Musk offers to buy Twitter

[Eric]

If he wasn't behind a wall of ignorance he would see that he's basically the laughing stock of the internet.

 

[rdrr]

I didn't expect my thoughts on Elon Musk to be popular, but fellow poster and good chap @Yoused has encouraged me to share my contrarian opinions in the past, and I did so in my small way here. As I said, I don't have strong opinions on Mr. Musk, as a human being. I certainly don't worship him, as some apparently do, but I don't hate him, either. I'll save my ire for real dictators. (Which, after an extraordinarily unpleasant experience concerning that subject, I have banned myself from the politics forums.)

As I said, I'm not diagnosing Mr. Musk, just speculating on what may inform us on some his behavior. After I made my post, I found that Musk claims to have Asperger's, a now defunct term to describe those on the spectrum. Also, I never claimed that a mental health diagnosis can explain his publicly known persona, just that a mental health component could be involved, and not necessarily ASD. I listed many disorders, and wasn't aware of Mr. Musk's diagnosis before I made that post; I was speaking in generalities.

Regardless, I appreciate your responses and critiques.

Okay, well, since you asked, I shall do my best to reply, despite my strong inclination to remain silent. I would first ask my left-leaning friends here to keep in mind that I am very much outnumbered here, on this specific issue, and I am not trying to start a one-man war on my favorite forum. This is simply me stating my personal opinion, I know everyone else here will disagree, which I am perfectly fine with.

I shall start out with the bad about Mr. Musk. I think he spreads himself too thin, makes impulse decisions, and doesn't understand the wisdom of silence. He has his hands in too many pies, can't focus on any one thing, and his mercurial nature has lead to a poorly planned acquisition of Twitter, from a business perspective. I think he hurt his newly purchased company by not thinking through staffing decisions. He should have already had a game plan long before the acquisition was completed, and now he and his remaining employees are suffering from that lack of foresight.

On the good side, I see SpaceX. I consider this to be Mr. Musk's greatest achievement and what will define his legacy. While his social media shenanigans feel important in the moment, his other companies like Tesla, the Boring Company, and yes, Twitter, don't really matter, not in the long-term. If humanity wishes to ensure its ultimate survival, we must become a space faring species. That means Mars colonies, that means an outpost on Europa, that means landing on Titan, that means venturing to Proxima-Centauri.

None of these things will happen in my lifetime, but they will eventually happen, as long as we continue to invest in enterprises like SpaceX. I value his drive to push humanity outward, over any of the other endeavors of Mr. Musk, and would prefer that he spend all of his time working on his rocket ships. We need to think big, need people who are willing to push forward, and I think SpaceX is at the forefront of much of that, along with Blue Origin and such. I think private enterprises in concert with organizations such as NASA and the ESA, along with contractors like Northrup Grumman, are vital to the future of our species.

Regarding the ongoing Twitter saga, daily matters are always in the forefront of our minds, it's the immediacy of the news cycle. Right now we are still in a global pandemic, undergoing an energy crisis, sustained economic recession, a brutal war in Europe, many are facing risk of famine, and Elon Musk has purchased Twitter. One of these things is not like the others, so I'm going to prioritize what I consider to be the most important of those issues. I just can't get myself worked up over a social media platform. However, I can understand why other folks here do, because it's at the intersection of both technology and politics, which is of great interest and concern to most of the people who visit Talked About.

Now, in regards to Twitter itself...

Firstly, I shall state the obvious. In the United States, First Amendment protections only apply to prosecution from the government, except in rare cases. Being a U.S. citizen, I'm going to approach it from that stance. I realize that other countries have different laws concerning speech, but Twitter is a U.S. company. I know that private entities, such as social media, can police their own business, and who posts on their sites, as they please. I don't think the government should dictate what should be said on social media, whether that be the owners, or the posters. That also goes for advertisers and users, who can spend their dollars and time elsewhere, of course, if they are dissatisfied with the platform.

While I think Mr. Musk has been quite ham-fisted in the way he has handled the acquisition, I am far more inclined to agree with his "free speech absolutist" mentality, than the restrictions that had been in place. I very much believe that the more voices, the better. I don't think the public should be infantilized by censoring things that make us uncomfortable, we should all have the right to be offended, not be coddled by the whims of corporate policy.

Unless somebody is literally breaking the law, I think they should be able to say what they want on Twitter. You can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater. You can't make terrorist threats or threaten to assassinate a politician. You can be taken to court for slander or libel. Twitter has become the online "town square", in many respects, and I think it should be treated just as a physical town square.

I may find someone's words to be disagreeable, I may find them repugnant, they may make me angry, but I'm not going to stand in the way while they say them. Mr. Musk's thinking on the issue is similar to my own.

As I said, my thoughts on this issue are going to be extraordinary unpopular around these parts. I like all the folks here, please don't associate your anger with Mr. Musk with my personal opinion on the issue. I'm not Elon, I think he has handled the transition poorly, I simply agree with his general philosophy regarding free speech on Twitter.

