$44 billion makes a convincing argument, don’t you think? Of course, that’s banking on the idea that he wouldn’t change his mind…
Still, you can’t help but think that a lot of people are reacting in this manner:
Did anyone doubt that this was going to happen? Those that have the money to throw around in this manner don’t often make empty boasts if they want to buy something unless they come to realize that they’re going to have the responsibility that comes with it. One thing that appears to be worth mentioning is that Elon Musk doesn’t appear to be ready to duck the responsibility that Twitter will heap on his shoulders. Given everything he’s done to date, it feels as though Musk might actually figure out why Twitter has been such a mess and will have it mapped in a couple of months. Okay, that sounds unrealistic, but at the very least it does feel that he’ll find a way to untangle the noise that’s been a big part of the streaming platform for so long.
Funnily enough, a lot of people, mostly those that depend on Twitter for their daily fix of gossip and nonsense, tend to think that there’s nothing wrong with it, or that any issues are more or less easy to deal with. Of course, a lot of people that voted for Donald Trump and then Joe Biden can’t be convinced of anything other than their opinion either, so…yeah. But the purchase of Twitter, I won’t say takeover, is bound to be something that will have a lot of people sweating and others a bit anxious since the idea that Elon now owns the platform raises a lot of questions, like what he’s going to change, if anything, and how this will affect those that have been enamored of the platform the way it is for so long. There are a few reasons to be nervous, but at the same time, one has to wonder what is going to happen that might be so earth-shaking that people are starting to batten down the hatches.
For those of us that don’t use Twitter or use it sparingly, this isn’t that big of a deal. Musk has stated that freedom of speech is an important thing, and that’s true to be fair. But when it comes to freedom of speech there’s a can of worms being opened every hour on the hour since people tend to bring up the idea of what free speech means to them and why it’s a good or a bad thing when trying to give everyone an equal voice. Does anyone get the idea that a lot of people don’t have an equal voice when it comes to society? Sure, we all have the right to say what we want, and to make our voices be heard. But if you’re lost in the storm of nonsense that flows like a vast, befouled river, it’s tough to say anything without having to swallow your words or have them fed to you by a Twitter mob.
In other words, Twitter is a place for freedom of speech, but if you think one voice is equal to another, you’re on the wrong platform.
The pros of Elon Musk taking over Twitter are real enough.
People are already chirping about what will happen now that Elon Musk has the reins to Twitter. Change is a scary thing sometimes after all, and it’s fair to state that a lot of people aren’t looking forward to this, while others are already leaning forward as their noses are just about touching the screens as they await the first change of many. There are bound to be at least a few pros to Elon’s upcoming ideas, such as:
- He wants the site to focus on freedom of speech: That’s not a bad thing, right? In fact, it sounds like something that might attract a lot of new individuals to the platform if they’re ready and willing to give voice to their thoughts and ideas so long as there’s no one to tell them that they’ve just been canceled or kicked off because their ideas don’t vibe with what the board feels is appropriate.
- Elon wants to make the site easier to use: Twitter doesn’t require a degree in web design or programming to use, but it does appear that many people might find it hard to use at times. Depending on what he wants to do, this could be a lot of help.
- It was time for a change: I mean, this kind of goes without saying. Twitter has been a mess for a while, so for good or ill, shaking it up a bit could possibly go a long way toward helping it.
Yes, there are a few cons too, so let’s get into them.
So far a lot of people don’t appear to be too worried about any serious cons when it comes to Elon taking over Twitter, but there are a few that might be worrisome if folks give any serious thought to them, such as:
- Freedom of speech appears to come with a lot of loopholes: This is already evident to be fair, and even if a lot of people are under the impression that hate speech, REAL hate speech, is not allowed (as it shouldn’t be) the definition is still heavily debated since it’s tough for some folks to realize that negative speech is not always equal to hate speech. Real hate speech is intended to harm and incite harm upon others, while negative speech might be the type that people don’t like, but is free all the same. Oy, you can see where this is going, right?
