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[Flatline]

Problem with Twitter is not the lack of freedom.
The problem is there is too much freedom.

You can't be fucking serious

 

[thefool]

Must have felt nice seeing the walk of shame while they left the building.

 

[kruis]

Must have felt nice seeing the walk of shame while they left the building.

Walk of shame? They made out like bandits in this deal. Each of them got a 100-year salary through this deal.

Elon Musk on the hook to pay more than $200 million to 3 fired Twitter execs

Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's head of legal policy, received a "golden parachute" clause in...

www.marketwatch.com

When Twitter Inc.’s top executives walked out of its San Francisco headquarters Thursday, they may as well have been carrying bags of Elon Musk’s cash.

Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s head of legal policy, received a “golden parachute” clause in Twitter’s merger with Musk’s X Holdings. Musk reportedly fired all three Thursday evening upon officially taking control of the social network in a $44 billion acquisition, and will be obligated to give more than $204 million of it to those three, according to Twitter’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Agrawal, Segal and Gadde own roughly 1.2 million shares of Twitter, more than half of that a $34.8 million stake owned by Gadde. The trio’s roughly $65 million stake would be purchased by Musk like any other shareholder’s stock.

Additionally, a clause in the merger agreement provided accelerated vesting of promised future stock compensation — and that’s where the biggest chunk of money comes in. The “Golden Parachute Compensation” clause in Twitter’s SEC filing — which was the deal approved by Twitter shareholders — shows the trio would automatically vest stock worth $119.6 million as severance if terminated, with the largest payout there going to Agrawal at $56 million.

They’re also entitled to a year’s salary and health benefits. In 2021, Agrawal had a base pay of $623,000, while Segal and Gadde’s base pay was $600,000 each.

In total, Gadde is set to walk away from Twitter with the biggest haul: Nearly $74 million. Agrawal and Segal aren’t far behind her, though, at roughly $65 million and $66 million, respectively.

 

[TTOOLL]

Is HE back yet??

 

[FunkMiller]

Must have felt nice seeing the walk of shame while they left the building.

Dude. You think they're sad or ashamed about any of this?

This is the issue with confusing business with bullshit culture war mentality - it warps everything to a ridiculous degree for those who engage in it, possibly up to and including good old Elon, considering how much he paid for it - and how much he's just made all the people who used to run it insanely rich.

 

[RoboFu]

I wouldn't worry about top talent. Musk will just pay people to stay. Tech workers value ethics as long as their paycheck or stock options are unaffected.

Twitter is a glorified comments section. They don’t have or need genius engineers.

 

[Tams]

It’s not.

They will lose all of their best. The only ones left will be the weasels who think they can move up without having the talent to do so. But that’s written in stone at this point, people have been leaving twitter left and right.

Lol, Twatter, sorry, Twitter is a built platform. There's little left to add, though still a few things they could. And for years they've changed pretty much nothing with the number of staff they have.

I've seen a few 'day in the life' of Twitter employee videos. They fuck around most of the day, doing about four hours work (including meetings) which also doesn't seem to be much anyway.

 

[Aggelos]

 

[TaylorSwiftFan]

No he doesn't. In his statement to advertisers he literally talks about the ability of users to choose their experience based on their preferences. Which allows people to insulate themselves from content they don't want.


Now that concept sounds familiar

So the choice will be with the user instead of the tech corp?

 

[TaylorSwiftFan]

Elon owning twitter really sits badly with me..

How did the previous ownership sit with you?

 

[Cyberpunkd]

How did the previous ownership sit with you?

This.

Hey, people might not like Musk, but at least he has ideas what to do with Twitter instead of past “let’s just tip-toe and pray engagement metrics stay the same because we really don’t give a fuck”.

 

[ManaByte]

 

[ManaByte]

Walk of shame? They made out like bandits in this deal. Each of them got a 100-year salary through this deal.

Yea that’s what Gadde was crying when she was walked out. It wasn’t about the money for them. It was about the control of public opinion and discourse their positions gave them. Now a meme lord took that away from them.

 

[jufonuk]

Now do that other thing with the WHO or UNICEF or who ever it was about ending world hunger. Then I would actually think you are decent Elon

 

[Maiden Voyage]

 

[Smiggs]

Yea that’s what Gadde was crying when she was walked out. It wasn’t about the money for them. It was about the control of public opinion and discourse their positions gave them. Now a meme lord took that away from them.

I think you need to step back from this whole situation, you seem way too invested emotionally in something that really doesn't matter in the end. You're coming across as if you want the people you disagree with to suffer greatly, and that is no way to live.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I think you need to step back from this whole situation, you seem way too invested emotionally in something that really doesn't matter in the end. You're coming across as if you want the people you disagree with to suffer greatly, and that is no way to live.