"When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say."
- George R.R. Martin

About Twitter and the concept of Free Speech. I agree with your boundaries, can't yell fire in a crowded room, etc. My main objection with this "Town Square" concept is that Twitter isn't a town square, and the people there are mostly anonymous. If you want to shout out some really offensive and objectionable thoughts in a "Town Square", you have to get the nerve up to stand on your soapbox and let your neighbors hear them. You cannot be some faceless, nameless handle on twitter.

So you if you want to scream those thoughts (that most likely should remain silent), then everyone should know who said them. Let your family, friends, neighbors, community, employer know who you really are, and potentially become a social pariah.

 

[SuperMatt]

As I said, my thoughts on this issue are going to be extraordinary unpopular around these parts. I like all the folks here, please don't associate your anger with Mr. Musk with my personal opinion on the issue. I'm not Elon, I think he has handled the transition poorly, I simply agree with his general philosophy regarding free speech on Twitter.

Elon Musk says “free speech” loudly, over and over. His actions tell a different story.

He recently had public conversations with right-wing agitator Andy Ngo, which resulted in Elon banning some accounts that Andy claimed were of violent or pedophile groups. This is at the same time he is reinstating accounts associated with far worse violations. And those violations were not documented by a far-right provocateur, but by a presumably non-partisan group of professional content moderators, acting off a prescribed set of rules.

It’s also well-documented that Musk has banned people who made fun of him.

He is not upholding free speech. He is shutting down voices that he personally disagrees with, while amplifying those he prefers.

Don’t be fooled by his rhetoric. He doesn’t give a hoot about free speech. His actions prove it.

Of course, he can run Twitter as he chooses. But when advertisers seek out greener pastures, he’s got nobody to blame but himself.

 

[Cmaier]

Elon Musk says “free speech” loudly, over and over. His actions tell a different story.

He recently had public conversations with right-wing agitator Andy Ngo, which resulted in Elon banning some accounts that Andy claimed were of violent or pedophile groups. This is at the same time he is reinstating accounts associated with far worse violations. And those violations were not documented by a far-right provocateur, but by a presumably non-partisan group of professional content moderators, acting off a prescribed set of rules.

It’s also well-documented that Musk has banned people who made fun of him.

He is not upholding free speech. He is shutting down voices that he personally disagrees with, while amplifying those he prefers.

Don’t be fooled by his rhetoric. He doesn’t give a hoot about free speech. His actions prove it.

Of course, he can run Twitter as he chooses. But when advertisers seek out greener pastures, he’s got nobody to blame but himself.

He also suspended the guy who tweeting a link to his report that the twitter data breach was far larger (>5 million) than previously announced. (Suspended yesterday).

I should amend my prior statement - when Musk talks about free speech, he means speech that he agrees with should be free, and that speech he agrees with should be free of consequences.

Speech he doesn‘t like, on the other hand - there’s no place for that on Twitter. (As is his right, of course. But please let’s not pretend he’s some sort of ”all speech is good” absolutist).

 

[turbineseaplane]

Speech he doesn‘t like, on the other hand - there’s no place for that on Twitter. (As is his right, of course. But please let’s not pretend he’s some sort of ”all speech is good” absolutist).

Which is why I find tweets like this to be pure gaslighting

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I don't know the exact details here and I hope we get a deep dive on this (if it doesn't already exist, book(s)?) but some comments I'm repeatedly hearing are Musk's wealth started with inheritance from apartheid-era South Africa (I don't think anybody is disputing that), a good part of his current wealth growth is thanks to government handouts, and the main source of Tesla's revenue is from selling carbon credits to other companies, not from selling cars.

 

[Macky-Mac]

I don't think Musk cares at all about "free speech"......it's just a slogan that he thinks will help him make money

 

[Cmaier]

Musk: ”free speech” includes speech that will kill people.

Twitter has stopped enforcing its covid misinformation policies

Twitter won’t remove posts that contain covid misinformation.

www.theverge.com

 

[bwinter88]

If humanity wishes to ensure its ultimate survival, we must become a space faring species. That means Mars colonies, that means an outpost on Europa, that means landing on Titan, that means venturing to Proxima-Centauri.

I just have to point out how much I hate this. No, we really don't. Mars is a barren wasteland that offers nothing. We have abundant resources right here. There's no reason humanity couldn't continue to exist here ad infinitum. No one has ever offered me a single persuasive argument as to why Mars is so crucial to human life. It's not. We are voluntarily destroying the only known habitable planet in the universe right here. All of Musk's resources devoted to SpaceX adventures could have instead been devoted to preserving what we already have. But instead, it's become a billionaire's race to leave the planet. To think that the fate of humanity lies in getting to Mars is not a heroic, brave or intellectual thought, it's fatalistic and a cover for selfish aspirations.

 

[MEJHarrison]

I didn't expect my thoughts on Elon Musk to be popular, but fellow poster and good chap @Yoused has encouraged me to share my contrarian opinions in the past, and I did so in my small way here.

