Tag: Elon Musk

Twitter rolling out grey tick marks for government accounts

Twitter has seen a number of changes ever since Elon Musk bought the micro-blogging platform for an exorbitant price ($44 Billion to be precise) After shelling out a fortune for Twitter, it was expected that Musk would bring about massive changes to the platform which started off with his promise of ‘Freedom of Speech’ which quickly turned sour as accounts criticising Musk and many journalists started losing their accounts left and right. Then came the Twitter Blue debacle where verified accounts were offered to users at a price of $8 per month. However, the subscription model was then rolled back and is still awaiting a relaunch. Until then, Twitter is figuring out ways to differentiate between legacy verified accounts and Twitter Blue subscribers. The solution? color-coded verified ticks!

Grey tick mark for government accounts on Twitter

Twitter has begun rolling out a grey tick verification mark for government accounts. Whereas, accounts affiliated with businesses have already received a golden tick mark. This new deployment of the grey tick mark has already been deployed for the honourable PM of India’s Twitter account.

It was back on December 12 when Twitter announced it would be changing the ‘official’ label on business accounts with a golden checkmark. While it also announced that grey checkmarks would be added to government and multilateral accounts, it was applied till now. PM Modi seems to be one of the first political figures around the world to receive the grey checkmark on Twitter.

This is one way to curb the increase in impersonation of popular people on Twitter. It was only a few weeks back when Twitter Blue launched a slew of accounts impersonating Elon Musk himself flooded Twitter, talk about a backfire! However, with drastic changes coming to Twitter, it will be interesting how the social media platform transforms under Musk’s leadership.

Elon Musk asks Twitter users if he should resign as CEO

There hasn’t been a dull day on Twitter ever since Elon Musk took command of the platform. Only a few days back, Musk stepped on the stage with Dave Chappelle in San Francisco to get brutally booed by people in the audience. It looks like the public booing has brought about a change of heart for Elon who recently took to Twitter and started a poll asking people if he should quit the Twitter CEO position.

Elon Musk’s CEO resign poll

Elon Musk recently took to Twitter and started a poll asking if he should step down as the head of Twitter. If the results are to be believed, it looks like Musk will be quitting the CEO position soon. He’s promised to abide by the results of the poll and so far there have been over 3.8 million people have voted in the poll, with the majority in favour of him resigning as the CEO of Twitter. Talk about digging your own grave!

It looks like Musk has now accepted the fate of having to step down as the Twitter CEO as he followed up the poll by tweeting ‘As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it’

However, his stepping down as Twitter CEO could be a relief for Musk as he is currently the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter. A little decluttering never hurt anyone! Elon does need to divert his attention to Tesla as the company’s stock has plunged 62.55 per cent over the last year, upsetting a number of Tesla shareholders.

It was only yesterday when Elon was spotted in Qatar watching the FIFA world cup final between France and Argentina with Jared Kushner, who is the son-in-law of Donald Trump. It was only back in October when it was revealed that Prince Alwaleed bin Talal from Saudi Arabia and his investment firm was the second-largest investor of Twitter. This has brought about another backlash towards Musk who was already under public scrutiny. In the short time Elon took over Twitter, there has been the Twitter blue controversy, massive lay-offs, suspension of journalists from the platform, the Apple controversy, and much more! It will be interesting to see how things pan out once Elon has stepped down from the CEO position of Twitter, or will he?

Elon Musk ideates an ‘Alternative Phone’ if Twitter is removed from Apple and Google stores

What happens when tech giants like Apple and Google decide to drop an application from their app stores? Besides the obvious lawsuits, the banned application or platform takes a major hit when it comes to revenue and adding new users. Something on similar lines was witnessed by Epic Games’ Fortnite when Apple and Google decided to drop the game from their platform. Now, Elon Musk has shared what his plans are for if and when Apple and Google drop Twitter from their respective stores.

Elon Musk’s ‘Alternative Phone’

Musk fanatics are quick to support the billionaire when it comes to almost anything. But, will they buy a phone to use Twitter and prove their loyalty to him? Musk surely thinks so as he recently hinted that he may have to create an alternative phone.

Both Apple and Google charge app developers a fee of 15-30% on all-app transactions. On the other hand, Twitter is all set to roll out the $8 Blue subscription yet again. Since it will be an in-app purchase, Twitter will have to adhere to the rules laid out by Apple/Google to pay up the 15-30% fee. It is not sure whether Musk will retaliate against this practice by the tech giants or simply go with it. Thus, when a known podcast host put forward the idea of Musk making his own smartphone device, the billionaire found it interesting.

