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Jack is as much in favor of censorship as anyone currently on the board. The real reason the board doesn't want Elon in charge is because Twitter doesn't exist

Jack is as much in favor of censorship as anyone currently on the board. The real reason the board doesn't want Elon in charge is because Twitter doesn't exist to make money. It exists now to steer politicians and drive the news cycle. When a board member says that Twitter is vastly undervalued it's not because he thinks it could be making more money. It's because he knows that much power is impossible to put a price on.

mandeepj 5y ago
Can Twitter board ban Elon if they think it will simplify their life?
- ipaddr 5y ago
  From twitter as a user? They could provide that guidance to the ceo. As a stock owner? No.
  - mandeepj 5y ago
    Yes - as an user, just like Trump
pfarrell 5y ago
Ooo. I so wanted to downvote this comment for the “censorship” angle… but, for the rest of it, I think you’re right and I’d just be shooting the messenger.
barbacoa 5y ago
This comment rings very true. The internet broke the business model that much of traditional media relied upon. Newspapers used to work hard to build trust and reputation in order to sell subscriptions, now they are bought up by billionaires to use a tools in driving political narratives (for example Bezos and Washington Post). I suspect Musk has a similar plan for Twitter. Which in this case Musk believes letting the unwashed masses speak freely benefits him.
- BurningFrog 5y ago
  > now they are bought up by billionaires to use a tools in driving political narratives (for example Bezos and Washington Post) I can't think of any other examples of this "trend"? I also haven't seen Bezos use WaPo that way.
- themitigating 5y ago
  What proof do you have that Bezos uses WaPo for this?
  - barbacoa 4y ago
    Washington Post literally had an article today titled: "It’s time to give the elites a bigger say in choosing the president"
    - themitigating 4y ago
      The article wasn't from today it was from two years ago, the title was also changed when people complained. However, it was referring to party primaries from the article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/18/fix-primaries-let-elites-decide/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/18/fix-prima...) "For decades, the conversation about nominations has been about the conflicts between party elites and everyone else. Today, that conversation is counterproductive. A better approach is to think about how voters and elites could best play their different roles: to make their political parties more representative" Here's a selection of headlines that counter the implication that the paper is there to help Bezos "Worker-led win at Amazon warehouse could provide new labor playbook The unionization of a Staten Island facility at one of the country’s biggest employers shows how workers are emerging from pandemic with new tactics and energy" https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/02/amazon-labor-union-strategy/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/02/amazon-la... "Amazon’s anti-union blitz stalks Alabama warehouse workers everywhere, even the bathroom" https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/02/amazon-union-warehouse-workers/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/02/amazon-... "Jun 1, 2021 — A Washington Post analysis of Occupational Safety and Health Administration data shows Amazon's serious injury rates are nearly double those at higher rates than other firms" "https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/06/01/amazon-osha-injury-rate/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/06/01/amazon-..."
riffic 5y ago
> Twitter doesn't exist to make money Shareholders will beg to differ.
flyingcircus3 5y ago
If a twitter user blocks another user, is the blocked user being censored because they can't speak to the user that blocked them? Is this infringing on their free speech? If someone spams twitter with billions of messages, to the point where just about the only thing anyone sees are this one person's messages, would it be censorship to ban that person from making posts? Is this infringing on their free speech? If someone posts instructions on how to make explosives using common household items, is it censorship to ban that person? Is this infringing on their free speech? If someone posts information that misleads people about when and where to vote in an election, is it censorship to ban that person from posting? Is this infringing on their free speech?
- nullc 5y ago
  > they can't speak to the user that blocked them To be fair, the primary effect of twitter blocking isn't to prevent the user performing the block from seeing the person tweeting, the primary effect is preventing the blocked user from commenting on particular parts of the site-- and preventing third parties from seeing their messages. Reddit recently switched to this model too: if you block someone they can't comment in threads where you've participated unless they're a moderator. I understand why-- just blinding yourself to someone harassing you just lets them defame you unchallenged. But a block function that mutes people is vulnerable to abuse. > If someone posts instructions on how to make explosives using common household items, is it censorship to ban that person god forbid anyone get access to information available for free in every public library in the US, or with 30 seconds searching online.
  - Jcowell 5y ago
    As far as I’m aware this is incorrect. A user who is blocked by another user is not prevented from commenting in a thread that the blocker participates it. It’s just shown a hidden message thing and they can’t reply to that specific message. If another user comes in and comments , they can reply to that comment. On Reddit , a blocker can make it so that a user cannot participate at all.
    - 4y ago
thawaya3113 5y ago
The real reason the board doesn’t want Elon in charge is because he is trolling them and doesn’t have, or more likely doesn’t want to spend, the money to do what he claims he wants to do. I can offer the board double of what Elon is offering them right now, and also say I will figure out the financing later in the year. Do you think the board would be derelict to turn down my offer?
- jtbayly 5y ago
  If they actually thought that, they wouldn’t have adopted a poison pill policy. The only purpose that serves is to prevent what you say won’t happen.

