Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover for a whopping $44 billion has kept the social media platform in the spotlight for the past seven months. The billionaire made some controversial and headline-grabbing moves, including firing top executives, laying off almost half the workforce, and introducing new features that were later rolled back. Despite making several changes to the platform, an independent software engineer named Wong claimed that Musk’s tweaks have not affected Twitter’s primary function as a real-time news and discussion hub. The changes included altering the logo and adding symbols and metrics to tweets.
1. Twitters ‘W’ goes missing:
Twitter is now “Titter”. All Thanks to Elon musk’s quirky sense of humor!
Elon Musk’s latest move involves covering the “W” on Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters, resulting in a new moniker “Titter”. Despite legal obligations to keep the sign as is, Musk cleverly painted the background color to satisfy the requirements. The move has generated buzz among social media users, with many applauding Musk’s sense of humor. This is not the first time that he had mentioned about changing twitters name. In April 2022, he conducted a poll on the social media platform, asking users if they thought the letter “W” should be removed. The poll presented users with two options: “Yes” and “Of course”.
2. Twitter’s Blue Bird Gets a Makeover:
From Blue Bird to Shiba Inu: Have a look at Twitter’s guest face.
Musk changed the company’s logo from the iconic blue bird, which has served as a home button on the web version, to the “Doge” meme of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency. However, after two days, most users saw the blue bird logo again. As per reports, as soon as Twitter reverted to its old logo, the value of Dogecoin dropped by nine percent.
3. Controversial Accounts Make a Comeback!
Reinstated accounts: Elon Musk takes a stand for free speech
Elon Musk who has previously referred to himself as a “free speech absolutist” has taken a lenient stance on lifetime bans issued to certain accounts and reinstated them, stating that a permanent removal from the site is not an effective solution. Musk has recently reinstated several accounts that were previously suspended or banned from Twitter.
One among those is the former US President Donald Trump. Following the permanent suspension of Trump’s Twitter account in January 2021, he launched a new social media app called Truth Social in February. After debating whether Trump would return to the site, Musk left it up to users on Friday by making a poll: “Reinstate former President Donald Trump,” Musk tweeted, with a “yes” and “no” option. After 51% of respondents voted “yes,” the billionaire owner restored Trump’s Twitter account.
Next on the list is Kanye West who got suspended for the first time in October following a series of antisemitic tweets. Two months after he was reinstated, Twitter Inc. on 2 December suspended Kanye West’s account again because he had violated the platform’s rules prohibiting incitement to violence. Kanye West’s Twitter account suspension stirred up a lot of controversies among netizens. Many speculated that the suspension was due to a picture he posted of Elon Musk.
This list also includes prominent personalities like Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson, the Babylon Bee, Kathy Griffin to name a few.
4. Twitter Goes Premium with Twitter Blue:
Join the club at $ 7.99 /month and tweet in style with Twitter Blue!
Twitter Blue subscription is not just for celebrities anymore, anyone willing to pay for the fancy features, including the general public like you and me can get a blue tick besides their twitter ID. After acquiring Twitter, Elon Musk caused a stir by proposing to charge $8 for users to obtain the coveted blue tick. Although many celebrities criticised the plan, Musk argued that it was necessary to cover the cost of operating the company. However, the scheme led to a rise in fake verified accounts, resulting in its suspension. Twitter Blue, a premium subscription service with bonus features such as an edit button, increased visibility and fewer ads, was later introduced.
As per Musk’s tweet, On April 20th, Twitter removed blue ticks from legacy accounts, including the Pope, Donald Trump and famous celebs like Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, sports person like Virat Kohli, Sania Mirza, Rohit Sharma lost verified status on Twitter.
This recent move to strip verified badges from a range of accounts, including those belonging to journalists, media outlets, government agencies, non-profits, and public-service accounts, has caused concern that the platform may no longer be a reliable source of accurate information from verified sources. Many users were surprised and worried by the sudden change.
5. The Quirky Obsession of C.E.O with the Number 420
The billionaire entrepreneur made headlines when he announced that Twitter would be removing blue verification badges from users who hadn’t subscribed to Twitter Blue by April 20th or 4/20, which happens to be an unofficial holiday for cannabis enthusiasts. This date holds special significance for Musk, who has incorporated the number 420 into many of his ventures over the years. In fact, he has even gone so far as to suggest that the number has some kind of “karma,” although he’s not entirely sure whether it’s good or bad. Musk’s quirky nterest towards this number 420 came to light during a trial over a tweet in which he claimed to have secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share.
Overall, it’s clear that Musk’s love for the number 420 is a playful nod to his unconventional approach to business, and it’s just one of the many ways in which he continues to shake things up in the tech industry.
6. Twitter’s Verification Badges: The Gold and Silver Ticks
Chief Executive Elon Musk allotted colors for the categories – The gold checkmark on Twitter signifies an account as a verified business account through Twitter Verified Organizations, whereas the grey checkmark represents an account as a government/multilateral official or organization and a blue check for individuals including celebrities.
7. Twitter Upgrades: A glimpse of Latest Features and Improvements
- Spaces: Twitter Spaces is a new audio-only feature that allows users to create and join live conversations. It’s similar to Clubhouse, an audio-only social media app.
- Fleets: Fleets is Twitter’s version of Stories. Users can post temporary content that disappears after 24 hours.
- Super Follows: Super Follows allows users to monetize their tweets by offering exclusive content to paying subscribers.
- New Safety Features: Twitter has also implemented new safety features, such as the ability to limit who can reply to tweets, and the ability to filter out potentially offensive or harmful language.
- Analytics: Previously, Twitter users were limited to liking, retweeting, or replying to posts. However, after the takeover, each tweet now comes with attached metrics, allowing users to see how many times a post has been viewed, among other things.
8. Twitter’s Split Newsfeed: ‘For You’ and ‘Following’ Tabs
Previously, the social media platform displayed a single flow of tweets, limited to the accounts that a user followed. However, Musk has introduced a new layout that separates the newsfeed into two distinct tabs. The “For You” tab is now algorithmically curated, similar to a popular feature on TikTok. The “Following” tab remains as it was, displaying tweets only from accounts that a user follows. This change has been noted by various sources, including The New York Times.
It was Indeed a Rollercoaster of Controversies and Responsibility!
In conclusion, the Twitter drama surrounding Elon Musk’s takeover has been a wild ride! Some folks are tickled by his tweets and find them hilarious, while others are concerned about the impact they may have on society. From spreading questionable information to causing the stock market to go haywire, Musk’s tweets have definitely raised some eyebrows. It’s a reminder that when it comes to social media, with great power comes great responsibility. So, if you find yourself in a position of influence, remember: tweet wisely, my friends!