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This. Twitter has been the bane of billionaires, aspiring billionaires, and corrupt nation-states for a long time now.

by dualboot 3y ago

azornathogron 3y ago
Really? Why? What problems does Twitter cause for them?
pookha 3y ago
Yet it's been a god-send for nation-state authoritarians in the US.
simbolit 3y ago
Please give some concrete examples (which aren't a decade old) of twitter being the bane of billionaires and corrupt nation states, that would help a lot. For now my only reaction to your comment is 'huh?'
- HWR_14 3y ago
  Are there even examples from a decade ago?
  - simbolit 3y ago
    below someone predictably mentioned the Arab Spring. Not sure if that even counts, but that was the reason for my restriction.
- ipaddr 3y ago
  Search for: Leader of Turkey censorship twitter
- malermeister 3y ago
  https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4019109-twitters-turkey-election-sparks-criticism/ https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4019109-twitters-turke... This was after he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media_and_the_Arab_Spring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media_and_the_Arab_Spri... This was before.
- adamckay 3y ago
  Elon himself didn't like that an account was tweeting the location of his private jet, generating bad publicity, going so far as paying for the owner of the account to stop. Trivial, yes, but does show how it can be an annoyance even through simple things.
  - simbolit 3y ago
    That is indeed trivial. And it was the best idea I had before asking my question. But I though it was too trivial to even mention.
smcl 3y ago
I could understand this if it was acquired and then heavily censored or monitored. Or if something more obviously destructive was done. But if this is all part of a plan to ruin twitter, it relies on having an egotistical person very publicly take an enormous "L" and everyone involved keeping quiet about it. I'm still going with Elon biting off a bit more than he could chew.
- artsytrashcan 3y ago
  >I could understand this if it was acquired and then heavily censored This has happened. Impression count has been decimated for anyone without a check. Bonus points if you've ever blocked Elon or posted with a sentiment he disagrees with.
  - smcl 3y ago
    Wait the suggestion is that billionaires/powerful people bought Twitter for nefarious purposes. Is it not worth more intact but surveilled and censored than utterly sabotaged with Elon graciously taking one for the team? I’m not convinced, this is a bit complex, conspiratorial and nonsensical for me. When the simpler explanation is that Elon has just mismanaged the company.
    - artsytrashcan 3y ago
      The answer to that is simple: it was worth more to them destroyed than as an intelligence asset.
      - smcl 3y ago
        t h e m
        artsytrashcan 3y ago
        *Elon and whoever he owes favors to and/or is influenced by. (Owing favors and being influenced by others is a normal human person trait thing.)

This. Twitter has been the bane of billionaires, aspiring billionaires, and corrupt nation-states for a long time now.

azornathogron 3y ago

Really? Why? What problems does Twitter cause for them?

pookha 3y ago

Yet it's been a god-send for nation-state authoritarians in the US.

simbolit 3y ago

Please give some concrete examples (which aren't a decade old) of twitter being the bane of billionaires and corrupt nation states, that would help a lot. For now my only reaction to your comment is 'huh?'

HWR_14 3y ago
Are there even examples from a decade ago?
- simbolit 3y ago
  below someone predictably mentioned the Arab Spring. Not sure if that even counts, but that was the reason for my restriction.
ipaddr 3y ago
Search for: Leader of Turkey censorship twitter
malermeister 3y ago
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4019109-twitters-turkey-election-sparks-criticism/ https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4019109-twitters-turke... This was after he took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media_and_the_Arab_Spring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media_and_the_Arab_Spri... This was before.
adamckay 3y ago
Elon himself didn't like that an account was tweeting the location of his private jet, generating bad publicity, going so far as paying for the owner of the account to stop. Trivial, yes, but does show how it can be an annoyance even through simple things.
- simbolit 3y ago
  That is indeed trivial. And it was the best idea I had before asking my question. But I though it was too trivial to even mention.

smcl 3y ago

I could understand this if it was acquired and then heavily censored or monitored. Or if something more obviously destructive was done. But if this is all part of a plan to ruin twitter, it relies on having an egotistical person very publicly take an enormous "L" and everyone involved keeping quiet about it. I'm still going with Elon biting off a bit more than he could chew.

artsytrashcan 3y ago
>I could understand this if it was acquired and then heavily censored This has happened. Impression count has been decimated for anyone without a check. Bonus points if you've ever blocked Elon or posted with a sentiment he disagrees with.
- smcl 3y ago
  Wait the suggestion is that billionaires/powerful people bought Twitter for nefarious purposes. Is it not worth more intact but surveilled and censored than utterly sabotaged with Elon graciously taking one for the team? I’m not convinced, this is a bit complex, conspiratorial and nonsensical for me. When the simpler explanation is that Elon has just mismanaged the company.
  - artsytrashcan 3y ago
    The answer to that is simple: it was worth more to them destroyed than as an intelligence asset.
    - smcl 3y ago
      t h e m
      - artsytrashcan 3y ago
        *Elon and whoever he owes favors to and/or is influenced by. (Owing favors and being influenced by others is a normal human person trait thing.)