Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Elon Musk Declares War on a Silicon Valley Giant
TheStreet.com via MSN ^ | NOVEMBER 05 2022 | Luc Oling

Posted on 11/06/2022 3:14:14 PM PST by SmokingJoe

The new boss of Twitter wants to steal creators from other social networks.

Elon Musk is on the attack.

The billionaire acquired the social network Twitter (TWTR) - Get Twitter Inc. Report on October 27 for $44 billion. This colossal sum is one of the motivations that pushed him to get to work quickly to find new sources of income to revive the platform.

The tech tycoon launched a drastic cost-cutting plan by slashing half of Twitter's jobs, or 3,700, in one day on November 4. He also just rolled out the new Twitter Blue subscription formula by integrating the account authentication badge and by increasing the subscription to $7.99 per month.

But the bulk of the revenue will come from advertising, and Musk knows it. He wants a bigger cut of the lucrative online advertising market, shared for several years by Meta Platforms (META) - Get Meta Platforms Inc. Report via Facebook and Instagram, Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Alphabet Inc. Report and its subsidiary Youtube, and TikTok, the newcomer.

To achieve this, Musk is adopting a two-pronged strategy.

Musk Woos Creators The first step is to retain current advertisers who fear that its absolutist defense of free speech will bring extremists back to Twitter, including fans of conspiracy theories, misinformation, racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Musk has tried to wield the carrot and the stick by promising them that Twitter will not become a "hellscape.” He also threatened to publicly humiliate advertisers who stop promoting their products and services on the platform, by shaming them to his 114.3 million followers.

The second front of the strategy is to take market share from Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok, which get the lion’s share of the lucrative advertising market.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: musk; twitter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

1 posted on 11/06/2022 3:14:14 PM PST by SmokingJoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe
"absolutist defense of free speech"

Sick of hearing this or anything like it. Its called "FREE SPEECH".

What is going on is censorship, cancelling, and ostracizing. Call it what it is.

2 posted on 11/06/2022 3:17:43 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

Opposing racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric on Twitter is good.

However, leftists put the “conspiracy theory” and “misinformation” labels on everything that they disagree with.

That includes opposition to abortion, support for Trump, exposing the truth about gain-of-function experiments in Boston, Wuhan, and elsewhere, and much more.


3 posted on 11/06/2022 3:20:35 PM PST by Arcadian Empire (The Baric-Daszak-Fauci spike protein, by itself, is deadly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

What’s wrong with a hellscape?


4 posted on 11/06/2022 3:28:08 PM PST by Lisbon1940 (I don’t see why they would)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe
Elon Musk says Twitter's monetization model can beat YouTube's and longer posts and videos will be allowed

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/elon-musk-says-twitter-s-monetization-model-can-beat-youtube-s-and-longer-posts-and-videos-will-be-allowed/ar-AA13O8yQ

5 posted on 11/06/2022 3:28:17 PM PST by SmokingJoe ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

I am paying the $8 a month to get verified tomorrow as long as I meet the criteria. We will see.

I support Elon Musk.


6 posted on 11/06/2022 3:29:31 PM PST by RandFan (For some reason I'm interested in politics, particularly the U.S. Senate)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

I’ve never been on Twitter or FakeBook. What am I missing?


7 posted on 11/06/2022 3:34:00 PM PST by BipolarBob (I was born into this world with nothing . . and I still have most of it .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: BipolarBob

Not much is the answer.

I use it to talk to people and customers. Networking.


8 posted on 11/06/2022 3:36:41 PM PST by RandFan (For some reason I'm interested in politics, particularly the U.S. Senate)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

Can you list the benefits of being blue check-marked for those of us who tweet not?


9 posted on 11/06/2022 3:39:32 PM PST by Paladin2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

Not unusual in SV


10 posted on 11/06/2022 3:41:53 PM PST by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BipolarBob

Not much.


11 posted on 11/06/2022 3:49:55 PM PST by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: KC_Conspirator

“absolutist defense of free speech”.

Yep, it’s inviolate. You either have it or you don’t.


12 posted on 11/06/2022 4:08:27 PM PST by traderrob6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

Why are these media people surmising what Elon is/was/will be doing. It’s his company....lock, stock and barrel.


13 posted on 11/06/2022 4:13:43 PM PST by Sacajaweau ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2
Essentially a blue check means you are who you say your are. For example, when Trump was on Twitter, there were hundreds of fake Trump accounts that used his name or variations of it. But only the @readdonaldtrump account had the blue checkmark. None of the fake ones could get it because they failed the verification process.

Over the years, the blue checkmark has become a status symbol among celebrities, politicians and self-proclaimed social media "influencers" that gather thousands or even millions of followers.

The average Joe could not get a blue checkmark, even if he was willing to verify, that is, show Twitter his personal identification to prove he is who he actually claims to be.

This does not sit well with new owner Elon Musk. Musk feels that anybody that is able to verify their identity should get a blue checkmark - for a fee of $8/mo.

This infuriates the original blue checkmarks, as having all these "regular folks" with blue checkmarks will make them a little less special on Twitter.

I mean, when Joe Six-pack from Boaz, Alabama, with a Trump bumper sticker on his Ford F-150, can secure for himself a blue checkmark for the price of a bacon, eggs and grits breakfast at the Waffle House, he'll be on equal footing with the likes of Stephen King, Bette Midler, Rob Reiner, and all the other self-important social media blowhards.

And they CAN"T STAND IT!

14 posted on 11/06/2022 4:21:29 PM PST by SamAdams76 (4,479,054 active users on Truth Social)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SamAdams76

I don’t need a blue checkmark to scroll thru sports news. I’ll read the ads if they offer a product or service I need or am intrigued by.


15 posted on 11/06/2022 4:30:20 PM PST by Ciexyz (Prayers for America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SamAdams76

You pretty much covered it.
Plus blue ticks for the masses at $8 a month will make good money for Twitter.


16 posted on 11/06/2022 4:30:25 PM PST by SmokingJoe ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

check their party affiliation...


17 posted on 11/06/2022 4:49:04 PM PST by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Arcadian Empire

i described politically correct as

tyranny wrapped in a cloak of common decency

it applies to cancel culture as well


18 posted on 11/06/2022 6:00:37 PM PST by joshua c (to disrupt the system, we must disrupt our lives, cut the cable tv)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SmokingJoe

Musk specializes in “creative destruction”?


19 posted on 11/08/2022 6:29:49 AM PST by Honest Nigerian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Chode

Who’s?


20 posted on 11/08/2022 7:02:49 AM PST by SmokingJoe ( )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson