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Category: Social media

Twitter brings Elon Musk’s genius reputation crashing down to earth

Twitter brings Elon Musk’s genius reputation crashing down to earth

The Washington Post reports: Elon Musk was speechless. The Twitter CEO was on a live audio chat Tuesday night with software engineers when one user started quizzing him about the internal workings of the company’s systems. Musk, who hours earlier said he would keep control of Twitter’s software systems even though he plans to relinquish the CEO role, said the company’s code needed a complete rewrite. One of the participants asked what he meant — pushing for him to explain…

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No, the FBI is NOT ‘paying Twitter to censor’

No, the FBI is NOT ‘paying Twitter to censor’

Mike Masnick writes: Sigh. Look. I want to stop writing about Twitter. I want to write about lots of other stuff. I have a huge list of other stories that I’m trying to get through, but then Elon Musk does something dumb again, and people run wild with it, and (for reasons that perplex me) much of the media either run with what Musk said, or just ignore it completely. But Musk is either deliberately lying about stuff or too…

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Media companies remain in codependent relationship with Twitter

Media companies remain in codependent relationship with Twitter

The Washington Post reports: When Twitter abruptly suspended the accounts of several prominent journalists Thursday night — in response to a baffling claim from new owner Elon Musk that they had endangered his safety — media bosses were quick to speak out in protest. The New York Times called the suspensions “questionable.” CNN said it would “reevaluate” its relationship with Twitter. The Washington Post demanded that Twitter reinstate the account of one of its technology reporters “immediately,” noting that he…

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How to make a Mastodon account and join the fediverse

How to make a Mastodon account and join the fediverse

Electronic Frontier Foundation: The recent chaos at Twitter is a reminder that when you rely on a social media platform, you’re putting your voice, your privacy, and your safety in the hands of the people who run that system. Many people are looking to Mastodon as a backup or replacement for Twitter, and this guide will walk you through making that switch. Note this guide is current as of December 2022, and the software and services discussed are going through…

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As stock drops 61% from its peak, a major Tesla shareholder calls for Elon Musk’s ouster

As stock drops 61% from its peak, a major Tesla shareholder calls for Elon Musk’s ouster

Fortune reports: Tesla investors are starting to wonder if CEO Elon Musk is still the right man to lead the company. With much of Musk’s attention focused on Twitter, which he’s shaking up following his $44 billion takeover in late October, doubts are increasing about his ability to effectively lead the electric-vehicle maker. It doesn’t help that he’s sold vast quantities of his personal Tesla shares this year as the carmaker’s stock has plunged about 61% from its peak late…

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Why Elon Musk is admired by lots of Silicon Valley bosses

Why Elon Musk is admired by lots of Silicon Valley bosses

Kevin Roose writes: It may seem obvious, to most people outside Silicon Valley, that Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter has been an unmitigated disaster. In less than two months since taking over, Mr. Musk has fired more than half of Twitter’s staff, scared away many of its major advertisers, made (and unmade) a series of ill-advised changes to its verification program, angered regulators and politicians with erratic and offensive tweets, declared a short-lived war on Apple, greenlit a bizarre “Twitter…

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Musk’s suspension of journalists on Twitter spurs U.S., international condemnation

Musk’s suspension of journalists on Twitter spurs U.S., international condemnation

The Washington Post reports: U.S. and international officials condemned Twitter and Elon Musk on Friday after the social media company abruptly suspended several U.S. journalists, expressing concern about retaliation and the potentially chilling effect on free speech. The moves invited sharp rebuke from public officials at the European Commission and the United Nations, as well as criticism from a U.S. senator. Even some of Musk’s own supporters, who advocate a broad interpretation of free speech, appeared taken aback by the…

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Musk suspends his commitment to free speech

Musk suspends his commitment to free speech

I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2022 The New York Times reports: Twitter suspended the accounts of roughly half a dozen prominent journalists on Thursday, the latest change by the social media service under its new owner, Elon Musk. The accounts suspended included Ryan Mac of The New York Times; Drew Harwell of The Washington Post; Aaron Rupar, an independent journalist; Donie O’Sullivan…

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QAnon, adrift after Trump’s defeat, finds new life in Elon Musk’s Twitter

