We wrote about reports that Elon Musk might be bringing a new system to Twitter, and start charging for being verified/having a blue check.
Now, Musk is fleshing that out a bit more, and naturally, fragile liberal blue checks are melting down in response.
“Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month,” Musk declared, indicating he was leaning toward charging $8 a month to be able to operate more without advertising. That would then enable him not to be threatened by advertising boycotts, a common liberal effort to suppress things that they don’t like.
Musk said it would be proportionate, “Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity.”
And paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with us
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
He then finished off with a flourish, with a fun flare.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
One Twitter user, Mark Finchem, who’s the Republican candidate for Arizona Secretary of State, noticed a change — late on Halloween night — from “Top Twit” in Elon’s bio:
.@elonmusk NICE!!! pic.twitter.com/6ZA2zdx1cJ
— Mark Finchem #JustFollowTheLaw VoteFinchem.com (@RealMarkFinchem) November 1, 2022
Some conservatives said he needed to clear up the shadowbanning first, because why should they pay $8 for a blue-check mark if they’re being shadowbanned.
For example, @elonmusk: I don’t exist on this platform if you don’t already follow me. Search for my name or username and see what shows up in the search bar. Not me. Why would anyone on the right pay for the privilege of being on a platform that makes them invisible?
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) November 1, 2022
Great point. Folks on the right are hoping that a lot can now get fixed, and Musk has already said he’ll be looking into things like shadow banning. He just got there; maybe we could give him a little time, especially when he’s already indicated he wants to solve these issues.
But, the tantrums from some on the left were delicious over the idea of paying.
Stephen King and David Hogg said that they thought they should get paid for the pearls of wisdom they think dropping from their mouths.
Warning for graphic language:
They were responding to the earlier report about it possibly being 20 dollars.
$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 31, 2022
I am not paying $240 a year to be verified.
Absolutely the fuck not.— David Hogg ☮️ (@davidhogg111) October 31, 2022
Verified people are a major reason why many people are on twitter in the first place. If anything they should be paying us. Verified accounts bring people to twitter and help with ad revenue.
— David Hogg ☮️ (@davidhogg111) October 31, 2022
As though anyone is on Twitter to hear from either one of those two characters.
Maybe someone could tell me how Hogg has a blue-check, but George Washington University professor Jonathan Turley doesn’t?
Some of us would be willing to pay an added monthly fee to support a true free speech alternative on social media if Musk keeps his word. Of course, for full disclosure, I would first have to get a blue check to get charged for a blue check… https://t.co/nR3FtnDtSA
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) November 1, 2022
But, there’s a lot of mess to work out. What’s great is that Elon seems to be intent on taking it on–and that’s something everyone can cheer about.
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