JoanFeb 23, 2023
Chris Trottier

As @JosephMenn reports, Russian propagandists are eager buyers of Twitter Blue.

This is because Twitter Blue privileges their posts in Twitter's relevancy algorithm, ensuring their propaganda achieves more reach.

It also gives them a fancy blue badge.

Russian propagandists aren't the only bad dudes buying Twitter Blue. A few months ago, I discovered that the Taliban are also paying for the service.

Twitter Blue: loved by Putin and the Taliban!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/02/22/russian-propagandists-said-buy-twitter-blue-check-verifications/

Russian propagandists are buying Twitter blue-check verifications

As the Ukraine war enters its second year, the presence of accounts pushing Russian propaganda on Twitter has skyrocketed.

The Washington Post
Feb 22, 2023 at 6:41pmWeb
Show threadtoxtethogradyFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn Because when credentialism is measured by money, not merit, these kinds of abuses are inevitable...
Show threadJim GoodallFeb 22, 2023

@atomicpoet @JosephMenn
This is certainly more reason for everyone to abandon the bird.

They just don't deserve us anymore.

Twitter can easily become an echo-chamber for its own BS, if everyone just says NO MORE!

Show threadDarryBFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn I genuinely believe that Musk thinks that's a win.
Show threadKevin AultFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn in other news, the sun rose in the east this morning.
Show threadrastinzaFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn Why would you think a government propaganda organization wouldn't pay 8 euros to spread propaganda?
Why is the fault of the propaganda attributed to twitter?
Show threadChris TrottierFeb 22, 2023

@rastinza @JosephMenn Your question answers itself.

Twitter can decide who it accepts money from.

Nope, won't be entertaining your sea lioning any more 🙂

Show threadTC Won't Give In To LiesFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn
I understand Twitter has raised $19M annual revenue from Twitter Blue. So, he's not doing it for the money.
Show threadBill BennettFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet
Show threadKevin DavidsonFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn It’s an idiotic and ill thought out scheme that’s practically designed to be gamed. If he’d kept (or listened to) the trust and security team they’d likely have done some threat modelling that would have predicted all of this. He doesn’t care or understand. He just wants those Sneetch dollars to inflate his ego.
Show threadDocInVTFeb 22, 2023
@JosephMenn @atomicpoet
Always amused to find folks calling our propagandists - such disapprobation almost inevitably cone from a propagandist of the opposing persuasion.
Show threadChris TrottierFeb 22, 2023
@DocInVT I just called the phone number on your website to verify that you’re a real person. It’s not in service. That’s quite suspicious. @JosephMenn
Show threadDocInVTFeb 22, 2023

@atomicpoet @JosephMenn You called once, I picked up. I called it back, you answered, then nothing. So I blocked it.

You’re in BC, aren’t you? Fucking phony-ass propagandist.

Show threadDocInVTFeb 22, 2023
@JosephMenn @atomicpoet Blocking you now, child.
Show threadSueFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn That's fine, but blue checks are meaningless now.
Show threadAndreas KFeb 23, 2023
@CAMadScientist @atomicpoet @JosephMenn Sadly they have still meaning: Their posts are given a bigger audience by the #dodo site algorithm.
Show threadRaphaelFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn How much money would I have to pay that website to get myself "certified" as the new owner's long-lost twin?
Show threadThomas H Jones IIFeb 22, 2023

@atomicpoet @JosephMenn

Need a "block blue" option... Probably the real reason they banned third party clients.

Show threadQwertyuiopFeb 22, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn you brlieve that, because msm reports this?
Show threadChris TrottierFeb 22, 2023
@qwertyuiop @JosephMenn I believe it because I see it.
Show threadDeborah MacPhersonFeb 22, 2023

@atomicpoet @JosephMenn that jerk has now officially run #Twitter into the ground. It’s over. Half a decade driving 100 miles an hour while multitasking, barely keeping up with daily stresses from a corrupt AF US president, everyone wildly ranting, careening out of control. It’s over. That place, the community and angst and distrust has boiled over.

One man wanted all that attention for himself, elevating his importance.

Ran

Twitter

Into

The

Ground

Show threadStr8ngerFeb 23, 2023

@atomicpoet @JosephMenn

“The last capitalist we hang shall be the one who sold us the rope.”

Show threadktFeb 23, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn musk is a #moneylaunderer for #putin
Show threadShannonFeb 23, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn Not only that, they can get their accounts reinstated when they are suspended or locked. They are paying to post foul content and keep their accounts. I suspect they'll be able to demand their rule breaking tweets stay up as well. I know this to be true. A Russia supporting account that posts endless posts that are against the rules got locked for a week and then complained to Twitter and they reinstated him. He bragged about it. He is blue.
Show threadaethervision Feb 23, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn @peter 2nd world 2nd rate social media has-been.
Show threadfinpel_dorredFeb 23, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn this same narrative was trotted out in 2016. You'll have to prove this isn't the same lie all over again.
Show threadJoop #LoCovid #NoPlanetBFeb 23, 2023

@atomicpoet @JosephMenn I stopped using twitter November last year. However, in my last year I always used it in "latest tweets" mode. Couldn't bear to browse in "top tweets". Thus, my impression was that I only saw tweets from people I followed or the ones that got many likes from them (besides ads, of course). A little like my personal timeline in mastodon.

Did that change after the takeover?

Show threadJohn YatesFeb 23, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn I logged out of twitter in November and refuse to look up the password. I still have no intention, or interest, in going back. #Politics
Show threadRichservo Feb 23, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn I said this all along. It’s just a means to funnel more russian money onto social media. It’s why Zuckerbot is doing it.
Show thread🌲🧿 "Max"t💽d🏵️n 🔎🍄Feb 23, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn I'm sure OTHER American oligarchs love it too.
Show threadCharming MalcontentFeb 24, 2023
@atomicpoet @JosephMenn