Mark SumnerTwitter’s "legacy blue checks" were a system put in place to improve the quality of information for the benefit of the community and the long term value of Twitter. "Twitter Blue" elevates disinformation in a short term cash grab. And honestly, that’s the most generous way to view it. …
Here's a quick example of how Elon's actions doom Twitter as an information source. And how the steps he's announced for April make things infinitely worse.
@carlottagall is NYT Sr. Correspondent Carlotta Gall, reporting from Ukraine.
@bungdan is long time war reporter Dan Murphy.
@GeromanAT is a Russian propagandist who promotes Wagner group, spreads LGBTQ hate, and promotes conspiracy theories.
After April 15, only one of these will appear in the default Twitter feed. Guess which one. ……
Musk is pushing the idea that paid Twitter Blue is the only way to defeat bot accounts. Which is bullshit for multiple reasons. First, there are no safeguards in place to prevent anyone from buying the right to spread disinformation. This has been clearly demonstrated again and again.
He’s not just signing these accounts up. He’s actively supporting these accounts. …
Second, there is an obvious way to prevent bots and disinformation: a dedicated community moderation team. But Musk not only fired that team, he's thrown them completely under the bus and is now pushing the idea that their attempts to maintain information quality were a crime. …
It would be nice to think that all of this originates from a fundamental misunderstanding of what he purchased. Which wasn't a software platform. And wasn't advertising accounts. It was a community and relationships built up over 16 years. That community and relationships are the ONLY thing at Twitter with real value. The previous system of verifications provided a service to that community, helping them to avoid fake accounts and propagandists. By doing so, it added value to Twitter. …
flounder_ma@Devilstower this is such a smart take. That social credibility that had been woven into Twitter had a certain monetary value worth billions and that's gone for a system that will generate tens of millions of dollars a month.