Tag: Twitter

Elon Musk fires half Twitter’s employees and introduced other changes

Messenger, Twitter and Facebook apps displayed on a phone/ tablet home screen
Image: iStock

Back in April, Tesla’s Elon Musk bought Twitter for US$44billion (A$61.4billion).

The announcement received a mixture of hope and fearl

Musk hasn’t wasted time in shaking things up.

In a statement, Twitter announced:

Get Twitter Blue if you sign up now.. Blue checkmark: power to the people. Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like celebrities, companies and politicians you follow.

Twitter

Twitter has also promised users that paid subscribers will see less advertisements on their feed.

No longer completely free

Sure, anyone can make a Twitter account. But some features are no longer free.

Musk listened to users and introduced an edit option for published tweets. But there’s a catch. It isn’t freely available. Instead, users/ brands have to buy the ‘blue’ subscription for US$8 (A$12.37) per month.

That’s not all. On Tuesday, Musk announced that he was calling for an overhaul of Twitter’s verification system. He called the previous verification system “bulls#$t”.

Instead, Musk wants users/ companies/ brands to pay for a blue mark verification. These accounts will get priority in the algorithm; gaining more exposure and engagement.

Layoffs

Musk has also been condemned for laying off around half of Twitter’s 7500 staff.

Musk defended his actions, saying he had no choice. He claimed that Twitter was losing US$4million (A$6.185million) a day. Musk offered no further information on the losses, nor whether staff were going to be paid a three month severence.

According to Fortune, at least one former employee has filed a lawsuit against Musk for violating federal law.

Win for free speech?

Since Musk bought Twitter, it has received mixed reactions. Some have expressed hope that it would bring free speech back to the platform.

On the flip side, some people have expressed fear that it will just spurr on hate speech, especially racism.

English YouTube commentator, Emma Thorne posted a video about the spike on racist tweets, including slurs, that were posted after Musk’s takeover,

Emma Thorne

Should people just give up on social media?

So, should people abandon social media? Matthew Hennessy from Wall Street Journal thinks so:

…it makes no sense to pay for the privilege of being Twitter’s product. This is an opportunity to be one of the smart ones. Make yourself less dependent on social media. Quit altogether if possible. You won’t have any trouble finding razors and newsletters. And now think what you can do with all the money you’ll save.

Matthew Hennessy, Wall Street Journal, later published in The Australian

Maybe that’s not a bad idea.

As a blogger, Twitter has always been a tricky platform to build a following. It’s even tricky for people to see your tweets unless you tweet multiple times a day, (which I don’t).

It’ll be interesting to see how these changes play out. Will tweets from non – paying users be buried and gain no impressions, no matter how many times they tweet in a day?

Ultimately, this is an attempt to save Twitter. Will it work? We’ll have to wait and see. But I’m not holding my breath.

What are your thoughts? Will the changes make you join or delete Twitter? Feel free to leave your thoughts below.

Categories
Opinion/Commentary

The issue with Kanye West is lack of accountability. Until now

American rapper, Kanye West wearing a navy blue cap with 2023 in white block numbers
Tucker Carlson gave soft interview to Ye West

Content warning: antisemitism and mention of the Holocaust

American rapper, Ye West (formerly Kanye) has caused a stir after a number of scandals.

He was seen at Paris Fashion Week with conservative commentator, Candace Owens. They both wore ‘White Lives Matter’ shirts.

Twitter deletes tweet for antisemitism

On Thursday, Twitter deleted one of West’s tweets. His tweet is condemned for antisemitism. West has hit back, claiming he can’t be antisemitic because he’s black.

Candace Owens also defended him on her show. She claimed:

[shows deleted tweet] That was the tweet and people subsequently demanded that the Tweet be taken down for antisemitism. Now, if you are an honest person you did not think this tweet was antisemitic. You did not think that he wrote this tweet because he hates or wants to genocide Jewish people. This is not represent the beginning of the Holocaust.

Candace Owens, Candace Owens Podcast,

Instagram also reacted, restricting West’s account.

In the aftermath, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson gave a relatively soft interview toward West. From the start, he strongly defended West, castong doubt of the antisemitism claims. He also defended the display of the ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt.

Tucker Carlson on Fox News defending Ye West. On the right, a picture shows West and Candice Owens wearingvshirts with 'White Lives Matter' on the back
Fox News’ Tucker Carlson defended Ye West on his show, including denying Ye’s tweet was antisemitic

Is bipolar disorder to blame?

Ok, let me say this from the outset. Mental illness is never an excuse for being abusive, bigoted, etc. Having said that, a number of commentators, including Ana Kasparian fron The Young Turks and Kyle Kulinski from Secular Talk have pointed out West’s bipolar disorder as an explanation to his recent behaviour.

However, London – based forensic psychiatrist, Sohom Das disagrees. While he acknowledged West’s bipolar diagnosis, Das said that his recent behaviour isn’t usually indicative of grandiosity in mania.

According to Verywell Mind, grandiosity (or grandiose ideation) in bipolar is an exaggerated sense of self – importance. In contrast, delusions of grandeur are delusions of superiority with no evidence to back it up.

