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Twitter is totalled. There is no recovery or any amount of repair that will convince anyone that the platform is worth consuming or saving.

seydor 4y ago
Don't you think the news of its death are greatly exaggerated?
- HappySweeney 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
squaredot 4y ago
Looking at the speed with which this post goes up the HN page, I would say that Twitter is still very relevant.
- sosodev 4y ago
  Some people enjoy observing dumpster fires
- smcl 4y ago
  This is assuming the old "no such thing as bad publicity!" adage is correct and can only mean good things for whoever the subject is. However recall that any new revelations around Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX similarly shoot up the front page and get a load of clicks, eyeballs and comments ... so clearly there's a limit to where this applies. Twitter isn't in the position FTX is in, but I personally believe that the publicity that Musk and Twitter have been getting over the last month has been nearly universally bad. There is little value in increased user engagement if so much of it is centered around the catastrophic Twitter management and Elon Musk or Tesla parody accounts, particularly if there fewer companies interested in advertising to those users.
Terretta 4y ago
Granted there's all sorts of pearl clutching, but odds are Twitter is probably just fine for now as there's no actual alternative.* Majority of users have no awareness of any of this angst, they're just using it for its niche. It's popcorn-worthy drama because of the headcount carnage and the culture clash with increasingly vapid corporate ESG posing, while in reality both headcount bloat (particularly non-maker roles) and corporate virtue signaling need a check. There's a reasonable chance the image hit among various political and tech influencers is soon (months to years) offset by performance and utility gains from getting the other two under control. All this is off the table if something with less friction gains network effects within the niche. In that sense I'd agree with you: now's certainly a (rare) time to try to convince folks to change a habit many literally grew up with. * Mastodon user since spring 2018.
- ARandumGuy 4y ago
  > odds are Twitter is probably just fine for now as there's no actual alternative. Just because there isn't a direct alternative doesn't mean Twitter's future is bright. Twitter users can just quit Twitter without signing up for a new social media site. They can use other social media more, or find something else to do with their time. Keep in mind, a vast majority of Twitter users don't actually post. To these users, Twitter is just a source of entertainment. And if these users aren't getting enough entertainment, they'll just stop using the site. Maybe not immediately, and maybe not in an organized fashion. But people can and do change their social media habits, and there's nothing forcing people to stick with Twitter.
- jjfoooo5 4y ago
  The advertiser exodus (already well underway) is a far bigger threat to Twitter than a user exodus. The subscription model is dead on arrival. There's plenty of options if you want a forum without "corporate ESG posing" - 4chan et al. They just don't make money, or interest the majority of people.

seydor 4y ago

Don't you think the news of its death are greatly exaggerated?

HappySweeney 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

squaredot 4y ago

Looking at the speed with which this post goes up the HN page, I would say that Twitter is still very relevant.

sosodev 4y ago
Some people enjoy observing dumpster fires
smcl 4y ago
This is assuming the old "no such thing as bad publicity!" adage is correct and can only mean good things for whoever the subject is. However recall that any new revelations around Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX similarly shoot up the front page and get a load of clicks, eyeballs and comments ... so clearly there's a limit to where this applies. Twitter isn't in the position FTX is in, but I personally believe that the publicity that Musk and Twitter have been getting over the last month has been nearly universally bad. There is little value in increased user engagement if so much of it is centered around the catastrophic Twitter management and Elon Musk or Tesla parody accounts, particularly if there fewer companies interested in advertising to those users.

Terretta 4y ago

Granted there's all sorts of pearl clutching, but odds are Twitter is probably just fine for now as there's no actual alternative.* Majority of users have no awareness of any of this angst, they're just using it for its niche. It's popcorn-worthy drama because of the headcount carnage and the culture clash with increasingly vapid corporate ESG posing, while in reality both headcount bloat (particularly non-maker roles) and corporate virtue signaling need a check. There's a reasonable chance the image hit among various political and tech influencers is soon (months to years) offset by performance and utility gains from getting the other two under control. All this is off the table if something with less friction gains network effects within the niche. In that sense I'd agree with you: now's certainly a (rare) time to try to convince folks to change a habit many literally grew up with. * Mastodon user since spring 2018.

ARandumGuy 4y ago
> odds are Twitter is probably just fine for now as there's no actual alternative. Just because there isn't a direct alternative doesn't mean Twitter's future is bright. Twitter users can just quit Twitter without signing up for a new social media site. They can use other social media more, or find something else to do with their time. Keep in mind, a vast majority of Twitter users don't actually post. To these users, Twitter is just a source of entertainment. And if these users aren't getting enough entertainment, they'll just stop using the site. Maybe not immediately, and maybe not in an organized fashion. But people can and do change their social media habits, and there's nothing forcing people to stick with Twitter.
jjfoooo5 4y ago
The advertiser exodus (already well underway) is a far bigger threat to Twitter than a user exodus. The subscription model is dead on arrival. There's plenty of options if you want a forum without "corporate ESG posing" - 4chan et al. They just don't make money, or interest the majority of people.