Elon Musk to buy Twitter

[Chomper Higgot]

Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter is set to succeed (Though I expect he’ll claim he invented it shortly afterwards):

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61222470

[howlee101]

Hopefully he can secure enough funds to buy Facebook also ????????

[vinci]

this will be his biggest mistake, spending $45 billion just because he doesn't like something and buying something he know nothing about, he contradicts himself of free speech, buying something he has no passion about, he's in for a world of hurt

[asiacurious]

And Tesla loses over 12% of it's value....

 

Quote

Tesla is not involved in the Twitter deal, yet its shares have been targeted by speculators after Musk declined to disclose publicly where his cash for the acquisition is coming from. The 12.2% drop in Tesla's shares on Tuesday equated to a $21 billion drop in the value of his Tesla stake, the same as the $21 billion in cash he committed to the Twitter deal.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/tesla-loses-126-bln-value-amid-musk-twitter-deal-funding-concern-2022-04-26/

[Longwood50]

11 minutes ago, vinci said:

this will be his biggest mistake, spending $45 billion just because he doesn't like something and buying something he know nothing about, he contradicts himself of free speech, buying something he has no passion about, he's in for a world of hurt

Perhaps,

But I believe there are millions of people who are longing for a social media that is not left winged biased.  You have Bezos owning the Washington Post, Sergey Brin and Larry Page with Google, and of course Mark Zukerberg with Facebook.  

The social media sites like the news media have been dominated by left wing owners and executives.  One only has to look at the success of Fox being the top rated network hands down while CNN is failing to see there is a large market out there for media that does not censor conservative opinion. 

[Chomper Higgot]

Musk is already being told he’ll comply with the law(s).

 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/26/twitter-takeover-jack-dorsey-elon-musk

Edited April 27, 2022 by Chomper Higgot

[LarrySR]

On 4/27/2022 at 12:53 PM, Longwood50 said:

Perhaps,

But I believe there are millions of people who are longing for a social media that is not left winged biased.  You have Bezos owning the Washington Post, Sergey Brin and Larry Page with Google, and of course Mark Zukerberg with Facebook.  

The social media sites like the news media have been dominated by left wing owners and executives.  One only has to look at the success of Fox being the top rated network hands down while CNN is failing to see there is a large market out there for media that does not censor conservative opinion. 

That’s silly talk.
Right wing dominate the top 10 Facebook pages. The data shows, the top-10 list of the most engaged pages is consistently dominated by the likes of Fox News host Sean Hannity, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, and Christian evangelist Franklin Graham.
Many parroting Russian GRU propaganda that wants Trumps back in office. 
Some people have the impression that social media is dominated by left wing because allot of right wing disinformation gets fact checked or habitual liars ... get banned. 

[LarrySR]

5 hours ago, asiacurious said:

And Tesla loses over 12% of it's value....

 

https://www.reuters.com/technology/tesla-loses-126-bln-value-amid-musk-twitter-deal-funding-concern-2022-04-26/

Yes Tesla lost- 12% after gaining over +2,000% since 2019.

[Longwood50]

I think Twitter will be more successful because millions of people want a social media outlet that is not left wing liberal biased and outright propaganda. 

 

...

So yes, I think Twitter will be more successful under Musk as those who recognize the MSM and other social media outlets as nothing more than hacks for the liberals find it a welcome place to publicly discuss issues without being censored. 
 

[Longwood50]

 this was in responses to why I think Twitter will be more successful.  It will become an outlet for people who are both disillusioned and censored by the MSM and other social media outlets.  Try posting something on FB that the "fact checkers" find objectionable.  You are soon banned.  “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.  I got banned for 1 week on FB merely for repeating what Joseph Goebbels said decades ago about "propaganda"  They charactized that as "hate speech" 

[Chomper Higgot]

21 minutes ago, Longwood50 said:

No but this was in responses to why I think Twitter will be more successful.  It will become an outlet for people who are both disillusioned and censored by the MSM and other social media outlets.  Try posting something on FB that the "fact checkers" find objectionable.  You are soon banned.  “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.  I got banned for 1 week on FB merely for repeating what Joseph Goebbels said decades ago about "propaganda"  They charactized that as "hate speech" 

Didn’t somebody with a strong following on the rightwing of the political spectrum recently set up a rightwing messaging service?