Elon Musk tweeted that if it ever comes to the point where Apple and Google kick Twitter out of their respective app stores then he would be left with no other choice but to build his own alternative smartphone. Musk fanatics were quick to jump in and write that he has the potential to revolutionize the smartphone market. Is a Tesla phone in the works? We’ll see!

Twitter offices shut down as hundreds of employees resign

What started as one of the most interesting developments in the world of social media has quickly evolved into a dumpster fire! It was only yesterday when we reported that Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to Twitter employees to either commit long hours at high intensity to the company or leave. Employees were asked to sign a pledge by 5 PM ET on Thursday and anyone who did not do so would reportedly receive three months of severance pay. It looks like the majority of Twitter employees have decided to walk away from the company. Following the mass resignation, Twitter has now shut down their office buildings and disabled employee badge access until Monday.

Doors shut on Twitter!

The new ‘hardcore’ approach to Twitter was called ‘Twitter 2.0’ by Elon Musk. However, The Verge has reported that one departing employee of the company wrote that their watch ends with Twitter 1.0 and they do not want to be a part of Twitter 2.0. Twitter reportedly had 2,900 employees before the deadline on Thursday and the number has gone down marginally now. The remaining and departing employees reportedly expect the platform to start breaking soon. One Twitter staffer told The Verge that all the people who made Twitter incredible are leaving and it will be extremely difficult for Twitter to recover from here, no matter how ‘hardcore’ the people who remain try to be.

To add insult to injury, Twitter boss Elon Musk as of now can be seen sharing memes about the platform going up in flames. Check it out below –

As per reports, multiple critical engineering teams inside Twitter have either completely or near-completely resigned. Musk’s Twitter takeover was surely a developing story with new details popping up every day. It was only a few days back when Musk was seen publically firing employees criticizing him on the platform for his lack of management. Twitter users, on the other hand, seem to have accepted the fate that the lights will be shutting down on the platform as soon as tonight. However, Musk also tweeted that the platform has hit an all-time high in usage. Could this be the final straw in Twitter’s history before it shuts down? We’ll see!

Elon Musk tells Twitter staff to commit long hours or leave the company

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has fueled an avalanche of headlines in the past few weeks. It was only a few days back when Musk had warned his Twitter staff that bankruptcy is not off the cards for the company in a mail meant for internal circulation. Remote work was also revoked from almost all employees along with free meals. Now, it looks like the Twitter team is gearing up to either work long hours or leave the company following an ultimatum from Musk himself.

Work ‘long hours at high intensity or leave’ says Musk

Twitter boss Elon told his employees in an email that they’ll have to decide whether they want to stay in the company and work long hours at high intensity or get axed! The ultimatum comes after Musk fired half of Twitter’s workforce and most of the company’s senior executives leaving the company. The email meant for Twitter’s internal distribution was obtained by The Washington Post. Check out the entire email below –

” A Fork in the Road

Going forward, to build a breakthrough Twitter 2.0 and succeed in an increasingly competitive world, we will need to be extremely hardcore. This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.

Twitter will also be much more engineering-driven. Design and product management will still be very important and report to me, but those writing great code will constitute the majority of our team and have the greatest sway. At its heart, Twitter is a software and servers company, so it makes sense.

If you are sure that you want to be a part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below:

forms.gle

Anyone who has not done so by 5pm ET tomorrow (Thursday) will receive three months of severance.

Whatever decision you make, thank you for your efforts to make Twitter successful.

Elon”

 

Elon Musk rehires Ligma and Johnson, two pranksters who never worked at Twitter

If you were around the internet when Twitter announced mass layoffs then I am sure you are aware of the pranksters Ligma and Johnson. Two pranksters fooled the mainstream media by simply walking out of the Twitter headquarters with cardboard boxes in their hands posing as Twitter employees who were brutally laid off. Without realizing it’s a prank, various media portals in the states reported that ‘Ligma’ and ‘Johnson’ were laid off from Twitter without realizing it was just a ‘Ligma Balls’ joke. It’s not like mainstream media journalists are aware of the ever-evolving meme lore on the internet and these pranksters took the opportunity where they could find it. Now, it looks like Elon Musk has welcomed Rahul Ligma and Johnson back to the Twitter headquarters and rehired them.