- Changes to Twitter could confuse a lot of people: To be fair, the platform isn’t that hard to use, but it does feel as though the difficulties that people have been experiencing over the years should have been solved. Thinking that Elon is going to fix everything, or anything, kind of implies that Twitter was already sinking and really needs someone to step up and plug whatever holes there are. Maybe one has to be invested in Twitter to really understand what the issues are.
- Twitter will still be around: To be fair…
Twitter is kind of a nuisance to a lot of people that don’t care for social media, or are convinced that it’s simply a place to go when a person needs to complain, show their food to people, or give a severely biased opinion that a lot of people don’t want to hear. If Elon isn’t tearing it down, then what’s the point of trying to change something that doesn’t want to be changed?
It does sound as though Twitter employees are trying to decide which way to turn.
This is what happens when the status quo is shaken up and people start wondering what’s going to happen when new management takes over. Folks tend to lose their shit rather quickly when wondering if they’re going to be fired if things are about to change in ways that will be awkward, negative, or so alien to them that they won’t be able to deal with it. It’s a frenzy of sorts that becomes even worse when it’s picked up by certain media outlets since it’s a little too well-known what happens when the media gets hold of something. The truth is that the purchase of Twitter is bound to be a flare-up that will end up dying down after a little while as those that have jumped ship will come back hesitantly as they try to justify their lack of faith in one way or another.
Celebrities are already making their displeasure known.
Here’s another really amusing point, some of the people that love free speech are those that are ready to leave once Elon Musk made it known that he was going to advocate for free speech. Interesting, right? Meh, maybe, maybe not, but the point is that several celebrities and activists that have benefited greatly from ‘free speech’ have already been sounding off in a big way that freedom of speech on Twitter is going to turn it into a hellscape, which is confusing since this would indicate that they’re not advocates for freedom of speech considering that from a logical stance they would want to ban certain speech that they don’t enjoy. I know, I know, that’s an argument waiting to happen, but the ridiculous nature of the relationship that many celebs have with Twitter is bound to cause many people to short circuit.
People cry out for freedom of speech, but then decide to become the arbiter of what ‘freedom’ really means. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Time to sit back and watch the show.
Here’s the thing; if you use social media with its actual purpose in mind, then it doesn’t matter who’s in charge. Follow the rules of the platform, use it to actually discuss ideas, get in touch with people, and possibly change your life, and there shouldn’t be an issue. As long as people can say what they like, be civil about it, and leave the drama out of it, then who cares who owns the platform? Sometimes people simply love to build the tension out of sheer boredom. In this case, Elon Musk might not be a favored human being of many, but let’s see where this goes before we condemn the guy.
UPDATE
Well, it would appear that in a twist that a lot of people wanted to see and others didn’t see coming that Elon Musk managed to think it around and has ended up changing his mind. Maybe he figured it was too much, maybe he grew bored with the idea, or maybe something else happened that convinced him it wasn’t worth the trouble. It would be a way to confirm that the squeaky wheels tend to get the most grease or end up getting their way just to shut them up. Gods, wouldn’t that be nice? But in the meantime, Twitter now has its hackles up since despite any misgivings, there’s no doubt that the 44 billion dollars that Musk was putting up started overriding the complaints and snide comments that many folks have made.
Even if Musk does incur a fine, it still means that the company would be losing out in a big way, so let’s give a nice golf clap all around to the ridiculous nature of this transaction. Way to make the news once again kids:
WTR? (Why’s That Radass?)
Quite honestly there’s a guilty pleasure that comes from seeing celebrities work themselves into a tizzy, especially over something that’s not that big of a deal in the long run. Twitter has a reputation for being a popular, albeit troublesome platform, so to be honest, it’s not regrettable to see it being shaken up in this manner. But if things improve, great, and if they don’t, oh well.