 

How’s that going?

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, howlee101 said:

Your sense of reality vice make believe is astonishing.  Explain what is fabricated nonsense about Hunter Biden's laptop.  The Durham investigation into the DNC/Clinton/Steele Dossier is ongoing but I guess you think the results/findings will be fabricated nonsense also.  

Some of you right wingers are making it sound like this is a major victory, that Trump is somehow back in the White House.  55555....LOL.  I guess you all are desperate to see some semblance of what you had before.  But nothing's really changed.  Trump is still an ex-President with only the power to make incoherent noise.  There was free speech at Twitter before Musk came along and there will be after.  Whether Musk's Twitter allows outright lies and dangerous hate speech...we'll see. 

[howlee101]

3 hours ago, Berkshire said:

Some of you right wingers are making it sound like this is a major victory, that Trump is somehow back in the White House.  55555....LOL.  I guess you all are desperate to see some semblance of what you had before.  But nothing's really changed.  Trump is still an ex-President with only the power to make incoherent noise.  There was free speech at Twitter before Musk came along and there will be after.  Whether Musk's Twitter allows outright lies and dangerous hate speech...we'll see. 

Another opportunity to type "right wingers" without answering my questions or addressing the content.

[onthedarkside]

A long series of off-topic posts debating Fox News and CNN, the president's son and other partisan political issues entirely unrelated to Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter have been removed.

 

Also, note the local rule for these Home Country subforums: "No Political discussions."

[ozimoron]

1 hour ago, zhemna said:

This one? Truth Social em

https://techstory.in/truth-social-is-currently-beating-twitter-tiktok-on-the-apple-store/

What's not being made clear there is that those downloads are for one week. Twitter already has high penetration so it's not strange that Truth Social's weekly downloads currently exceed those of Twitter.

 

"I spent a week on Trump's new social media app Truth Social. I felt like I was exploring a ghost town."

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-truth-social-media-app-review-ghost-town-overrun-bots-2022-3

[mtls2005]

5 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

o yes, I think Twitter will be more successful under Musk as

in his own words...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdZZpaB2kDM

 

 

I'm not sure he's revealed all of his reasons, I mean an "Edit Button"? Relaxing Content Moderation? "Free Speech"?

 

With Twitter privately held by him he can do what ever he wants. He harps on about free speech but his attempt to silence Jack Sweeney's Twitter account which tracked Elon's jet(s), by buying him out, is perplexing.

 

I think only 12.5 b of the 46.5 b is backed by TSLA stock, with the remainder on loan from various banks.

 

Thank goodness he can't be POTUS. He'd probably want to process half the citizens into Soylent Green.

 

I'm reminded of Victor Kiam...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8ItxYXCLjg

 

 

 

 

 

[placeholder]

On 4/27/2022 at 12:53 PM, Longwood50 said:

Perhaps,

But I believe there are millions of people who are longing for a social media that is not left winged biased.  You have Bezos owning the Washington Post, Sergey Brin and Larry Page with Google, and of course Mark Zukerberg with Facebook.  

The social media sites like the news media have been dominated by left wing owners and executives.  One only has to look at the success of Fox being the top rated network hands down while CNN is failing to see there is a large market out there for media that does not censor conservative opinion. 

What about Truth Social? Parler? And a few others? Maybe the problem is the trolls need non-trolls to harass? Of course, what will happen if Musk relaxes the moderation is that advertisers will flee from the trolls as well as Twitter users. Also, the EU has rules about what sort of speech is allowed on sites like Twitter. So if Musk acts in accordance with his convictions, there goes the EU market.

Edited April 28, 2022 by placeholder

[Hummin]

We can hope

 

 

 

 

[Longwood50]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

in his own words..

I will first admit that I did not watch the youtube video since it is 54 minutes long.  However irrespective of what he said, it does not change my view that Twitter might be far more popular under Musk than before. 

Though the USA has been described as having a center/right population the media particularly social media is a unbiased  as as the college falculty that teacher "gender studies"  It is not just left, but far left. 