When world governments, companies and organisations decided posting in 140 characters became standard in how they communicate with the world and the public agrees and expects it - I would say it matters not only to him, but to everyone.

Best scenario would be to shut down Twitter, but that is (unfortunately) not very feasible.

 

[jufonuk]

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Sounds like cohost is what’s being pushed as an alternative. Visually, it’s quite bad. I am curious if the influx of new users will be substantial or not. Unless you’ve got an invite code, you have to wait for them to manually approve your ability to post. You can still follow and see content.

cohost!

cohost.org

 

[Smiggs]

When world governments, companies and organisations decided posting in 140 characters became standard in how they communicate with the world and the public agrees and expects it - I would say it matters not only to him, but to everyone.

Best scenario would be to shut down Twitter, but that is (unfortunately) not very feasible.

I don't use Twitter and get by just fine. We've gotten by since the dawn of humanity without this scourge just fine, but now it's suddenly the most important thing ever to civilization?

And I don't agree that is has become the standard in how companies/governments communicate with us, they all still use the traditional means, too. Just because something has become ubiquitous doesn't mean it's become essential.

And I agree, let's burn all social media to the ground. Nothing has ever divided us more.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I don't use Twitter and get by just fine. We've gotten by since the dawn of humanity without this scourge just fine, but now it's suddenly the most important thing ever to civilization?

And I don't agree that is has become the standard in how companies/governments communicate with us, they all still use the traditional means, too. Just because something has become ubiquitous doesn't mean it's become essential.

And I agree, let's burn all social media to the ground. Nothing has ever divided us more.

I don’t use Twitter as well, nor Instagram, nor Facebook.

But I can see how putting shocking content just to get clicks and engagement is detrimental to public policy - there is no explanation, no nuance, no space for discussion (actually given what you can do with a tweet actively discourages discussion), just sharing your opinion (whether it’s pointless or not).

 

[thefool]

Walk of shame? They made out like bandits in this deal. Each of them got a 100-year salary through this deal.

Elon Musk on the hook to pay more than $200 million to 3 fired Twitter execs

Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's head of legal policy, received a "golden parachute" clause in...

www.marketwatch.com

No bigger attestation of their ineptitude that Twitter is willing to pay such a ridiculous sum to dispose them.

I don't use Twitter and get by just fine. We've gotten by since the dawn of humanity without this scourge just fine, but now it's suddenly the most important thing ever to civilization?

And I don't agree that is has become the standard in how companies/governments communicate with us, they all still use the traditional means, too. Just because something has become ubiquitous doesn't mean it's become essential.

And I agree, let's burn all social media to the ground. Nothing has ever divided us more.

I agree its not (very) important. But they crossed a line when they instrumentalized the platform to enforce mass censorship.

 

[artsi]

I'm a Twitter exitooooooooor

Not really, it's the same today as it was yesterday.

 

[Smiggs]

I don’t use Twitter as well, nor Instagram, nor Facebook.

But I can see how putting shocking content just to get clicks and engagement is detrimental to public policy - there is no explanation, no nuance, no space for discussion (actually given what you can do with a tweet actively discourages discussion), just sharing your opinion (whether it’s pointless or not).

I'll agree with that--140 characters or less is not conducive to actual discussion, only shit posts and trolling. Actual discussion with nuance can take multiple paragraphs to clearly convey a point (which most people don't bother reading anyway), so all you are left with are bad hot takes, trolls, and some half ass attempts at discussion that gets muddled into the mess of keyboard warriors.

What Twitter could be good for is tweeting out to your friends that you're going out to a bar tonight, and they should come out, too. Shit like politics, business, and other important discussions have no business in such a hamstrung environment of "social discourse".

 

[Smiggs]

No bigger attestation of their ineptitude that Twitter is willing to pay such a ridiculous sum to dispose them.



I agree its not (very) important. But they crossed a line when they instrumentalized the platform to enforce mass censorship.

I don't think 'mass censorship' is a fair term here. They either had policies in place, or added policies to try and reign in the absolute insanity that was running rampant throughout Twitter.

For example, I know several people that posted they weren't getting the COVID vaccine because they didn't trust it yet--they we're not banned, and didn't have posts deleted. Other people would post insane conspiracies about how the government is trying to use it to put chips in us, or Bill Gates, quotes from "doctors", or whatever the fuck else--and those people would get banned.

I really hope you can see the difference. The politics "censorship'" is the same way. It's the conspiracies and out right lies that get taken down--just like Evilore has the right to ban political conversation here, Twitter had the right to ban whatever they wanted there.