I don't see eye to eye with you on everything you said. But you made good arguments to back up your position. I appreciate the feedback.

 

[turbineseaplane]

All the Mars nonsense is just a distraction to avoid solving real issues here and now.

Every single thing about Earth is better than Mars (for us as humans).
Let's focus on where we already are and where we'll be for the very long foreseeable future

If we can't solve issues here, there's no point in trying to start all over on an inhospitable hellscape somewhere else

 

[Eric]

Interesting quote but as Musk is the only source it can't be trusted without a statement from Apple. However, the more they stay silent the more respect I give them for staying out of the gutter with that troll.

Elon Musk claims Apple has threatened to remove the Twitter app

Musk even tweeted out a meme that suggested he was "going to war" with Apple over paying 30%.

www.cnbc.com

• Twitter owner Elon Musk claimed on Monday in a series of tweets that Apple had threatened to remove the Twitter app from the App Store as part of its app review moderation process.
• “Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Musk tweeted.

 

[turbineseaplane]

“Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Musk tweeted.

He knows very well all the reasons. Guy is so disingenuous
I've lost every shred of respect I ever had for him

 

[Cmaier]

I just have to point out how much I hate this. No, we really don't. Mars is a barren wasteland that offers nothing. We have abundant resources right here. There's no reason humanity couldn't continue to exist here ad infinitum. No one has ever offered me a single persuasive argument as to why Mars is so crucial to human life. It's not. We are voluntarily destroying the only known habitable planet in the universe right here. All of Musk's resources devoted to SpaceX adventures could have instead been devoted to preserving what we already have. But instead, it's become a billionaire's race to leave the planet. To think that the fate of humanity lies in getting to Mars is not a heroic, brave or intellectual thought, it's fatalistic and a cover for selfish aspirations.

In 5 billion years or so the Sun will explode. Long before then we could get hit by a planet-killing gamma ray burst or rock. A disease that spreads like covid but is far more deadly could come along at any time.

There are plenty of reasons why it makes sense for humanity to spread out onto other planets, and Mars is the first step.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Interesting quote but as Musk is the only source it can't be trusted without a statement from Apple. However, the more they stay silent the more respect I give them for staying out of the gutter with that troll.

Elon Musk claims Apple has threatened to remove the Twitter app

Musk even tweeted out a meme that suggested he was "going to war" with Apple over paying 30%.

www.cnbc.com

• Twitter owner Elon Musk claimed on Monday in a series of tweets that Apple had threatened to remove the Twitter app from the App Store as part of its app review moderation process.
• “Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why,” Musk tweeted.

apple lets truth sucks on their store twitter will be no different. but I can see google dumping twitter.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Mars stuff is in part a distraction to not disrupt business interests in the here and now on Earth.

On MUCH shorter time scales than the Sun exploding, we should be dealing with climate change threats to civilization and progress.
Disease concerns are correlated with much of that actually. Same with factory farming and monoculture growing.

Humans have only been around in any form at all for a couple hundred thousand years and only in civilization for 6,000 or so
Worrying about what happens when the Sun will explode in 5 billion years is not even worth thinking about

If you could get a sports book on a universal timeline, I'll bet odds would be heavily against humans even being here when the Sun is expiring on us.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

In 5 billion years or so the Sun will explode. Long before then we could get hit by a planet-killing gamma ray burst or rock. A disease that spreads like covid but is far more deadly could come along at any time.

There are plenty of reasons why it makes sense for humanity to spread out onto other planets, and Mars is the first step.

Given what we've done to this planet and each other there is no good reason for us to further spread ourselves out across the universe. It's the ultimate elitist vanity project.

 

[Cmaier]

If you could get a sports book on a universal timeline, I'll bet odds would be heavily against humans even being here when the Sun is expiring on us.

Which is a good reason to spread out. If humans populate numerous solar systems, the chances of our descendants being around until entropy makes the universe go cold goes up tremendously.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Which is a good reason to spread out. If humans populate numerous solar systems, the chances of our descendants being around until entropy makes the universe go cold goes up tremendously.

Spreading will happen, if it's ever viable and desirable, anyways as technology moves on.
Pushing much for that at this moment in our history, with billions of years to go on the Sun, is a distraction.

Very powerful International business interests want to do as much "business as usual" and not address real short term problems.

We aren't becoming some interplanetary species anytime soon and we'll never get there if we don't deal with climate, food and disease issues that are in our face, now.

"Mars" has really no role to play in solving pressing issues

 

[turbineseaplane]

We're off topic with Mars stuff anyways -- Elon can't even operate Twitter or build cars without big panel gaps at the moment

He's not our savior

The emperor has no clothes.

This is the clown who duped local politicians into his hair brained "Boring company" (see.. build tunnels for cars) nonsense with the express purpose of derailing high speed and light rail projects around the country.

@Cmaier I know from your posts here and back on MR that you're a very smart person. Surely you see completely through Elon at this point.