Twitter

[Belhaven]

The only time I use twitter is to read the threads that people link to on here. I've never posted.

I'm in the same boat. I still don't really understand how it works, to be honest. Some people post something that other people more or less meaningfully comment, and then link to other tweets that may or may not make any sense as a reply to the original tweet. I get lost and lose interest very soon.

[Hot Pepsi]

It would be fine if all it did was let you see tweets from people that you have voluntarily chosen to follow, in the order they were posted, plus maybe a few innocuous ads.

But it doesn't do that.

[Auntie Beryl]

There are apps that help with that. I use Talon.

(it's not perfect, not all functionality comes across, but my feed is as you described, and no ads.)

[My Name Is Ian]

I have an *extremely* long list of muted words, mostly politics, and other things that are going to cause me anxiety.

[Femme Folle]

If you follow me, you'll want to mute #90DayFiance

[My Name Is Ian]

Sooner that reading that Boris Johnson is a cunt. I KNOW.

[Fussbudget]

Was it here or someone else where I saw someone saying that the only reason Twitter is given the prominence that it is is because that is where all the journalists are. Apparently in terms of actual size, it's just outside the top ten, and smaller in userbase and traffic than Reddit.

Not only is it where all the journalists are, but they get to have a nice blue tick that marks their every utterance as more important than that of yer ordinary plebs. From the outside in it doesn't half look like a platform tailor-made for the chattering classes.

[Femme Folle]

I don't think the blue ticks confer any level of importance; they just let readers know that when a blue tick account tweets something stupid, it really is that person and not an impersonator.

[Hot Pepsi]

The blue check just confirms it is who it claims to be. I suppose that some people have them even though nobody would Ever impersonate them.

It is made for the chattering class. Absolutely. Insofar as that’s a specific thing.

[Fussbudget]

Yes I get that that's what the blue tick is meant to be, who gets to have one creates a weird hierarchy of users though. Every journalist no matter how minor has one, whereas for example many musicians don't unless they're super famous.

I mostly see tweets (other than on here) when they're quoted as a source of news (or even worse, as news in themselves) in newspaper articles, and I would very much dispute that the journalists compiling those articles don't confer any importance to blue ticks.

[Hot Pepsi]

I’m an extremely minor journalist and don’t even know how to apply for one. Maybe I should.

[Femme Folle]

Important

You may now apply for verification. On web, navigate to Settings and privacy > Your account > Account information. Once you enter your password, go to Request Verification. On Android and iOS, tap on Settings and Privacy > Account > Verification request. Please read the criteria below to understand if your account qualifies. For more information about the verification process, visit our FAQ article.

https://help.twitter.com/en/managing...ified-accounts

Individuals in News

Accounts of individuals employed by Verified news organizations in a public facing news reporting role including reporters, news anchors & editors.

Prerequisites:

• Your account must refer directly to the name and official URL of the qualifying organization in your Twitter bio. (Either @mention or include URL to your employer’s official site)
• Your employer already has a Verified account
• Your account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts

You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
Evidence that you and your Twitter handle is listed on official company website

• Links to 3 articles crediting you as an author published by your employer published within the last 6 months
• A photo of your valid government-issued ID
• Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate your account

There's another set of criteria for freelance journalists.

[caja-dglh]

This alone proves how you could get a nominal (even $1 a month) fee from being verified to increase cashflow into the business. Twitter has clearly been run as a techno-nerd project that gets funded for a long time without an objective.

I am not arguing Elon Musk will fix that at all. Just that it is very obvious that Twitter has been led by the least commercially minded people possible for a long time. It is also pretty clear that not much good has been achieved from that "culture".

[Femme Folle]

There's an idea--instead of having a paid subscription option for all users, why not charge blue badge accounts $4.99/month to keep their verified status?

Did you know that if you have a blue badge on your account, you have the ability to filter out non-blue badge accounts in your notifications. That's why it's almost impossible to get someone like a William Shatner or a Mark Hammill to even see your replies. Of course, those two specifically must get absolutely hammered with notifications.

