Tag: twitter

From Twitter to X: What’s in a name?

Twitter was undoubtedly one of the strongest brands in the world. The brand was so significant that the Oxford dictionary included the word ‘Tweet’ in it, no other social media platform has been able to do that yet. However, under the leadership of Elon Musk, Twitter came crashing down literally. It started off with major layouts followed by user complaints about the new leadership. The introduction of the paid verified check mark titled ‘Twitter Blue’ (now known as X Premium) changed the face of social media entirely. The verified check mark was considered a status symbol which is now also sold by Zuckerberg’s Meta. 

The evolving phase of Twitter and Elon Musk’s leadership changed the face of the platform entirely, from Twitter to X! Before you jump in to understand what the change means, here’s why Musk decided to change the iconic brand name shared by the man himself on X – 

“Twitter was acquired by X Corp both to ensure freedom of speech and as an accelerant for X, the everything app. This is not simply a company renaming itself, but doing the same thing. The Twitter name made sense when it was just 140-character messages going back and forth – like birds tweeting – but now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video. In the months to come, we will add comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world. The Twitter name does not make sense in that context, so we must bid adieu to the bird.”

So… what will the app do now?

Elon Musk has been nothing but vocal about his goal of Turning X (fka Twitter) into an all-purpose platform. China’s WeChat can be considered a goal Musk is trying to achieve as there is no American or global equivalent to such a versatile application. X already allows users to engage in live audio conversations in the form of Spaces, longer posts and broadcasting live videos have also become a thing on the platform. 

In simple terms, Musk envisions X to be your go-to platform for everything ranging from news to entertainment. While many users including me believe that the change of brand from Twitter to X is downright unnecessary, one cannot overlook the fact that the platform is indeed evolving for the good. However, the term ‘X Premium Subscription’ reflected in my bank balance sheet does not sit well with my parents! 

What about Twitter? 

To put it nicely, it’s dead! 

The tech billionaire has done away with Twitter and its familiar blue bird logo. Several parts of the platform have also made a switch like X Premium and the Twitter Help Center changing to X Help Center. 

Musk has wiped his hands clean from the Twitter branding to the point where more than 580 items of the former Twitter brand will be auctioned off in mid-September. So, whether we agree with Musk or not, we all have to bid goodbye to the iconic Twitter brand forever. Rest it peace little blue bird!

Threads by Instagram is struggling to keep users active and engaged

The user engagement of Threads by Instagram is encountering challenges in maintaining its initial levels. Recent data from a Similarweb report underscores a substantial setback, disclosing a remarkable 79% decline in traffic within a span of one month. This precipitous decrease serves to underscore a noteworthy reduction in user interaction and engagement on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter).

As per the report, the Threads Android application experienced a peak traffic volume of 49.3 million daily active users on July 7, which has now dwindled to a mere 10.3 million daily active users. Similarly, the average time spent by users on the platform has plummeted from 21 minutes per day to a mere 3 minutes per day within the United States.

Threads enjoyed immediate success and garnered over 100 million sign-ups within a few days of its official launch. Nonetheless, the platform struggled to sustain this initial momentum and has experienced a marked decline since then. While its counterpart, X, presently boasts more than 100 million active users who devote an average of around 25 minutes per day to the platform, indicative of higher user activity.

In a series of posts on Threads, Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged the unprecedented response during the platform’s launch, and the company is presently engaged in efforts to stabilise the platform by introducing new features to retain its user base. Recent enhancements to the platform include incorporating chronological timelines and dedicated timelines for follower accounts, among others.

Twitter unveils game-changing revenue sharing model for verified content creators

Twitter announced that a select group of content creators using the platform will now have the opportunity to receive a portion of the advertising revenue generated by the company. According to Twitter, these content creators will be entitled to a share of the revenue generated from ads displayed within their replies.

The creators must be verified users with a minimum of 5 million impressions on their posts in each of the past three months, and they must also have a Stripe payment account; only then they’ll be able to qualify for this program. This move by Twitter aims to attract more content creators to its platform.

Earlier this year, the company introduced the option for users to offer paid subscriptions to their content. Elon Musk, the billionaire who acquired Twitter in October of last year, has previously stated that during the first year, the company will pass on the entire subscription revenue to creators, excluding payment gateway charges.