In recent years that media has embarked in censorship under the term "fact checkers" 
...
All that said, I believe that just like Fox, Twitter will gain followers who are tired of having their viewpoints censored. 

Its' funny, Jeff Bezos owns the Washinton Post and no one bats an eye.  Of course ultra liberal Mark Zuckerberg controls Facebook and employs an army of "fact checkers" to pull down posts that in "its opinion" are incosistent with Facebook standards.  ... Yet have Musk say he is buying Twitter and even before enacting anything, there is this public outcry that he is going to slant it.  

I know this, that the other major social media site Facebook operates beyond any conrol.  They can block you, even remove you from the site without any explanation and without the ability to even respond.  There is no overview to challenge them on their totalitarian decisions. 

If your Facebook post is blocked or worse you are suspended, you can not even inquire as to the reason or provide so much as an explanation.  There are numerous examples of where people share an existing post on FB and then find themselves suspended for content unacceptable to FB.

I rarely use Twitter but now with Musk, I just might be one of those people who give it a try. 

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by onthedarkside
off-topic and unsourced and unsubstantiated comments removed

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, Longwood50 said:

I will first admit that I did not watch the youtube video since it is 54 minutes long.  However irrespective of what he said, it does not change my view that Twitter might be far more popular under Musk than before. 

Though the USA has been described as having a center/right population the media particularly social media is a unbiased  as as the college falculty that teacher "gender studies"  It is not just left, but far left. 

In recent years that media has embarked in censorship under the term "fact checkers" 
...
All that said, I believe that just like Fox, Twitter will gain followers who are tired of having their viewpoints censored. 

Its' funny, Jeff Bezos owns the Washinton Post and no one bats an eye.  Of course ultra liberal Mark Zuckerberg controls Facebook and employs an army of "fact checkers" to pull down posts that in "its opinion" are incosistent with Facebook standards.  ... Yet have Musk say he is buying Twitter and even before enacting anything, there is this public outcry that he is going to slant it.  

I know this, that the other major social media site Facebook operates beyond any conrol.  They can block you, even remove you from the site without any explanation and without the ability to even respond.  There is no overview to challenge them on their totalitarian decisions. 

If your Facebook post is blocked or worse you are suspended, you can not even inquire as to the reason or provide so much as an explanation.  There are numerous examples of where people share an existing post on FB and then find themselves suspended for content unacceptable to FB.

I rarely use Twitter but now with Musk, I just might be one of those people who give it a try. 

 

A post like the one above is precisely why people like this with their reflexive right wing obsessions will drive away advertisers and twitterers. 

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Berkshire said:

There was free speech at Twitter before Musk came along and there will be after.  W

Do tell!

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-bans-ads-deny-climate-change-rcna25707

 

So much for free speech.

[heybruce]

6 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

I will first admit that I did not watch the youtube video since it is 54 minutes long.  However irrespective of what he said, it does not change my view that Twitter might be far more popular under Musk than before. 

Though the USA has been described as having a center/right population the media particularly social media is a unbiased  as as the college falculty that teacher "gender studies"  It is not just left, but far left. 

In recent years that media has embarked in censorship under the term "fact checkers" 
...
All that said, I believe that just like Fox, Twitter will gain followers who are tired of having their viewpoints censored. 

Its' funny, Jeff Bezos owns the Washinton Post and no one bats an eye.  Of course ultra liberal Mark Zuckerberg controls Facebook and employs an army of "fact checkers" to pull down posts that in "its opinion" are incosistent with Facebook standards.  ... Yet have Musk say he is buying Twitter and even before enacting anything, there is this public outcry that he is going to slant it.  

I know this, that the other major social media site Facebook operates beyond any conrol.  They can block you, even remove you from the site without any explanation and without the ability to even respond.  There is no overview to challenge them on their totalitarian decisions. 

If your Facebook post is blocked or worse you are suspended, you can not even inquire as to the reason or provide so much as an explanation.  There are numerous examples of where people share an existing post on FB and then find themselves suspended for content unacceptable to FB.

I rarely use Twitter but now with Musk, I just might be one of those people who give it a try. 

 

Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post and Rupert Murdoch owns the Wall Street Journal along with a lot of other media.  So what's your point?

