Marco F.’s Post

𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗! 𝗘𝗹𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗸 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 (𝗗𝗢𝗚𝗘) Basically, they will identify departments where there is government waste, fraud, & and abuse happening and right size them or close them. This is similar to what happened at Twitter when Musk bought it. He fired 80% of the employees and did a major reshuffle. He says that Twitter is still running and it is running even better. This is the same thing that will happen with the government. Musk in an interview said - "There are around 428 federal agencies. There's so many that people have never even heard of. I think we should be able to get away with 99 agencies." So basically, there will be lot of closing down of such government agencies and people might be asked to take voluntary retirement or move to a different department/place. Elon Musk says "all actions of the Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] will be posted online for maximum transparency." Now this is going to wild because unlike Twitter, where there had been a few lawsuits by people who got terminated, closing down government agencies and firing people won't be so easy. BUT that was Trump's election promise so let's see how it goes. By the way, 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟮𝟬% after Trump announces the Department of Government Efficiency — DOGE. 👉𝗗𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗼? - #ElonMusk #DonaldTrump #USElections2024  #VivekRamaswamy

Today, we explore the transformation of Twitter into X following Elon Musk's takeover. Musk aims to morph X into a digital Swiss Army knife, merging social media, messaging, and financial services into a single platform akin to WeChat. Key Changes: Character Limit: The limit has expanded to 4,000 characters. Does this enhance discussion or simply invite more noise? Subscription Model: X Blue costs $8 monthly or $84 annually, offering editing capabilities and extended character limits. Will users pay for previously free features? Privacy and Security: X promises improved privacy features, yet some doubt their effectiveness. X Spaces: This evolution of Twitter Spaces allows for real-time audio chats but might make meaningful dialogue challenging. Content Moderation: With fewer restrictions, there's a risk of increased hate speech and misinformation. Corporate Moves: X is leaving its San Francisco headquarters, with future locations still undisclosed. We'll examine whether X can truly become the comprehensive app Musk envisions. Stay tuned.

Elon Musk has finally acknowledged what many of us have been noticing - the new Twitter isn't exactly link-friendly. In fact, Musk himself has called out the issue, stating that the platform's "lazy linking" feature is to blame. So, what's happening with links on Twitter? It seems that the platform's algorithm is prioritizing content that keeps users engaged within the app, rather than encouraging them to click on external links. This means that tweets with links are getting less visibility, making it harder for users to share and discover new content. Musk's acknowledgment of the issue is a step in the right direction, but it remains to be seen how Twitter will address the problem. Will they tweak their algorithm to give links more visibility, or will they introduce new features to make sharing and discovering content easier? X #Twitter #ElonMusk #LazyLinking #Algorithm #SocialMedia #LinkSharing #ContentDiscovery #TechNews #OnlineCommunity

X's Surprise Blue Check Surge Sparks User Confusion. X users are getting crowned with the blue checkmark without signing up for it, thanks to Elon Musk's recent initiative to offer complimentary Premium memberships to accounts with significant followings. Following Musk's announcement that accounts with over 2,500 "verified subscriber followers" would receive free Premium memberships, reports flooded in from users who noticed the blue "Verified" checkmark beside their handles, even though they hadn't subscribed to any paid X subscription tiers. Traditionally, Twitter's verified symbol was reserved for celebrities, politicians, journalists, and public figures. However, the platform introduced paid verification, allowing anyone to obtain it by purchasing a Premium membership. Previously, verified users who refused to pay lost their checkmarks, but Musk intervened personally to reinstate it for certain individuals. Now, many influential Twitter accounts with substantial followings are being checkmarked once again, whether they desire it or not. Users who were unexpectedly granted verification under the latest scheme expressed surprise and confusion. Some expressed their desire to opt-out and emphasized that they had no intention of paying Elon Musk for the privilege. #Twitter #ElonMusk #BlueCheck #PremiumMembership

Why did Elon Musk buy Twitter? Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter was ostensibly framed around promoting free speech and creating a platform for open dialogue, as he repeatedly criticized Twitter’s prior management for what he called censorship and a lack of transparency. Musk claimed he was motivated by a desire to safeguard democracy, calling Twitter “the de facto public town square.” His emphasis on free speech resonated with those critical of content moderation policies, especially conservatives who argued such policies disproportionately silenced right-wing voices. However, the timing, context, and subsequent actions raise questions about whether Musk’s purchase was driven purely by financial or altruistic motives. His reinstatement of high-profile accounts, including Donald Trump’s, and his vocal critiques of progressive figures and institutions suggest a political dimension to the purchase. Musk’s tweets, including criticisms of Anthony Fauci and his amplification of right-wing narratives, align him with a conservative agenda, leading some to speculate that his acquisition of Twitter could have been partially motivated by a desire to influence political discourse, particularly in the lead-up to elections. From a financial perspective, Musk has acknowledged that buying Twitter was not a traditional investment. He overpaid for the platform by many accounts, and his subsequent moves, including radical layoffs and changes to content moderation policies, have caused significant advertiser pullback and financial instability for the platform. This undermines the argument that the purchase was driven purely by profit motives. Given Musk’s actions, public statements, and the broader political implications, it is plausible to consider that his motivations extended beyond financial gain. His acquisition of Twitter may have been a strategic move to influence the cultural and political landscape, particularly in the United States. By controlling one of the most influential platforms for political discourse, Musk has positioned himself as a powerful arbiter of public conversation—something that could have long-term implications for elections, public policy, and democracy itself. #ElonMusk #Trump #Rightwing #antidemocracy #Republicans

