5 ms·

It’s funny that the first paragraph of the letter says they believed it was best for Elon to join the board. Then the second paragraph says that Elon declined

It’s funny that the first paragraph of the letter says they believed it was best for Elon to join the board. Then the second paragraph says that Elon declined to join the board and they believe it was also for the best.

manquer 5y ago
Both could be factually true at those points in time. On Tuesday they thought this was good idea. Interacting with Elon and market reactions in the next few days could have convinced them that best idea was not to have him.
- plank 5y ago
  And actually at the same point of time: It can be best to offer him the position and for him to decline. Better then not offering the position, or him accepting.
  - manquer 5y ago
    Well that would be better if he turned down when it was offered, he accepted and retracted 2 days later .
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
catmanjan 5y ago
Joining the board "the best path forward", whereas not joining was "the best". From this we can deduce that the destination of the "the best path forward" was for him to leave the board ("the best").
- LAC-Tech 5y ago
  Thank you for providing a total ordering for the algebra of press releases.
- upsidesinclude 5y ago
  Get him on the board to stifle his options and prevent him from negatively impacting the company through 'press release' would have a been their path forward, no doubt. Seems he already knew that much at least
skippyboxedhero 5y ago
I have seen worse PR releases, I haven't seen worse PR releases from a company of this size and profile. There is some kind of irony in a communication platform offering a presser that contains so little information and so many words...particularly as the platform limits the number of characters that users can communicate. Really earning that $30m/year. I would fuck up an important press release for half that price.
- unityByFreedom 5y ago
  It's just the CEO making nice nice with everyone, don't overthink it.
- heavenlyblue 5y ago
  > particularly as the platform limits the number of characters that users can communicate. The irony of them sharing it as an image!
  - Jcowell 5y ago
    Common on Twitter.
dragonwriter 5y ago
Those beliefs occurred at different times (one is past tense, one is present tense.) And only two significant events are cited as happening between them: a background check and Elon deciding not to join the board. Either the basis of the change in belief is “whatever Elon wants is best”, that implies a background check problem.
- PheonixPharts 5y ago
  Or that the CEO always believes what the majority share holder believes at the time they hold that belief.
  - dragonwriter 5y ago
    Musk is not majority shareholder.
  - ErneX 5y ago
    Largest, not majority.
- mad_tortoise 5y ago
- afiori 5y ago
  I personally read it as: It was for the best that we offered a seat, luckily he refused.
  - gitfan86 5y ago
    Like anyone is going to believe that. It is like getting an offer on your house and saying that you think it is a great offer, then on the way to sign the contract the buyer says they want to cancel and then you say "yes great, I wanted you to cancel at the last minute"
    - afiori 5y ago
ROARosen 5y ago
> they believed it was best for Elon The way I understand it, they believed it was best for twitter (since as a fiduciary he would 'have to act in the interests of the company)
- noduerme 5y ago
  I'm inclined to agree that this is the correct parsing. Elon joining == best for Twitter, Elon not joining == best if Elon doesn't want to [and maybe by extension for Twitter].
jasonlotito 5y ago
Before, they believed it was for the best. Now, after certain events, some of which are spelled out in the tweet, they believe the other. Both are completely valid and do not contradict one another. And it's quite normal and acceptable to change your mind after you get more information. I think Foo is true. Let's see! I think Foo is not true after seeing new facts.
- smabie 5y ago
  Yea definitely, still feels poorly written though.
  - noduerme 5y ago
    The word "had" would have been useful.
DonHopkins 5y ago
The first paragraph applied to the time before they performed the background check. The second paragraph applied to the time after they performed the background check. Uh, oh, Spaghetti-Os!
- jmeister 5y ago
  There is nothing Twitter’s background check will turn up that’s not already known. Musk is the richest man in the world FFS.
riazrizvi 5y ago
The first and second paragraphs contradict each other. Assuming of course that we ignore the time and events that separate them.
- convery 5y ago
  Not to mention hidden variables. i.e. him joining (on their terms) would be best for Twitter in the future (as his influence would be limited), him not joining (on his terms) would be best right now (as his influence is limited).
geodel 5y ago
I mean eating cake is best thing I want to do but not eating cake is also the best thing I can do.
caffeine 5y ago
Basically Elon is the largest shareholder. If he wants to join the board, that is best for Twitter and Elon. If he doesn’t want to, that is also best. Whatever he wants is best because he is the biggest shareholder.
MadSudaca 5y ago
I’ve seen more irrelevant stories make it to HN’s front page tbh.
454544545 5y ago
- thaumasiotes 5y ago
  > I doubt even a single conservative works there. They likely do, but not openly.
strikelaserclaw 5y ago
Aka corporate talk that absolutely means nothing.
bigbizisverywyz 5y ago
I personally can't see how it would be best for either party. Elon I would imagine is way too busy with his other concerns to be distracted by a social media company, even though at the moment it does seem to carry an oversized amount of influence. And Elon's brand is probably too randomly 'firecracker' for a company that's probably already attracting scrutiny from governments across the world due to the above mentioned outsized influence it has on discourse and opinion.

manquer 5y ago

Both could be factually true at those points in time. On Tuesday they thought this was good idea. Interacting with Elon and market reactions in the next few days could have convinced them that best idea was not to have him.

plank 5y ago
And actually at the same point of time: It can be best to offer him the position and for him to decline. Better then not offering the position, or him accepting.
- manquer 5y ago
  Well that would be better if he turned down when it was offered, he accepted and retracted 2 days later .