 

I don't know why you think Mark Zuckerberg is an ultra-liberal, but it doesn't matter.  Social media is not a news outlet, is not regulated like a news outlet, and anyone who gets their "news" from social media is a fool.

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, heybruce said:

Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post and Rupert Murdoch owns the Wall Street Journal along with a lot of other media.  So what's your point?

 

I don't know why you think Mark Zuckerberg is an ultra-liberal, but it doesn't matter.  Social media is not a news outlet, is not regulated like a news outlet, and anyone who gets their "news" from social media is a fool.

Also to add about the Washington Post to which I am a paying subscriber.

The Washington Post along with the New York Times are historically the two most important newspapers of record in the U.S. 

Both of course have long had more liberal editorial leanings.

Bezos did buy Wapo.  I'm not entirely sure why. Ego? Prestige? Because unlike Twitter it was a bargain. Your guess is as good as mine. 

HOWEVER, there is no evidence whatsoever that Bezos has used his ownership to control the editorial bias of Wapo to the right OR the left.

That's not to say that doesn't ever happen at other media organs. But Bezos and Wapo? NO. 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

On the face it it looks like Musk grossly overpaid for Twitter. 

But perhaps he has a secret alternative monetization plan that he hasn't revealed. 

That he is saying he is planning to rid it of bot accounts is great news. Why hasn't Twitter done that already. 

Beyond that I think the right wingers are prematurely celebrating. 

As said there are already multiple explicitly right wing Twitter adjacent platforms.

It's hard to believe Musk spent all that money to compete with "Truth" Social and Parler. 

The leader which is indeed Twitter shouldn't have ANY identifiable bias like that.

But I did read something funny today related to this. Something like threatening to quit Twitter is the new threatening to move to Canada. 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Do tell!

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-bans-ads-deny-climate-change-rcna25707

 

So much for free speech.

So your example of banning free speech is banning ‘misinformation’ adverts.

 

Have you heard, they ban ‘Hate Speech’ too?!

 

 

[Berkshire]

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Do tell!

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-bans-ads-deny-climate-change-rcna25707

 

So much for free speech.

Weak example.  Media companies ban ads all the time.  I recall Fox News refusing to air the MyPillow guy's ads.  But hey, it's a right wing network, so it must be ok in your mind.  Just curious.....do you believe in 100% "free speech" 100% of the time?  

[JonnyF]

Good to see Musk buy Twitter.

 

Of course the hardcore liberals/leftists will be weeping onto their Lattes/Avocado toast that now BOTH sides are allowed to voice their opinion but that's free speech for you.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

10 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Good to see Musk buy Twitter.

 

Of course the hardcore liberals/leftists will be weeping onto their Lattes/Avocado toast that now BOTH sides are allowed to voice their opinion but that's free speech for you.

 

It might be an idea to wait and see what Musk does with Twitter before pouring yourself a glass of liberal tears.

 

 

 

 

[Berkshire]

10 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Good to see Musk buy Twitter.

 

Of course the hardcore liberals/leftists will be weeping onto their Lattes/Avocado toast that now BOTH sides are allowed to voice their opinion but that's free speech for you.

 

 

55555.....be careful what you ask for.  Musk's number one priority is to eliminate bots and fake accounts.  Russian trolls dominate this space and they typically push right-wing propaganda.  Remember COVID?

 

[Nearly half of the Twitter accounts spreading messages on the social media platform about the coronavirus pandemic are likely bots, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University said Wednesday.]

[Where in the world most of the bot accounts are based is still being probed by researchers, though some reports have implicated Russian actors in the spread of misinformation in the U.S. amid the pandemic.]

 

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/20/859814085/researchers-nearly-half-of-accounts-tweeting-about-coronavirus-are-likely-bots

 

[Jingthing]

10 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It might be an idea to wait and see what Musk does with Twitter before pouring yourself a glass of liberal tears.

 

Yeah.

The entire right wing seems much more obsessed with the blood sport of "owning the libs" as opposed to promoting sensible government policies 

 

Its too early to predict exactly what Musk will do long term with Twitter. He's rather an unpredictable "eccentric" character meaning if he wasn't rich he would be called barking mad.

 

Personally I think its not so great how much power super rich people have though.