mandeepj 5y ago

Can Twitter board ban Elon if they think it will simplify their life?

ipaddr 5y ago
From twitter as a user? They could provide that guidance to the ceo. As a stock owner? No.
- mandeepj 5y ago
  Yes - as an user, just like Trump

pfarrell 5y ago

Ooo. I so wanted to downvote this comment for the “censorship” angle… but, for the rest of it, I think you’re right and I’d just be shooting the messenger.

barbacoa 5y ago

This comment rings very true. The internet broke the business model that much of traditional media relied upon. Newspapers used to work hard to build trust and reputation in order to sell subscriptions, now they are bought up by billionaires to use a tools in driving political narratives (for example Bezos and Washington Post). I suspect Musk has a similar plan for Twitter. Which in this case Musk believes letting the unwashed masses speak freely benefits him.

BurningFrog 5y ago
> now they are bought up by billionaires to use a tools in driving political narratives (for example Bezos and Washington Post) I can't think of any other examples of this "trend"? I also haven't seen Bezos use WaPo that way.
themitigating 5y ago
What proof do you have that Bezos uses WaPo for this?
- barbacoa 4y ago
  Washington Post literally had an article today titled: "It’s time to give the elites a bigger say in choosing the president"
  - themitigating 4y ago
    The article wasn't from today it was from two years ago, the title was also changed when people complained. However, it was referring to party primaries from the article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/18/fix-primaries-let-elites-decide/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/18/fix-prima...) "For decades, the conversation about nominations has been about the conflicts between party elites and everyone else. Today, that conversation is counterproductive. A better approach is to think about how voters and elites could best play their different roles: to make their political parties more representative" Here's a selection of headlines that counter the implication that the paper is there to help Bezos "Worker-led win at Amazon warehouse could provide new labor playbook The unionization of a Staten Island facility at one of the country’s biggest employers shows how workers are emerging from pandemic with new tactics and energy" https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/02/amazon-labor-union-strategy/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/02/amazon-la... "Amazon’s anti-union blitz stalks Alabama warehouse workers everywhere, even the bathroom" https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/02/amazon-union-warehouse-workers/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/02/amazon-... "Jun 1, 2021 — A Washington Post analysis of Occupational Safety and Health Administration data shows Amazon's serious injury rates are nearly double those at higher rates than other firms" "https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/06/01/amazon-osha-injury-rate/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/06/01/amazon-..."

riffic 5y ago

> Twitter doesn't exist to make money Shareholders will beg to differ.

flyingcircus3 5y ago

If a twitter user blocks another user, is the blocked user being censored because they can't speak to the user that blocked them? Is this infringing on their free speech? If someone spams twitter with billions of messages, to the point where just about the only thing anyone sees are this one person's messages, would it be censorship to ban that person from making posts? Is this infringing on their free speech? If someone posts instructions on how to make explosives using common household items, is it censorship to ban that person? Is this infringing on their free speech? If someone posts information that misleads people about when and where to vote in an election, is it censorship to ban that person from posting? Is this infringing on their free speech?

nullc 5y ago
> they can't speak to the user that blocked them To be fair, the primary effect of twitter blocking isn't to prevent the user performing the block from seeing the person tweeting, the primary effect is preventing the blocked user from commenting on particular parts of the site-- and preventing third parties from seeing their messages. Reddit recently switched to this model too: if you block someone they can't comment in threads where you've participated unless they're a moderator. I understand why-- just blinding yourself to someone harassing you just lets them defame you unchallenged. But a block function that mutes people is vulnerable to abuse. > If someone posts instructions on how to make explosives using common household items, is it censorship to ban that person god forbid anyone get access to information available for free in every public library in the US, or with 30 seconds searching online.
- Jcowell 5y ago
  As far as I’m aware this is incorrect. A user who is blocked by another user is not prevented from commenting in a thread that the blocker participates it. It’s just shown a hidden message thing and they can’t reply to that specific message. If another user comes in and comments , they can reply to that comment. On Reddit , a blocker can make it so that a user cannot participate at all.
  - 4y ago

thawaya3113 5y ago

The real reason the board doesn’t want Elon in charge is because he is trolling them and doesn’t have, or more likely doesn’t want to spend, the money to do what he claims he wants to do. I can offer the board double of what Elon is offering them right now, and also say I will figure out the financing later in the year. Do you think the board would be derelict to turn down my offer?

jtbayly 5y ago
If they actually thought that, they wouldn’t have adopted a poison pill policy. The only purpose that serves is to prevent what you say won’t happen.