59 Comments

Democracy has so many enemies. It’s a sign of a sick mind -one that thinks he is both “of the people” and a demi-god who can fix the imagined wrongs against his clans. Once again, conscious capitalism must be brought to bear. Applause to GM for suspending advertising. Applause to all other advertisers for pressing pause. We need to do more than vote. We need to be involved in conscious capitalism at every level.

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
November 2, 2022
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

However, look at those companies that stated to stop donations to insurrectionists and later resumed (reported by Judd) their contributions—same likely would happen here??

Expand full comment

It continuously amazes me to see evidence every day of new corruption by the high and mighty.

Lots of skittlebut re Elon Musk buying Twitter.

What ifs and buts.

Well “we’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.”

Its a full out takeover of any information, conspiracy theories ( Lies) and more lies.

Mr . Musk has spoken .

No more legitimate questions needed.

He is turning Twitter into

A far Right victims venue.

There is no truth in Twitter

Expand full comment

Maybe people will finally stop calling Elon Musk some kind of visionary. He's not. He's a spoiled rich guy who's bored. Just because he had the money to buy Twitter doesn't mean that he should have done it. He's effectively ruined the platform inside of a week. I'm glad that I already stopped using it during the trump era.

Expand full comment

But he didn’t have the money, and it’s unlikely he can meet his $1 billion yearly loan repayment. If justice wins, he loses.

Expand full comment

Whomever called Space Karen a visionary is lost. As a Silicon Valley alum - PSI and Global Village modem companies, Netcom (which led to AOL competitor), Netscape, Apple and PalmPilot, he contradicts our inclusive, diverse and inspiring culture we had. Had we had someone like him, mouthing off the way he did, tech would have ended the first year. Toxic workplaces prevents innovation and progress.

Expand full comment

We are entering a topsy turvy world folks. Everything is inverting. Truth is fiction and fiction will now have a larger platform to pose as fact upon. Money is speach, companies are people. Many of our representatives lie continually, to us and apparently, to themselves. The dishonest portray themselves as victims and the true victims (we the people) are left high and dry. If republicans take both House and Senate, we can expect not only more of the same, but an exponential increase of this foul and disgusting diet. Make your voices count. Make your votes count. We're ALL counting on you!

Expand full comment

I learned a little idiom from Stephen Colbert recently. “A lie will travel around the world before the truth can put on its shoes.” Social media has not served us or the truth well, and whoever has the most money wins.

Expand full comment

Clever and most unfortunately... quite true.

Expand full comment

The worse is 1) his wealth was only possible due to tax credits and assistance during the Obama admin when Tesla sustained years of losses and was vulnerable to shutting down; 2) he's replicating w SpaceX benefitting from NASA government funding and 3) his companies have demonstrated a complete and intentional stance against Blacks with multiple discrimation cases in which Plaintiffs have prevailed and where I personally know non black professionals who have left Tesla due to personal observed and complicit discrimation by the most senior leaders. Guessing it's part of his values from his native country where he lived during apartheid.

I wouldn't buy a Tesla or use Twitter if my life depended on it - I encourage folks to rethink feeding this monster revenues and contributing to building his wealth when he's done and said so many evil things.

It's like he gets a pass on being evil because he's smart...you can argue many horrific people (e.g. Hitler) were smart but you see how that ended. We have got to assign value to one's emotional intelligence and to basic humanity and decency. Companies must pull ads $ from Twitter or risk being added to my do not buy list as well!

Expand full comment

Speaking of, I hate to be a cheesy advertiser, 🤣 but check out Jeep's new electric vehicle cars. As someone who frequents the Adirondacks mountain region here (NYState), Tesla is so impractical, and not seen in region. Jeep is better made, better quality, including in water and snow, and climbing.

https://www.jeep.com/ev.html -- love the Recon (also called Wrangler's brother)

Expand full comment

I deactivated my Twitter account yesterday and deleted the app. I was hoping to stay until after the midterms but it wouldn’t have mattered in the end. My last straw was seeing MTG with her account restored and tweeting vile lies about the attack on Paul Pelosi. I joined Twitter when Trump was elected in 2016 to find info on the Womens March to join in. My biggest regret in leaving is losing connection with the people I follow in other countries and getting their perspectives on what is happening there, like the political upheaval in England and the war in Ukraine.

Is there an alternative to Twitter people are going to? I am not sure there is a “safe” one. I am not on any other social media and am not interested in FB or many of the others.

Thanks

Expand full comment

I actually like Reddit - I feel they do a pretty good job of moderating groups according to stated rules, I think Reddit strikes the right balance of promoting American-style free speech while allowing you to insulate yourself against offensive people, trolls and bullies. Twitter simply was not designed to foster and maintain deep connections. I wasn't using my Twitter account much anyway, so I deactivated it last week.

Expand full comment

Thanks for the suggestion. I will checkout Reddit. Is it international or mainly US?

Expand full comment

It's international. That's one of the things I actually really like - some of the groups I'm in have people around the world offering their ideas, artwork/photos, information and opinions and it's great to see their perspectives and creative works.

Expand full comment

I’m in the same boat Anna. Never liked FB and only joined Twitter AFTER trump was booted.

Shame on the people who sold it to him. Shame on everyone who continues to support his business on Twitter. Let the MAGA cancers eat each other.

Expand full comment

I also like the ability to talk to many people overseas. It’s encouraging but now we will just get surveilled by right wing nuts. No thank you.

Expand full comment

I agree Anna. I’m still reluctant to delete my account because there are real people there who I wouldn’t have contact with otherwise. Especially those from other countries.

