06 April 2022
As we wrote about it beforeElon Musk took to Twitter and instantly became the social media platform’s largest investor. However, Twitter users are skeptical: they worry that the billionaire will destroy their favorite platform for life.
What happened so far?
After Musk plunged into the world of Twitter, he immediately put forward some suggestions that he thought would make the interface more democratic and professional. He made it clear that he did not sympathize with Twitter’s moderation principles, and at one point allowed the idea of his own social media interface – which would also be a competitor to Twitter. (By the way, Trump tried, but he did Ended with a big drop.) That idea is in the parking lot at the moment, but Musk would definitely fix it as a first step in taking the survey.
In his message, he asked his followers the following question:
“Freedom of speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you think Twitter is strict enough on this?” Then: “The results of the vote will be important. Please vote carefully.”
But this was only the first step. After Musk officially became a board member, he asked another question to Twitter members: he asked if users wanted Twitter to add features with an edit button.
To emphasize the weight of the question, the post was written with misspellings and misrepresentations. The idea didn’t get out of his head for the first time anyway, but Twitter has repeatedly dismissed the issue several times, saying many will rethink their already popular and ubiquitous posts. Finally, under pressure from the community platform, Musk’s stock acquisition Week announced that they were working on developing the feature.
While those two questions aren’t diabolical yet, Twitter users view Muskra with perverted fears that over-controlling could degrade the quality of their conversations.
Many in this post have expressed concern
“Elon Musk bought a seat on Twitter’s board of directors, and Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, Bill Gates, gave more than 300 million dollars to the media. Effective freedom of expression and democracy are incompatible with this state of wealth.”
“Please don’t let Elon Musk spoil the only social media interface you can appreciate.”
“I don’t want to make conspiracy theories, but Elon Musk had to buy a lot of Twitter posts to keep people from making fun of his football strides. It’s not like this platform is making a profit.”
Musk’s follower base — mostly Tesla fanatics — is compensating for negative voices. Encouraged by Musk’s call for free speech and democracy, some have turned away from former President Donald Trump’s camp, hoping that Musk would allow the outlawed businessman to resurface. Other users are hoping for the return of an important news portal called The Babylon Bee, which was also blocked by Twitter after making a joke about the LGBTQ community and the issue of diversity.
Twitter is not afraid, it even made Musk one of the first people
However, on Twiter, they don’t seem to be worried just yet: More than a day after news of the acquisition, the Tesla leader has been appointed as a member of the community giant’s board of directors. The platform’s CEO, Parag Agrawal, noted in his decision that they have spoken to Musk several times in recent weeks and believe the board can add significant value to his ideas.
Also a huge fan and critic of Twitter, Agrawal wrote on his profile that this is exactly what the platform will need to achieve long-term success.
However, appointing a board of directors can also be a preventive step on Twitter’s part. According to the joint agreement, until the position expires, that is, by 2024, Musk will not be able to acquire a stake of more than 14.9 percent in the platform, thus preventing Agraw from gaining too much power. With the acquisition of a 9.2 percent stake in early April, Musk could have tried to move people into leadership positions.
The friendly gesture may also be a strategic consideration, but Twitter founder Jack Dorsey also seems happy to invest.
Dorsey, who lost her fortune by nearly $200 million in Monday’s news, also shared her thoughts on Twitter (where else?). “I’m really excited to have Elon join Twitter’s board of directors! He’s so concerned about our world and the role Twitter plays in this world. Parag and Elon lead with their hearts, they’re going to be a great team,” Dorsey wrote.