Latest update: There’s a backlash against Ye West. According Billboard YouTube channel, LeBron James pulled an entire episode of The Shop which featured West. He cited ‘hate speech’ to defend the axing of the episode.

On Tuesday, Missouri Attorney General, Republican, Eric Schmitt caused controversy for posting a tweet supporting West after he wrote the antisemitic tweet.

America needs a @kanyewest @KidRock tour

After an uproar, Schmitt deleted the tweet from his personal account. In his defence, Schmitt said that he liked both Kid Rock and West’s music. However, he was quick to point out that he didn’t always agree with their views.

This comes less than a month before the US Midterm elections.

So, what’s up with Ye West? In my opinion, West is an attention seeker. I also think that he’s got away with so much over the years (i.e. the 2009 VMAs, pretending to kill Pete Davidson in a video, etc). I think he’s pushing the envelope, to see how far he can go.

Luckily, people are waking up. I really think he needs less ‘yes’ men and more accountability.

Categories
Gender/ sexuality

‘Clovergender’letter in the LGBTQ+ acronym

Heard of “clovergender”? There is a number of groups on Facebook and a hashtag on Twitter. What is it? According to David Reynolds of “The Advocate”, the term “clovergender” was coined by pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli. He has a history of clashing with the LGBTQ+ community for outrageously hiking up the prices of HIV/AIDS medication in the U.S. Before his suspension from Twitter earlier this year, Shkrelli came up with the term clovergender. The term was defined as:

… adult individuals claiming to be “a child trapped in a man’s body who is attracted to other children’.

Fact checking site, Snopes, exposed this hoax earlier this year.

(Photo of  Snopes webpage).

Shkrelli has been since banned from Twitter after accusations that he harassed a “Teen Vogue” writer. Clovergender has also been discussed on 4Chan and 8Chan.:People involved in the “Clovergender” hoax have been known to harass and bully people on Twitter. Personally, I was warned about it. I have stayed away from any of the groups or Twitter feeds. I think it’s disgusting. The fact that it was done to deliberately demonise the LGBTQ+ and, obviously link them to pedophilia makes it more outrageous.

 

What makes it more outrageous is that this group isn’t the first to try and link the LGBTQ+ community to child sexual abuse. That’s what the North Carolina HB2 toilet bill descended to last year. Earlier this year, two “One Nation” candidates Shan Ju Li and Tracey Bell – Hensellin have both been called out and disciplined for making anti – gay remarks. Ju Lin referred to LGBT people as “patients’ while Bell – Hensellin accused LGBT people as “destroying families”. Plus, there’s all the anti – gay marriage scaremongering last year.

 

You know what, it’s people like Ju Lin and Bell – Hensellin who destroy families. People who continuously and falsely dehumanise the LGBTQ community, falsely equate them to predators, falsely claiming that if gay marriage will be legalised that pedophilia or bestiality – it’s these people that are destroying families. It’s these attitudes and rhetoric that leads to LGBTQ youth homelessness and them turning to prostitution and drugs as a survival mechanism. Regarding LGBTQ homeless youth no exact figures on LGBTQ homelessness are available in Australia. According to the Washington Post, the rate is believed to be 43% – that means that LGBTQ youth are more than four times more likely to be homeless than non – LGBTQ youth. I wouldn’t be surprised if the statistics are similar here. Many transgender youth find it particularly difficult – especially when trying to find emergency accommodation – with many of the services dedicated to one sex. People who identify as transwomen are rejected by women’s shelters and due to their identity, don’t feel safe in a men’s shelter. That is the real cost of all this anti – LGBTQ hysteria. It’s ridiculous. Everyone just grow up! This endless fear mongering and rhetoric are leaving too many LGBTQ+ youth vulnerable to homelessness and worse. YOU grow up!

 

When ISIS is discussed in the media, especially by conservative commentators and politicians, ideology and its potential danger is always bought up. Well, anti – gay/ anti – trans/ anti – queer ideology is evidently dangerous. It’s about time to realise how dangerous it is. It needs to be called out and condemned. In fact, I’m thinking it could be covered under anti – defamation laws, but I’m not sure about that. Either way, there needs to be a crackdown on it.

 

I don’t begrudge anyone for being against same – sex marriage in and of itself. To be honest I’m not sure which side of the fence I sit on. I can understand why people want it, but I do worry about the perception that same – sex marriage will infringe on other people’s rights to freedom or speech and religion and the backlash against the LGBTQ community. But I am no longer going to stay silent while LGBTQ people are unjustly vilified and slandered in the media and by politicians. I am no longer going to stand by and let the dehumanisation of the LGBTQ community continue and further contribute to the escalating homelessness and suicide rates of LGBTQ youth. I’m not sitting around waiting for someone to carry out a threat like the one that Melbourne’s JOY 94.9FM faced. While nothing happened and no one was hurt, 30 of their staff were evacuated from the premises.

 

So, can I ask you all a favour – politicians, the public and journalists, commentators and the general public – do not tolerate any speech that aims to dehumanise LGBTQ+ people, that aims to falsely paint them as predators. One it’s not true, and two, it destroys lives. Enough is enough.