[caja-dglh]

There's an idea--instead of having a paid subscription option for all users, why not charge blue badge accounts $4.99/month to keep their verified status?

Did you know that if you have a blue badge on your account, you have the ability to filter out non-blue badge accounts in your notifications. That's why it's almost impossible to get someone like a William Shatner or a Mark Hammill to even see your replies. Of course, those two specifically must get absolutely hammered with notifications.

Part of his (nonsense) pitch is to get a blue check for $3. I don't think he is wrong that it will boost money, but he will go private and see it when he sells it on at $80bn.

[ad hoc]

This alone proves how you could get a nominal (even $1 a month) fee from being verified to increase cashflow into the business. Twitter has clearly been run as a techno-nerd project that gets funded for a long time without an objective.

I am not arguing Elon Musk will fix that at all. Just that it is very obvious that Twitter has been led by the least commercially minded people possible for a long time. It is also pretty clear that not much good has been achieved from that "culture".

That last sentence is a huge reach. Twitter has some problems but I don't see how you conclude that this is a result of it not trying to maximise revenue

[Gas In Name Only]

There's an idea--instead of having a paid subscription option for all users, why not charge blue badge accounts $4.99/month to keep their verified status?

Did you know that if you have a blue badge on your account, you have the ability to filter out non-blue badge accounts in your notifications. That's why it's almost impossible to get someone like a William Shatner or a Mark Hammill to even see your replies. Of course, those two specifically must get absolutely hammered with notifications.

Not followed Hamill for a while but he was always one of the best at replying to fans, answering requests to wish people happy birthday etc. A real treasure in that respect

Personally I view the blue tick as a useful tool for downgrading the credibility of the person tweeting

[ursus arctos]

Musk has now sold USD 8.5 billion of Tesla stock over the last three days

[Hot Pepsi]

Important

You may now apply for verification. On web, navigate to Settings and privacy > Your account > Account information. Once you enter your password, go to Request Verification. On Android and iOS, tap on Settings and Privacy > Account > Verification request. Please read the criteria below to understand if your account qualifies. For more information about the verification process, visit our FAQ article.

https://help.twitter.com/en/managing...ified-accounts

Individuals in News

Accounts of individuals employed by Verified news organizations in a public facing news reporting role including reporters, news anchors & editors.

Prerequisites:

• Your account must refer directly to the name and official URL of the qualifying organization in your Twitter bio. (Either @mention or include URL to your employer’s official site)
• Your employer already has a Verified account
• Your account must satisfy the criteria outlined in the above category denoting “active” accounts

You may also be required to provide the following information to determine your Notability & Authenticity:
Evidence that you and your Twitter handle is listed on official company website

• Links to 3 articles crediting you as an author published by your employer published within the last 6 months
• A photo of your valid government-issued ID
• Official websites or news articles published by already verified organizations that reference the applicant’s Twitter handle or registered email address can help authenticate your account

There's another set of criteria for freelance journalists.

I don't care anywhere nearly enough to do any of that.

[Hot Pepsi]

That last sentence is a huge reach. Twitter has some problems but I don't see how you conclude that this is a result of it not trying to maximise revenue

It could be argued that they've focused more on increasing their market share than expanding their revenue at this stage, but it is not just a technonerd project. If it were, they wouldn't employ so many people selling ads.

[anton pulisov]

They shut down Vine, and now TikTok has taken over the world.

[Lang Spoon]

Ha, did Twitter take over then shut down Vine? The fucking fannies.

[Eggchaser]

The fact that for all the intelligent articles I link to, work stuff and worthy stuff that I put up there, that my most liked, quoted and retweeted Tweet was a rubbish joke about Professor Snape tells you all you need to know about Twitter.

And when I say most liked, I mean by a magnitude of hundreds.

[S. aureus]

Well, go on then. Tell us!

[Moonlight Shadow]

My most popular tweet was due to a retweet by yoga goddess Adrienne...My notifications went slightly insane that day.