Jim Chen

How Elon Musk Turned the Blue Checkmark Into a Scarlet Letter 🐳 A weekend-long masterclass in business failure

Most people, and especially those of us who used to be verified, do not want the new checkmark. We do not want it because having the checkmark is embarrassing. Musk has successfully made it a humiliating thing for someone to pay for Twitter.

The masses are balking at paying for Blue because they think Musk is offering an unworthy product and is also a dickhead.
https://slate.com/technology/2023/04/elon-musk-twitter-blue-checkmarks-verification-lebron-james.html

Elon Musk’s Weekend-Long Masterclass in Business Failure

No one wants to pay for Twitter’s checkmark. It’s no mystery why.

Slate
Apr 23, 2023 at 7:05pmWeb
Show threadJim ChenApr 23, 2023

"Blue could be one dollar a month, and tons of people would still have zero interest, because they don’t like Musk. Musk has made a hard-right turn in his political presentation, and he has been incredibly unfunny about it. He has taken away people’s jobs and stiffed much smaller businesses on payments. He has surrounded himself with unappealing yes men who scold people for not wanting to buy what they’re selling. Musk lost when he put his Twitter popularity to a vote."

https://slate.com/technology/2023/04/elon-musk-twitter-blue-checkmarks-verification-lebron-james.html

Elon Musk’s Weekend-Long Masterclass in Business Failure

No one wants to pay for Twitter’s checkmark. It’s no mystery why.

Slate
Show threadJim ChenApr 24, 2023

"Verified" becomes a badge of dishonor after Twitter checkmark confusion 🐳 #FailWhale

Twitter users are pushing back against Elon Musk's new pay-for-verification policy, with many journalists and celebrities opting to cancel their subscriptions instead of keeping their blue checks out of embarrassment.

Why it matters: Internet verification used to be a badge of honor. Now that it's achievable to anyone who is willing to buy it, it's become a signal of desperation.

https://www.axios.com/2023/04/23/verified-checkmark-twitter-badge

"Verified" becomes a badge of dishonor

Accounts of late celebrities including Chadwick Boseman have been marked "subscribed to Twitter Blue."

Axios
Show threadJim ChenApr 24, 2023

Some financial accounting for Elon Fü¢king Musk 😘

Your effort to extort Blue subscription fees from 420,000 legacy verified accounts yielded 28 conversions. That's 99.99% failure. $2,688 marginal revenue, at a very conservative 3.6% discount rate, implies net present value just shy of $75,000. 🤑😝

If you try repeat this stunt about 27,000 times, you might cover your $20 billion in lost valuation since you bought Twitter. Good luck, Emerald Boy! 💎

https://twitter.com/chenx064/status/1650330831968190464?t=i_5-IT1mXdN4wF_H91l1cg&s=19

🌍 Јаков Минг Дановић 🌏 on Twitter

“Some financial accounting for @elonmusk 😘 Your effort to extort Blue subscription fees from 420,000 legacy verified accounts yielded 28 conversions. That's 99.99% failure. $2,688 marginal revenue, at a very conservative 3.6% discount rate, implies net present value of ~$75K 🤑😝”

Twitter
Show threadJim ChenApr 24, 2023

When Twitter revoked the badges of prominent Twitter users earlier this week, a much sharper contrast appeared between Twitter Blue subscribers with their blue badges, and prominent, formerly verified users — creators of high-quality content — with none.

Twitter Blue membership is now associated with Elon Musk fandom. Since Twitter Blue subscribers get boosts in prominence, blue checkmarks now feel like a swarm of pests interfering with enjoyment of the platform.

https://mashable.com/article/twitter-verifies-dril-mashable-block-the-blue

Twitter verifies users associated with Block the Blue, including dril and Mashable's Matt Binder

If you can't beat 'em verify 'em.

Mashable
Show threadKimApr 23, 2023
@chenx064
@kirshner
Love your article! So on point. 🤗
Show thread72mzApr 23, 2023
@chenx064
No-one is forcing you to stay. It has become an unworthy product and he is a dickhead. Why are you still there?
Show threadDeborahStanderApr 24, 2023
@chenx064 It's like Musk is branding people. Putting his mark on them whether they want it or not. And he's only doing it because if he didn't, he'd be embarrassed by everyone being able to see how many celebs and influential account holders would refuse to pay for it. It's an unbelievably obnoxious and personally offensive thing to do.
Show threadJim ChenApr 24, 2023

@DeborahStander Your reply is so terrifyingly correct that I'll reproduce it below my reaction.

Musk is acting like Keith Raniere, the evil man who branded women in the Nxivm cult. He is laying claim to people without their consent. It is a form of violence on social media. We should oppose him with all our might.
_____

Deborah wrote: "It's like Musk is branding people. Putting his mark on them whether they want it or not… It's an unbelievably obnoxious and personally offensive thing to do."

Show threadDeborahStanderApr 24, 2023
@chenx064 Thank you. Yes, he is out of control. Absolutely oppose him and I also see him as highly malignant and unprincipled.
Show threadJim ChenApr 24, 2023
@DeborahStander That's why I've been using the #BoycottTesla #NeverTesla #NeverMusk and #NeverElon hashtags. He's a force for evil, and nothing good can come from anything he touches.
Show threadMove forward or die!Apr 24, 2023

@chenx064 @casjo2022

Why do they remain on that platform after #EMuskovy has continued to make a mockery of everything it once represented? It’s almost the same as remaining in an abusive relationship long past when it has become clearly obvious that it is toxic…

#TwitterMustDie