QAnon, adrift after Trump’s defeat, finds new life in Elon Musk’s Twitter

The Washington Post reports: Twitter owner Elon Musk’s boosting of far-right memes and grievances has injected new energy into the jumbled set of conspiracy theories known as QAnon, a fringe movement that Twitter and other social networks once banned as too extreme. The billionaire has spread bogus theories about the violent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband to his 120 million followers, and he called for the criminal prosecution of infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci. He has thrown around…

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For Elon Musk, cutting costs includes reneging on debts

For Elon Musk, cutting costs includes reneging on debts

The New York Times reports: Over the past two weeks, Elon Musk has shaken up Twitter’s legal department, disbanded a council that advised the social media company on safety issues and is continuing to take drastic steps to cut costs. Mr. Musk appears to be gearing up for legal battles at Twitter, which he purchased in October for $44 billion, according to seven people familiar with internal conversations. He and his team have revamped Twitter’s legal department and pushed out…

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How right-wing information warfare works

How right-wing information warfare works

Greg Sargent writes: By now it should be obvious that for large swaths of the right-wing media ecosystem, the Triggering of the Libs has become an end in itself. In the brutal competition of the so-called attention economy, provoking large-scale outrage and loathing is not an incidental feature of making controversial arguments. It has become a key marker of success. Over the weekend, Elon Musk called for the prosecution of Anthony S. Fauci, the leading infectious-disease expert in the Biden…

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Elon Musk uses QAnon tactic in criticizing former Twitter safety chief

Elon Musk uses QAnon tactic in criticizing former Twitter safety chief

The Washington Post reports: Elon Musk escalated his battle of words with previous managers of Twitter into risky new territory over the weekend, allying himself with far-right crusaders against a purported epidemic of child sex abuse and implying that the company’s former head of trust and safety had a permissive view of sexual activity by minors. Musk told more than 30,000 listeners in a live Twitter Spaces audio session Friday night that he recently discovered that child sex abuse material…

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Elon Musk is a far-right activist — one tweet says it all

Elon Musk is a far-right activist — one tweet says it all

Charlie Warzel writes: If there’s one tweet that will tell you everything you need to know about Elon Musk, it’s this one from early this morning: My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2022 In five words, Musk manages to mock transgender and nonbinary people, signal his disdain for public-health officials, and send up a flare to far-right shitposters and trolls. The tweet is a cruel and senseless play on pronouns that also invokes the right’s fury…

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Elon Musk uses Twitter for partisan ends so he can denounce Twitter’s use for partisan ends

Elon Musk uses Twitter for partisan ends so he can denounce Twitter’s use for partisan ends

Eric Levitz writes: Twitter is not what it seems. The social media platform poses as a neutral marketplace for the exchange of ideas and information; an agora where journalists, politicians, academics, cultural icons, business titans, and ordinary citizens can engage in a dialogue unbounded by gatekeeping elites. But it is actually a tool of progressive power. While you were hypnotized by viral memes, a cabal of social-justice STEM majors seized the commanding heights of the attention economy. And they have…

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Musk and Taibbi said ‘Twitter Files’ revealed a political scandal, but the information itself did the opposite

Musk and Taibbi said ‘Twitter Files’ revealed a political scandal, but the information itself did the opposite

Nicholas Grossman writes: It was hyped as a big revelation, proof of a political conspiracy. Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk gave journalist Matt Taibbi access to some of Twitter’s internal communications from before he took over, saying they would show “what really happened with the Hunter Biden story suppression,” referring to an October 2020 New York Post article about a laptop allegedly belonging to then presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son. Musk promised it’d be “awesome.” Conservative media figures, Elon Musk…

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Musk brings one of America’s most prominent Nazis back to Twitter

Musk brings one of America’s most prominent Nazis back to Twitter

Rolling Stone reports: Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin has been reinstated to Twitter under Elon Musk’s new policies for the platform. The founder of the white supremacist website The Daily Stormer had been banned from Twitter since 2013. Neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin, who was booted off Twitter in 2013, has had his account restored. pic.twitter.com/sEv5UDVUw2 — Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) December 2, 2022 Anglin has publicly indicated that the goal of his operation and adherence to white nationalist ideology is to “ethnically cleanse White nations…

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