 PM UTC

13415 wrote: post #758

abnry wrote: post #631

Ways I think Twitter could immediately improve, from the perspective of users: - Optional verification check marks for anyone who wants them. Throw out the Blue Check status symbol. Offer "real person" twitter filter. - Transparent and consistent moderation policies. Bans are inconsistently applied for reasons that are often hard to figure out. - Return to a reverse chronological time and/or down selection of rage-ba…

I've tried Twitter recently for the first time to get more recent information about the Ukraine war. Maybe long-term twitter users see it differently because they've fine-tuned it and got used to it, but to me Twitter looks like a horrible and awful medium. I just can't see any purpose for it. People on Twitter post opinions and are subsequently mocked and insulted by other people who also value their opinions above…

Twitter's gambit since its inception has been the ability to magnify your audience more than a blog. This is _despite_ its counterproductive format for actual discussion and debate. All the critiques for how broken Twitter is now bemuse me. Compared to the blogs it supplanted, it's been broken since the start as a medium of informed communication. You're just not going to educate me of much of anything in 140 characters.

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

#835

Post by sytelus » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 10:02 PM UTC

MarcScott wrote: post #178

Am I the only person here that finds Twitter a nice place? I'm careful about who I follow, most of whom are tech people or educators. My feed is a really nice place to go, and I can't remember the last time I read or saw anything that triggered me in the slightest. I'm seeing loads of comments about how toxic Twitter is, but isn't that on you? Don't follow or engage and the algorithm will skip you over.

No matter how careful you are, you will eventually still end up following some new media like New York Times or CNN or Fox News or US president or some celebrity. And then it's only a slippery slop because for many stories, there are two sides and you will identify with one of them. I did not become regular Twitter user until I meticulously cleaned up who I follow. I removed every single news media, every political personality including US president and every non-technical celebrity. Now I only follow ML/Ai researchers and scientists and my feed couldn't be better. However, Twitter still recommands me to follow celebrity or new media once in a while and I have to carefully ignore that.

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

#836

Post by dark-star » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 10:05 PM UTC

Think of all the awesome stuff he could have done for humankind with that kind of money.

But nooooo, he wastes it all on a that dungpool of a website

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

#837

Post by fareesh » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 10:06 PM UTC

Twitter is a private company and can do what it wants

I remember the absolute smugness of people who trotted out that line when it suited their politics

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

#838

Post by sytelus » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 10:07 PM UTC

nova22033 wrote: post #102

What if the Chinese government forces Elon to ban criticism of China? Nice EV business you have there in Shanghai...be a shame if...you know..

Or current US administration (whoever it is) forces to him to do X. Nice big space company you have there... be a shame if you were lose government contracts and face severe delays in getting permits...

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

#839

Post by nathias » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 10:12 PM UTC

I hope this really means a return to the free speech absolutism of the old internet.

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

#840

Post by ROARosen » Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 10:12 PM UTC

fleddr wrote: post #708

I'm optimistic from a nihilistic point of view: for Twitter the only way is up, and yet even a complete failure would be a net improvement to the world. There's a laundry list of uncontroversial improvements he can make to the product itself. Twitter as a product is broken in so many ways. Musk is the kind of outcome-driven character to get things done. And it will be done in a way that does not directly conflict wit…

I think Musk might just make it public again, or turn it into a nonprofit.

True, I'm going a little out on a limb here but IMHO makes total sense.

Since Twitter is - in Musk's words - the “de facto public town square” - it doesn't make sense for it to be a private company at all (which is much less open to outside scrutiny and/or criticisms).

Which is kind of an oxymoron given the fact that the changes he supposedly wants to implement will only be possible if he takes it private.

All of this leads me to believe he might just implement the changes he wants and promptly go public again, keeping control of the board or as CEO (prob also at a much higher eval). This, or maybe he'll turn it into a nonprofit.