While I don’t like that Elon Musk bought it, there are still some good things about it.

However, if he starts charging for it then I’m out.

Expand full comment

Everything you just said. I deactivated and deleted the app as soon as the sale went through. I feel like I’m in the dark, I followed a lot of good people and fellow Texans as we shared our misery.

Expand full comment

This guy is dangerous. He has presented himself as someone who is above the laws of the land because "He knows better, I think he is vying to use his notoriety to become the next Trump. He is targeting a population that he knows will listen to the message "That they are out to get you and I will make all things better" Unfortunately, I think its time to stop using twitter. Kind of surprised that others have not launched a viable competitor.

Expand full comment

He’s a mini-trump…look at the shape of his mouth in the pic with this article. 😖

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
November 2, 2022
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

🤔 From my direct observation, to think of Blue Sky as an alternative, is the same as seeking same problem for solution. Dorsey and Musk are one in the same.

I personally talked w/ Dorsey after receiving a bomb/death threat on Twitter in early 2009, AND again after Scott Baio's wife, Renee, posted a pic of me w/ an address that she assumed was my home address, w/ directive to her followers to come after me for discussing a Baio incident in Bensonhurst.

Dorsey stated that just because their speech was different, it wasn't wrong. FBI didn't agree. Called in less than 2-hours about bomb threat and Renee Baio made her account private after federal complaint filed. Dorsey defended Baio immediately, by stating that if an address can be found online, it's not private, and using my personal photo w/o my consent was not considered a violation. WOWWWWW. BOTH incidents and tweeters are still there, and roam w/ all things Jack Posobiec https://www.splcenter.org/search?keyword=posobiec and badgradetrump.

Dorsey also verified Jason Kessler, after I reported him and thousands of other neo-confederates, AND before Charlottesville. If it were up to me, I'd charge Dorsey for Charlottesville riot - planning, because he was sent direct information about threats and comments made almost a year before Charlottesville, but treated their speech as "free speech" while verifying many white nationalist accounts. There was never an intent to have a peaceful assembly in Charlottesville in 2017.

Dorsey is pure evil, unethical, dishonest and an exploiter.

Expand full comment

I agree Tamra. The first thing I look up is Who owns the company, then research them. Newer options of Twitter-like sites are already getting overwhelmed so have patience and take time before joining another. Stay away from billionaire brat sites. Mastodon is being talked about but wait a bit. It was started by a young man in Germany but a lot of former twitter users are going there. Give him breathing room or it will fail.

I like these chat groups but wish it had a DM-type set-up like Twitter. But at least we have this as our sanity saver.

Expand full comment

And what folks don't realize: anyone can create their own social media site, free, and in minutes. Social media was/is built off open source and customizable software. I laughed at Elon Musk paying $44billion, when he could have simply created a new platfom via www.peepso.com, which actually allows for monetization, verified accounts, has DMs and more - https://demo.peepso.com/ is free to see all of their options. (feeling like a walking advertisement today, first Jeep now PeepSo 🤣)

I think a prominent, respected Twitter user should create their own platform, and watch folks abandon Twitter faster than Elon or Dorsey can lie or grift.

Expand full comment

Absolutely. I have been hoping for the same. Someone with ethics. Keep the MAGA swamp out. Leave Twitter in the dust. Musk can listen to his MAGA bastards. No more billionaire boys club owners!

Expand full comment

Thank you Janet. I’ll keep on the look out for this!

Expand full comment

Gee, it's almost as if the CEO of a car company doesn't have a clue how to run a social media company.

Expand full comment

The site belongs to Elon and he is accountable to no one other than those to whom he owes money. He thinks the public wants Twitter badly enough to tolerate whatever he does. The question is whether that’s true. Some of the people I follow are trying to build audiences on Tribel. I haven’t checked it out.

Expand full comment

Anyone who stays on Twitter is a fool

Expand full comment

Staying on Twitter supports Musk’s business control. We need to DM those we want to keep in touch with & see if emails can be exchanged. Just being on Twitter will not save anything.

Expand full comment

Thanks Judd, for the reminder to deactivate my Twitter account and delete the app.

Of course one must wonder if the current state of affairs will - as in much of the media - have the effect of exiling individuals of reason only to lend a louder megaphone to the selfish and depraved.

Expand full comment

Folks, after you read Judd's post, it is time not just to leave Twitter, but to FLEE FROM TWITTER and get your friends to do the same. If you already have another home site, Judd, just let us know. We will follow you.

Expand full comment

Great research and reporting, thanks Judd!

Expand full comment

This isn't entirely true: "The verification badge will no longer signify anything, other than the willingness to pay Musk $8 per month."

Twitter can still require a verification process, so that if I sport a checkmark, people will know that Mark Gilbert is my real name. But, up until now, the checkmark also signified that the bearer was famous enough to make it worth Twitter's time to do the verification for free. (Not the case for me.)

If the checkmarks are a source of revenue, rather than an expense, Twitter will be motivated to do the verification process for anyone willing to pay.

Expand full comment

I’ve deactivated my Twitter account. In 30 days, it will be deleted. I only used it to follow certain people.

Musk is an oligarch, and like (it seems) other oligarchs lives in a rarified world out of touch with humanity. These people want to use us for their peculiar and out of touch purposes. So anything I can do to counter that is worthwhile.

Expand full comment

never have had a twitter account so I can't delete it. it does seem like it will now eventually lose all credibility and hopefully people of good will would dismiss it. unfortunately, like the tabloids in the checkout lane, you can't help but see it......question is will you ignore it and go about your business/life

Expand full comment