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

catmanjan 5y ago

Joining the board "the best path forward", whereas not joining was "the best". From this we can deduce that the destination of the "the best path forward" was for him to leave the board ("the best").

LAC-Tech 5y ago
Thank you for providing a total ordering for the algebra of press releases.
upsidesinclude 5y ago
Get him on the board to stifle his options and prevent him from negatively impacting the company through 'press release' would have a been their path forward, no doubt. Seems he already knew that much at least

skippyboxedhero 5y ago

I have seen worse PR releases, I haven't seen worse PR releases from a company of this size and profile. There is some kind of irony in a communication platform offering a presser that contains so little information and so many words...particularly as the platform limits the number of characters that users can communicate. Really earning that $30m/year. I would fuck up an important press release for half that price.

unityByFreedom 5y ago
It's just the CEO making nice nice with everyone, don't overthink it.
heavenlyblue 5y ago
> particularly as the platform limits the number of characters that users can communicate. The irony of them sharing it as an image!
- Jcowell 5y ago
  Common on Twitter.

dragonwriter 5y ago

Those beliefs occurred at different times (one is past tense, one is present tense.) And only two significant events are cited as happening between them: a background check and Elon deciding not to join the board. Either the basis of the change in belief is “whatever Elon wants is best”, that implies a background check problem.

PheonixPharts 5y ago
Or that the CEO always believes what the majority share holder believes at the time they hold that belief.
- dragonwriter 5y ago
  Musk is not majority shareholder.
- ErneX 5y ago
  Largest, not majority.
mad_tortoise 5y ago
afiori 5y ago
I personally read it as: It was for the best that we offered a seat, luckily he refused.
- gitfan86 5y ago
  Like anyone is going to believe that. It is like getting an offer on your house and saying that you think it is a great offer, then on the way to sign the contract the buyer says they want to cancel and then you say "yes great, I wanted you to cancel at the last minute"
  - afiori 5y ago

ROARosen 5y ago

> they believed it was best for Elon The way I understand it, they believed it was best for twitter (since as a fiduciary he would 'have to act in the interests of the company)

noduerme 5y ago
I'm inclined to agree that this is the correct parsing. Elon joining == best for Twitter, Elon not joining == best if Elon doesn't want to [and maybe by extension for Twitter].

jasonlotito 5y ago

Before, they believed it was for the best. Now, after certain events, some of which are spelled out in the tweet, they believe the other. Both are completely valid and do not contradict one another. And it's quite normal and acceptable to change your mind after you get more information. I think Foo is true. Let's see! I think Foo is not true after seeing new facts.

smabie 5y ago
Yea definitely, still feels poorly written though.
- noduerme 5y ago
  The word "had" would have been useful.

DonHopkins 5y ago

The first paragraph applied to the time before they performed the background check. The second paragraph applied to the time after they performed the background check. Uh, oh, Spaghetti-Os!

jmeister 5y ago
There is nothing Twitter’s background check will turn up that’s not already known. Musk is the richest man in the world FFS.

riazrizvi 5y ago

The first and second paragraphs contradict each other. Assuming of course that we ignore the time and events that separate them.

convery 5y ago
Not to mention hidden variables. i.e. him joining (on their terms) would be best for Twitter in the future (as his influence would be limited), him not joining (on his terms) would be best right now (as his influence is limited).

geodel 5y ago

I mean eating cake is best thing I want to do but not eating cake is also the best thing I can do.

caffeine 5y ago

Basically Elon is the largest shareholder. If he wants to join the board, that is best for Twitter and Elon. If he doesn’t want to, that is also best. Whatever he wants is best because he is the biggest shareholder.

MadSudaca 5y ago

I’ve seen more irrelevant stories make it to HN’s front page tbh.

454544545 5y ago

thaumasiotes 5y ago
> I doubt even a single conservative works there. They likely do, but not openly.

strikelaserclaw 5y ago

Aka corporate talk that absolutely means nothing.

bigbizisverywyz 5y ago

I personally can't see how it would be best for either party. Elon I would imagine is way too busy with his other concerns to be distracted by a social media company, even though at the moment it does seem to carry an oversized amount of influence. And Elon's brand is probably too randomly 'firecracker' for a company that's probably already attracting scrutiny from governments across the world due to the above mentioned outsized influence it has on discourse and opinion.