Ligma and Johnson rehired

Twitter’s new boss Elon Musk recently rehired two popular pranksters – Daniel Johnson and Rahul Ligma while facing massive backlash amid mass layoffs in the company. While sharing the update on Twitter, Musk wrote ‘Welcoming back Ligma & Johnson!’ The billionaire also added that its ‘Important to admit when I’m wrong & firing them was truly one of my biggest mistakes’. Check out the tweet below –

Back then, the duo was successful in making fools out of the majority of the US media circle at a time when news about Elon Musk axing the Twitter workforce was a trending topic. Musk was quick to react to the whole prank by tweeting ‘Ligma johnson has it coming’. He later also regarded the whole prank as ‘One of the best trolls ever’. Whereas, Rahul Ligma has continued his streak of pranks as he recently said that he worked for Web 2.0 and FTX – the two tech companies have also laid off thousands of staff in recent times. However, according to recent reports, Ligma has not worked in any of those companies.

it looks like Musk is resorting to humor in order to hit back at the criticism of his laying off employees from the company. The Twitter boss is facing a lot of backlash online for firing employees who publically criticize him. Some of the Twitter employees have come forward revealing that they were fired from the company via an email that said their ‘behavior has violated company policy’. With massive layoffs and dipping revenue, it will be interesting to see how Elon Musk steers the Twitter ship!

 

Now Tumblr is selling $8 blue check marks that do nothing!

Tumblr is currently basking in all its glory! It is experiencing a resurgence due to its policy changes that allowed nudity on the platform and also the ongoing chaos unfolding on Twitter. A few known celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Lynda Carter also made their way to Tumblr to escape the Twitter drama. However, like almost all other social media platforms Tumblr does not verify high-profile accounts of celebrities and politicians. To keep up with the ongoing trend of Elon Musk charging $8 for a verified check on Twitter, now Tumblr has launched a subscription of the check mark at $7.99!

Tumblr blue check mark

Before you start accusing Tumblr of hopping on a trend to make a few bucks and exploit users, let me tell you that it is actually just a parody. While Tumblr is definitely selling the blue check mark at $7.99 it’s more of a joke item presented by the company and does not give users any other benefits! It is a one-time payment and not an actual monthly subscription. Users can buy the blue check mark from Tumblr’s web store and basically get what they’d expect in return, a blue check. That’s all! Well, two blue checks to be precise. Tumblr is actually providing its users with not one, but two blue check marks just to have an edge over other social media platforms.

While introducing this new feature, Tumblr’s official post read – “Hi! We’re introducing Important Blue Internet Checkmarks here on Tumblr. They’re a steal at $7.99—that’s cheaper than some other places, when you consider that you get not one but TWO checkmarks for your blog on web only (for now). Why, you ask? Why not? Nothing matters! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

While all fun and games, Tumblr was also specific that the blue check marks do not really mean identity verification. While sharing the properties of the important checkmarks Tumblr mentioned – “This is not a verification status, it’s an important Blue Internet Checkmark, which in 2022 is just as legit. Also the Important Blue Internet Checkmark may turn into a bunch of crabs at any time”

It is quite evident that Tumblr is poking fun at Twitter’s latest $8 subscription model that allows users to get verified on the platform. It will be interesting to see if Tumblr’s ‘shitposting’ business model allows it to float its boat!

 

 

Twitter may face bankruptcy soon

We could be watching Twitter go from a prominent social media platform to a thing of the past in real-time! Elon Musk recently took charge of Twitter after a 44 billion acquisition and quickly started making radical changes to the platform ranging from the $8 verified check and suspending accounts left and right. These decisions made by Musk have surely changed people’s perception of the platform as it is facing a considerable backlash. Now, it looks like Twitter is facing a threat of bankruptcy, as Elon himself has raised this concern.

Twitter to face bankruptcy?

Bloomberg was one of the first portals to report that Twitter is facing a bankruptcy threat. Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk has raised concerns about the social media platform going bankrupt on the same day Twitter received a warning from a United States regulator. Musk told Twitter employees that he could not rule out bankruptcy just two weeks after buying the company. As per reports, Musk held the first meeting with his Twitter employees recently where he warned that the company may end up losing billions of dollars in 2023.

According to Musk, the company was losing more than $4 million on a daily basis as more and more advertisers started fleeing the platform once he took over. Reports suggest that the massive 44 billion deal to buy Twitter has reportedly put Twitter’s finances in a precarious position. Reports suggest that Twitter was brought by Musk with $13 billion in debt, on which it faces interest payments of $1.2 billion in the next 12 months. These payments exceed Twitter’s disclosed cash flow of $1.1 billion.