Twitter’s decision to share advertising revenue with select content creators comes shortly after Meta Platforms, led by Mark Zuckerberg, launched its Threads app, directly challenging Twitter. Threads has gained significant traction, amassing over 100 million sign-ups within five days of its release. In response, Twitter has threatened to take legal action against Meta, accusing the company of hiring former employees with access to trade secrets and confidential information.

Last week, Twitter implemented a temporary limit on the number of tweets users can view per day. This action has sparked criticism and could undermine the social network’s efforts to attract advertisers. The limit was imposed to combat excessive data scraping and system manipulation. This recent change is part of a series of alterations made by the company under Musk’s ownership.

Twitter Blue users will be able to hide likes and subscribers number soon

The ongoing turmoil between Musk-owned Twitter and Zuckerberg-owned Threads seems to be taking an exciting turn daily. It is good to see that Twitter officials are not just busy complaining about how Threads is a plagiarised application but are also actively working on bringing valuable updates. At the time of the launch of Twitter Blue, Elon had promised that additional features besides just the checkmark verification will be launched soon. However, the promises did not translate to reality all this time except for a few features here and there like uploading longer videos. According to new reports, Twitter Blue subscribers will soon be able to hide the like button and also hide the number of subscribers from the audience.

New Twitter Blue features

Twitter’s like count has been public ever since its inception. The public likes count is in itself a viral trend as many users gain attention on the platform just by liking bizarre content. The ability to be able to hide the likes tab on your profile is no less than a blessing for some users who are habitual to dropping likes on odd content. The likes tab will only be visible to a user after they’ve disabled it. On the other hand, they will still be able to like and see the number of likes on posts from other users. One thing which is a matter of concern here is whether their likes will be public for general users, there’s no clarity on that as of now. Similarly, if a Twitter Blue user decides to hide the number of subscribers then only they can see the subscriber list on their profile.

The blue tick which was earlier limited to well-known personalities and organizations was deemed as a corrupt division between people by Elon Musk. This resulted in Musk launching the Twitter Blue subscription which allows users to get the verified status on their profile by paying a monthly fee. However, this has resulted in reduced traffic on the microblogging platform with many looking for an alternative.

Threads amassed 100 million users within a week, defeating ChatGPT

Threads, Instagram’s audacious foray into the realm of microblogging, has stunned the digital landscape by amassing a staggering 100 million users within a mere week, according to Meta’s illustrious Mark Zuckerberg, CEO. This meteoric rise cements Threads’ position as the swiftest-growing app in the annals of history, outpacing even OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which took a comparatively leisurely two months to achieve the same feat.

Emerging victoriously from its global debut in 100 countries, including India, the app captivated the hearts and screens of 30 million individuals within a few hours, effortlessly securing the title of the fastest-downloaded app ever conceived. However, the maestro behind Meta, the indomitable Mark Zuckerberg, astounded the world again on Friday when he announced that Threads had surpassed a staggering 70 million sign-ups, propelling it into uncharted popularity.

Threads, ingeniously cloaked as an Instagram app, was masterfully crafted by the talented minds within the Instagram fold. Yet, it aims to emulate Twitter’s essence by focusing primarily on concise textual updates. Users must access the separate app using their Instagram credentials, enabling them to weave compelling narratives within a 500-character limit while incorporating captivating photos and videos.

Threads directly challenge Twitter, which has wobbled on the ridge of turmoil since its acquisition by the illustrious Tesla CEO. The billionaire maverick has struggled to reshape the platform to his visionary whims, a contentious journey fraught with employee reductions and controversial policy alterations that have, regrettably, alienated a considerable faction of Twitter’s steadfast devotees.

Since the launch of Threads, Musk has criticized Threads several times, unleashing accusations of “unlawful misappropriation” of trade secrets against Meta. As the digital arena braces for an epic clash between the social media behemoths, Threads emerges as an indomitable force, capturing the collective imagination of millions while raising the stakes in the ceaseless struggle for online dominance.

‘Zuck is a Cuck’ says Elon Musk as he ramps up his attacks on Mark Zuckerberg

There was Logan Paul Vs KSI, TikTok Vs YouTube, and now it looks like Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg is brewing up to be one of the biggest brawls in recent times. Gone are the days when beefing up was limited to social media personalities or brands, now, billionaires are in for the fun and openly mocking each other on public platforms. Truly interesting times we’re living in!

