Let's review just some of what we've learned about Twitter within the past 24 hours:
1. VIPs have been privileged with prioritization
2. Unpaid accounts won’t be visible on the default “For You” Page
3. Unpaid account can’t vote in polls
Twitter is no longer a social media service. It’s a mass media service.
“Social” implies bi-directional communication whereas “mass” is one way.
Twitter clearly desires to be a one way communications service. As social media, it is dead.
The ongoing story about the Internet — what’s been true for decades now — is how media conglomerates try so very hard to pivot social media towards mass media.
And they fail every time.
It didn’t work for MySpace. It didn’t work for Digg. It certainly won’t work for Twitter.
You’d think they would learn but they don’t.
Media conglomerates are convinced that they should be gatekeepers of information.
They have the money. They have the connections.
So why shouldn’t they decide what is seen or unseen?
Genuine social media challenges this notion because it says, “Away with the gatekeepers!”
If you’re Rupert Murdoch, this is unacceptable.
People have asked me, “How can you say Twitter is dead? Disney or News Corp. could cut a deal with Twitter, and it will dominate!”
Dominate in what sense? As yet another vector for broadcasting?
Neat. Now Twitter is no better than Google News or BBC. Actually, it’s worse because neither Google nor BBC pulled a bait-and-switch.
For people who actually want two-way social media communication, it’s dead.
Big media conglomerates want a world where everyone is a passive consumer of content.
They don't want you to have a conversation. They certainly don’t want you asking questions. And they don’t want you to be critical of media in any shape or form.
“Just shut up and consume!” is their demand.
Is it any wonder why they try so intently to hijack social media? Why they don’t mind Elon Musk — even though he demonstrates contempt for them?
It's fascinating watching the people they have exploited defend them. We've been conditioned into believing we "need" these corporations to keep us informed. We don't.
There is a big element of FOMO as well. Why would I need to know about yet another mass killing of children in America? Is knowing all the bad shit that happens around the world even useful to me?
I used to think being informed was helpful, so we would have knowledge of how to avoid the shit things in our own communities, if we saw how horrible they were elsewhere. Now I think we are better to not know, as those in power seem to want to push for the bad shit to brought here, instead of avoiding it.
I'm tired of media corps trying to import bigotry , racism, violence, religion, fascism, etc, from other countries, we have enough of this shit already.
Chris Trottier
Radiant Plus
Kevin Karhan 
JudeNunga
Cynthia Morse Linton