🚨 Mass Exodus from Twitter? 🚨 Many users are fleeing X (formerly Twitter) as Elon Musk's policies continue to stifle free speech. With critics silenced and controversial bans in place, platforms like Threads and Bluesky are gaining traction. Are we witnessing the decline of Twitter as we know it? 🧐 What’s your take? Share below! 👇 #TwitterExodus #ElonMusk #FreeSpeech #SocialMediaDrama #ThreadsApp #BlueskyRising #TechNews 🌐

I'm old enough to remember Twitter circa 2022. That's when its new owner, Elon Musk, shared this message: "Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended… To be more precise, accounts doing parody impersonations. Basically, tricking people is not ok." This was a sensible stance, albeit short-lived. Fast forward to late last week, as The Verge explains: "The video Musk shared on Friday alters a recent campaign video Harris released, one that makes it sound like the presidential candidate said things she didn’t". The clip features manipulated audio of the Vice President claiming she is "the ultimate diversity hire". In Musk's shared tweet, there is no mention of the word parody (it's hidden and only visible on the original post). Moreover, the user who published it has no mention of parody in his handle, breaking the exact rules Musk himself set way back when he bought the platform. Plus, X's policies prohibit sharing "out-of-context media that may confuse or deceive people". When one of the most powerful business leaders in the world is increasingly bending and breaking the rules to align with his political interests, he opens the floodgates for widespread misinformation and disinformation, along with hateful rhetoric that is bound to have consequences in the offline world. Even more recently, X temporarily suspended a White Dudes for Harris account after a fundraising call Monday night helped to raise more than $4M for the US Vice President. The account is back online as of now, but so far there is not much explanation as to why it was banned in the first place. Unfortunately, there are too few guardrails in place to curb the chaos Musk is creating. However, one thing is for sure: Musk didn't buy Twitter to defend free speech, he bought it as a mirror to reflect all things Musk likes, loves, hates, and hinders - despite the damage that it does to our society along the way. - Amber Mac Newsletter (July 30) - https://lnkd.in/gqpR58q

Where is Social going ? 10 Tech Innovations Changing Social Media in 2024 The once-almighty Twitter has faced a mass exodus, with millions ditching the platform for decentralized alternatives. Here's what you need to know: 🔍 Who: Bluesky, Discord, Mastodon, Nostr, Threads For 17 years, Twitter was the go-to for global conversations. Then Elon Musk took over, rebranding it as X, axing staff, and ditching moderation. The result? An influx of lies and propaganda. Users wanted out. Enter decentralized social media, using protocols like ActivityPub and AT Protocol, offering better moderation and security. You can even switch servers and keep your connections. While the dream of a decentralized Twitter isn't new, it's finally gaining traction. X's traffic is down 20%, with daily active users dropping from 141 million to 120 million. Decentralized platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky are on the rise, but Meta's Threads is the standout with almost 100 million monthly users. The real Twitter killer? Elon Musk. https://bit.ly/3TbUyKU #TwitterExodus #DecentralizedSocialMedia #TechTrends2024 #SocialMediaRevolution

I've been a long-time member of the Elon Musk hate club, which makes The Guardian's "X-it" a welcome piece of news. But it does underline a few things. First, the early-doors fears surrounding Musk's reign (and its risks to Twitter users) have, sadly, been founded. 🌎 Secondly, global giants like Twitter have phenomenal political sway, which only emphasizes the responsibility of competing businesses to internally regulate, for the better. It also compounds the importance of organisations like BCORP, Patagonia, tentree, Grace & Green, and many others, that use the weight of their impact for good. Third, and finally: always, always... always... approach emerald-mine adjacent billionaires who position themselves as, "the underdog of the people"... with grave caution. ✍️ When things first kicked off at Twitter, I vaguely vented, with a day-by-day run-down of Musk's first few days at the helm (which you can read just below). Between the restrained lines, I said what I felt now: running a business can be an honour, but it's also a responsibility. And that responsibility, in any modern age worth its salt, should extend to an ethics-bound duty of care, for people and the planet. [ ➡️ 30 days of Twitter chaos and the beginnings of how we got here: https://lnkd.in/ey3QMVeH ] #GuardianLeavesX #Twitter #ElonMusk #AmericanElection