Elon Calls Zuckerberg ‘Cuck’

The war of words took a sharp turn between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg recently when the former took a jibe at Zuckerberg in a tweet on Sunday writing “Zuck is a Cuck” This comes after the launch of Zuckerberg’s Threads which is a direct rival to Musk’s Twitter. Musk’s latest jibe at Zuckerberg came as a reply of a Threads post by the brand page of Wendy’s. The fast-food chain Wendy’s Thread post tagged Mark while writing “hey @zuck, you should go to space just to really make him mad lol” Zuckerberg replied with a laughing emoji on this post which was later shared on Twitter by a user as a screenshot.

Musk seems to be losing his grip while taking shots at Zuckerberg as he suggested a dick-measuring competition between the two. Yes, you read that right! Threads, Mark Zuckerberg’s cheap copy of Twitter has become the fastest-growing app in history clocking in 100 million users in just five days since its release. Ever since the launch of this platform, a war has been waged between the two on social and legal platforms. It will be interesting to see what shape this feud takes in the near future. If you ask me, the sexual tension between the two billionaires is just way too high and they should stop and make out already!

 

Elon Musk VS Mark Zuckerberg: Twitter threatens to sue Meta over Threads

If you haven’t been living under a rock then you’re well aware of the fact that Meta recently launched the Threads platform which is a direct competition to Twitter. The Internet had a field day yesterday when users flocked to the newly launched platform to share their views predominantly on Twitter vs Threads. The newly launched platform saw thirty million users signing up on the first day, which is not a surprise for me as Threads has the benefit of launching under the Instagram brand, it’s borderline nepotism, to say the least. While Threads has already become a definitive platform in the social media circle, Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta.

 Twitter threatens legal action against Meta

Twitter’s lawyer Alex Spiro accused Meta of using their company’s trade secrets by ‘hiring dozens of former employees of the blue-bird app’ Elon’s takeover of Twitter resulted in many employees laid off which became talk of the town back in February. Reacting to this latest development, Musk tweeted that he supported good competition but not ‘cheating’. Musk replied to a news article about Twitter’s potential legal action against Meta writing “Competition if fine, cheating is not”

Spiro, who also works as Elon Musk’s personal lawyer has alleged Meta of systematic, willful and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property. Twitter claims that its former employee still had access to its crucial confidential information which was used to build a “copycat” application.

Spiro wrote in a letter, “Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information”

On the other hand, Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson, stated in a Threads post that the engineering team at Threads does not consists of any former Twitter employees. Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino also took a dig at Meta’s Threads recently saying that Twitter can be imitated, but the Twitter community can never be duplicated.

Twitter’s fierce competitor Threads grabs 5 million users in a blink

Threads, the anticipated rival to Twitter developed by Meta, experienced a staggering surge of five million sign-ups within a mere four hours of its inception, as stated by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In an endeavour to entice users away from Elon Musk’s beleaguered platform, Threads offers an array of distinctive features, including the opportunity for longer posts, support from prominent celebrities, and an uncanny resemblance to its rival.

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram expedited the app’s launch by 15 hours, propelling it into the public sphere at 7 pm EDT in the United States and midnight in the United Kingdom. Threads became readily available in 100 countries through the Apple and Google app stores, albeit with the exception of the European Union due to prevailing regulatory concerns.

As the curtains were drawn on Threads, notable brands such as Billboard, HBO, NPR, and Netflix promptly established their presence on the platform. Meta proudly announced that initial celebrity supporters included renowned personalities like Shakira and Gordon Ramsay, with unconfirmed reports speculating that influential figures such as Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama had also been approached.

To access the application, users must possess an Instagram account, which serves as the gateway for login. Once registered, users have the option to follow the same accounts they currently engage with on Instagram, assuming those accounts have also migrated to the new app. Visually, Threads bears a striking resemblance to Twitter, although certain terminologies have been altered. Retweets are now labelled as “reposts,” and tweets have been rebranded as “threads.”

Unlike the restrictive 280-character limit imposed on most Twitter users, Threads allows for posts of up to 500 characters. Additionally, the platform accommodates videos lasting up to five minutes, and posts can be shared as links on other social media platforms. Users retain control over their interactions, with the ability to unfollow, block, restrict, or report other individuals. Furthermore, users can customise their experience by filtering out replies containing specific words.

Meta’s launch of Threads materialised amidst a tumultuous period for Twitter, which recently imposed viewing limits on tweets due in part to concerns regarding data collection by companies leveraging artificial intelligence models. In subsequent Threads posts, Zuckerberg addressed these challenges, articulating his belief in the necessity of a public conversations app with a user base surpassing one billion individuals. Acknowledging Twitter’s unfulfilled potential in this regard, he expressed hope that Threads would succeed where its counterpart had fallen short.

