It’s clearly just me as an outlier, but who the **** actually looks at promoted tweets to the extent that running a complicated IT platform that you don’t charge anyone to use is worth that much money? I know it creates massive revenue from adverts, and presumably the advertisers have done the sums to decide it’s worth it, but if people really are buying stuff from the adverts they see then they deserve to be ripped off tbh (apart from anyone vulnerable of course)
It's an anonymous platform, they don't really have any personal data, only data on trends. Data sales only account for 11% of their income, it's advertising that generates the vast majority (86%).
This is going to be a fascinating insight into whether private businesses and 'free speech' can work together.
If they start only allowing users to sign up with ID, then yes definitely (but not so much personal data as now, but certainly 'big' data on how people with one political view interact with a, b and c in particular countries etc.
there are already plenty of unhinged immoral billionaires controlling the masses. one that promises to liberate some of that control will make a change, i hope.
That’s what I mean I guess. Everyone moans about twitter not allowing free speech, but they don’t have to and there are legal issues if they allow certain things to be posted. Musk wants free speech, how far will that go? I don’t think it can go as far as he and others want. Will be interesting.
Read a book,. Hug your family, go for a walk. Just 3 things that are better for you than using Twitter. Who will remember the ranty tweet you sent about Trump at your funeral. Log off, choose life.
Didn’t he cancel a blogger’s Tesla order personally because the blogger criticised Musk’s handling of a Tesla event? The guy’s not exactly got a thick skin despite his edgy attitude. Even with all his billions, he still craves adoration and acceptance. He was in tears during an interview when the interviewer brought up that Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan thought SpaceX was a **** idea.
Which is why I suspect he is mouthing off about free speech. He knows that it’s a popular hook he can show off, but I’m not sure he understands the implications.
I suspect it too. He has an army of fanboys who hang on his every word. He was bullied quite badly as a kid. It’s almost like being one of the wealthiest people, if not the wealthiest, isn’t enough. He also wants to be popular and respected. His edginess online, his obsession with crypto, buying Twitter etc. all just stinks of a guy trying to win respect from the type of people who bullied him in school.
there is another issue. several social platforms have gained financially by a u.s. law that has given then considerable leeway in the growth of their businesses. however the grant of that leeway is provisional on them acting as if they are a utility. by banning or restricting certain topics or users, they are no longer behaving like a utility, but are editorialising like a publisher, and thereby ruling themselves ineligible for the leg-up they have been given. so far nobody has pulled them up on this legality. people don't get banned or censored for what they wrote in a letter or said in a telephone call. if a platform is a utility, there should be no restrictions from its operator.