If the bankruptcy threat is actually looming over Twitter then Elon’s $8 Twitter Blue subscription could become the shining light in the dark. However, with easy access to a verified mark, more and more parody accounts are popping up on the platform which is exactly the opposite of what Musk promised. Twitter’s boss now has to figure out how to manage the parody accounts menace while also dealing with the bankruptcy threat.

 

5 Leadership lessons to learn from the new Twitter CEO Elon Musk

Who cares what you think about Elon Musk? You can say lots of things against him only to put him in the spot, but you can’t ignore the fact that he is endlessly innovative and acts as a case study for creative leadership. Randy Ottinger, Executive Vice President at Kotter International, once said, “Elon Musk is an inventor and builder wrapped into one, kind of like a combination of Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, on steroids”. The CEO of Tesla is known for his risk-taking and dark-humoured mindset. As a child, Elon had a passion for science fiction books, and he was way too obsessed with space travel and rocket technology. You won’t believe it, but he wrote a computer program to calculate trajectories for rockets at the age of 12. Now, it’s time to enlighten your mind with leadership lessons.

Don’t follow the trends blindly

Elon Musk believes in staying open to new ideas, but he never follows the trend blindly. No wonder he is known for tackling the world’s biggest problems. When it comes to leadership or even a basic lifestyle, we should learn to question and challenge the trends. Remember, before you get into the details, first understand the fundamental principles of the subject.

Stay confident

If you have ever read a book on someone’s successful entrepreneurial journey, you must have noticed one common thing in there, they always leverage other people’s money to finance their projects. However, in the case of Elon Musk, he has such confidence in himself and his capabilities that he uses his own money to fund his projects.

 

Never stop reading and learning

Elon Musk is a serial entrepreneur who has created several billion-dollar companies based on his ideas and has sold and run a group of successful companies, but how? He can debate on anything and has a deep knowledge of the subject he is working on or messing up with. At the core, he is an avid reader, which makes him an effective leader.

Deal fiercely with the failure

When Tesla and SpaceX were on the verge of bankruptcy one day, Musk tweeted, “creating a rocket company has to be one of the dumbest and hardest ways to make money” but in reality, if he had not dared to follow his dreams, we would not have witnessed two of the most popular and recognizable companies in the world.

Elon is one hell of a brave person, especially when it comes to decision-making, and he believes in – fear is an emotion that keeps us from doing things that can help us achieve our goals. When SpaceX was a newbie company, he once said to his employees – “a failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”

Learn to Say NO

No is not always a negative word, especially when things no longer serve your personal and organizational goals, you must say no. In 2017, Musk resigned from his post at the White House Advisory Council in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord because he strongly supports sustainability and care for the environment.

Impersonators on Twitter will be banned permanently, says Musk

If you haven’t been under the rocks for the past few weeks then I am sure you know Elon Musk is now the new Twitter boss. After an expensive acquisition, Elon Musk bought the micro-blogging app and is bringing upon several changes to the platform. One of his most controversial changes to Twitter (besides mass layoffs) has been the $8 Twitter Blue fee which allows users to get a verified check. Many on the platform have argued that allowing people to pay a certain monthly payment for a verified status on Twitter could lead to an epitome of impersonators of famous celebrities and politicians on the platform. Musk himself is not safe as a slew of Elon impersonators were seen popping up like mushrooms on Twitter. It looks like the Twitter boss finally has a crackdown on this menace.

Impersonators to be banned from Twitter

Elon recently Tweeted – ‘Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying “parody” will be permanently suspended’ This news comes just a few days after Twitter suspended several users who had changed their usernames to Elon Musk to impersonate the billionaire. Some high-profile celebrities also hopped on the trend and face consequences including comedian Kath Griffin whose account has now been suspended.

Musk also shared that previously a warning was issued before account suspension on the platform. However, the new rules do not give users such a luxury as their accounts will be discarded swiftly. Accepting that users won’t impersonate any known face is also a condition they would have to agree to while signing up on Twitter Blue. Musk wrote – ‘Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning. This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue.’

This won’t be all as any changes to a Twitter Blue username will temporarily lose the verified checkmark! This decision by Elon has yet again sparked the debate of whether the billionaire is actually the champion of free speech that he has vocally advertised himself and Twitter to be.

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