Reactions to Threads’ debut on Wednesday spanned the spectrum from cautious appraisal to unbridled enthusiasm, with many lauding its user-friendly interface and some conjecturing that Elon Musk ought to be apprehensive. Observers also highlighted the swiftness with which Threads integrated with Instagram, a testament to Meta’s formidable influence. Ironically, much of the ensuing discourse transpired on Twitter itself, where the hashtag “Threads” trended throughout the evening.

Describing Threads as a “new, distinct arena for real-time updates and public conversations,” Meta aspired to amplify the strengths of Instagram and expand them to include text-based content, fostering an environment that encourages positive and creative expression of ideas. Twitter currently boasts a user base exceeding 250 million, while Instagram reportedly commands a staggering two billion users. The race is on to witness which public conversations app will be the first to surpass the coveted milestone of one billion users.

Instagram all set to compete Twitter with new application

Twitter has been going through a dramatic meltdown ever since Elon Musk took command of the platform. Just recently, Musk revealed that Twitter will be limiting how many tweets a user sees down to just a thousand for non-paying users. It won’t be wrong to state that Twitter is no longer the platform is used to and the changed leadership has caused more damage than one could’ve initially imagined. Taking advantage of a failing platform, Facebook parent Meta is all set to launch a microblogging app of their own titled – Threads.

Twitter competitor on the way

Threads, Instagram’s text-based conversation application is expected to be released on July 6, 2023. This platform will allow users to follow the same people they follow on the photo and video sharing platform of Instagram along with having the same username. The launch comes merely days after Twitter announced the restrictions on their app.

The application is already live on Apple’s App Store. The description for the same read – “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”

while Threads is closely connected to the Instagram platform, it is a standalone application which is an interesting approach, to say the least. There is no definitive information on how the application will operate as of now. However, it looks like users can like, comment, repost, and share posts on it. It will be interesting to see if Meta is able to migrate hardcore Twitter users to their platform. The general consensus about the new Meta platform has been rather underwhelming on Twitter with many users straight up saying they’re not interested in it. One of the tweets I read was something along the line of – “It’s a Meta product, so we won’t use it” which was followed by a good chunk of likes and replies.

Musk Strikes Back – Twitter’s Tweet Limitation Drama Continues

In the aftermath of Twitter’s decision to limit the number of tweets users can view, Elon Musk, the platform owner, took to Twitter on Sunday morning to humorously urge people to detach themselves from their phones and spend quality time with their loved ones instead.

 

Musk’s light-hearted remark aimed at Twitter users coincided with the backlash the micro-blogging site faced due to its new policy of temporarily restricting tweet views. In his tweet, the Twitter CEO advised users to awaken from their technological trance and engage with friends and family, stepping away from their smartphones.

Following Musk’s announcement on Saturday that unverified users could view up to 600 posts per day and newly unverified accounts limited to 300 posts per day while Twitter Blue subscribers are limited to reading 6000 posts per day, numerous users flooded Twitter feeds with suggestions that Musk’s underlying motive behind the rule was to amass more subscribers.

However, the Twitter CEO explained that the decision was made to combat excessive data scraping and system manipulation. He later revised the limits to 800 and 8,000, respectively. Five hours later, Musk tweeted again, stating that the new limits would be 1,000 for unverified accounts and 10,000 for verified users.

As a result of the imposed restrictions, users found themselves locked out of Twitter for the day once they reached their daily limit. Shortly after Saturday’s announcement, the term ‘Twitter down’ began trending on the platform, with numerous users expressing frustration over their inability to access the site. Approximately 7,500 individuals reported difficulties accessing Twitter at one point on Saturday, according to Downdetector, a website that monitors online outages.

Musk’s recent tweet, where he glorified achieving a new record view count, also sparked a flood of memes in response. However, some users voiced concerns that the new policy could adversely affect businesses attempting to promote their ventures on the platform, as they may struggle to reach their intended audience. Previously, Twitter had taken various measures to win back advertisers who had left the platform during Musk’s ownership and to enhance subscription revenue, such as incorporating verification check marks into the Twitter Blue program.

Earlier, Musk had expressed dissatisfaction with the aggressive data scraping activities of numerous organizations, which significantly impacted the user experience on Twitter. He also voiced his disapproval of Artificial Intelligence firms like OpenAI, the entity behind ChatGPT, for utilizing Twitter’s data to train their large language models.

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