And guess what? Now that Elon is in charge, he can allow any conspiracy or discourse that he wants, and that's his right, and I totally respect it. I don't have to agree with him, but he has that right, just as Twitter did two years ago.

 

[ReBurn]

So many blue check marks talking about leaving and not actually leaving.

 

[Mistake]

I haven't seen reports of a decrease in users, merely slowing growth - something that plagues all older social media. The recent stories about falling activity from heavy Twitter users are merely days old, and seem to be coinciding with this buyout.

But if you have solid sources for this it would be interesting. I have a feeling though it's nothing new, the same trends Facebook and Reddit have been challenged with.

Edit: NM, I see they've been losing highly active accounts since the pandemic began, just like Facebook and Reddit, so that's not a surprise

Just like Facebook and reddit? All these sites have a similar thing in common, and it’s how much bad pr they’ve gotten for kicking people. Also, them losing accounts during the pandemic is the opposite thing that should happen with everyone stuck at home.

In any case, if twitter plummets, good. If it gets better, also good. Either way, it’s a win compared to how it currently operates

 

[AJUMP23]

CEO Walked away with 42 million. I wish I could get fired and get a few million for it.

 

[thefool]

I don't think 'mass censorship' is a fair term here.

That's how he put it




If you think Elon bought Twitter because they were banning fringe content or conspiracy nuts, i don't know what to tell you.

 

[Rentahamster]

that’s a start. They said Vijaya cried.

Did it look like this?

 

[AJUMP23]

That's how he put it




If you think Elon bought Twitter because they were banning fringe content or conspiracy nuts, i don't know what to tell you.

IT is time to Free the Bee.

 

[Smiggs]

That's how he put it




If you think Elon bought Twitter because they were banning fringe content or conspiracy nuts, i don't know what to tell you.

I have no idea exactly why Elon bought Twitter, but my gut tells me it's more of a financial than altruistic reason.

Free speech only protects you from the government, not private companies. If he wants to remove all the rules regarding discussion Twitter has (or had), that's his prerogative and I wish him the best. But don't act like any of us are entitled to free speech from a private entity, and that includes here.

 

[Mistake]

I don't think 'mass censorship' is a fair term here. They either had policies in place, or added policies to try and reign in the absolute insanity that was running rampant throughout Twitter.

They added insane policies themselves, which resulted in banning babylon bee and catching elon’s attention. Meanwhile, you could talk to literal communists and terrorists on the site no problem

 

[Maiden Voyage]

That's how he put it




If you think Elon bought Twitter because they were banning fringe content or conspiracy nuts, i don't know what to tell you.

The problem with this is that Twitter is a global company, so not just American law can impact the user base. Germany has more strict laws around speech, for example. On one end of the spectrum is 4chan or 8kun. I doubt Musk will go that far.

His ambitions seem geared toward making an English version of WeChat, so who knows what will actually come of his owning Twitter. The moderation side is less interesting to me than those plans for future development.

 

[It's all in the wrist]

All of this screaming. People will forget about it in a month and will get right back to kneejerking.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

All of this screaming. People will forget about it in a month and will get right back to kneejerking.

It‘s going to be business as usual by Wednesday.

 

[Smiggs]

They added insane policies themselves, which resulted in banning babylon bee and catching elon’s attention. Meanwhile, you could talk to literal communists and terrorists on the site no problem

How in the hell can you equate communists with terrorists? A political alignment is not even in the same WORLD as someone who kills just to bring fear to others.

Or, do you not understand what those words mean?

 

[Smiggs]

It‘s going to be business as usual by Wednesday.

This is it right here.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

This is it right here.

Mom always said I were the britest in teh femily

 

[DeepEnigma]

All I’m reading are a ton of excuses for keeping their accounts. The addiction outweighs morals.

First mistake is thinking the lot of them have morals.

 

[Mistake]

How in the hell can you equate communists with terrorists? A political alignment is not even in the same WORLD as someone who kills just to bring fear to others.

Or, do you not understand what those words mean?

I lived in a communist country, I’m not retarded. They both result in death, so what’s the difference

 

[JCK75]

My biggest issue with twitter is that as a platform it's openly forceful of left wing politics, and what I mean by that is that my entire feed is nothing but
Jeff Tiedrich, Brooklyn Dad Defiant, Jo, Ron Filipkowski.. I see 10X their tweets than I do people I actively follow and I don't follow a single one of them.

 

[Smiggs]

I lived in a communist country, I’m not retarded. They both result in death, so what’s the difference

All of the "communist" countries are actually more totalitarian in practice. The only idiots advocating for communism in this day and age are lazy SOBs in democratic nations that just want shit given to them (which wouldn't fly in real communism, anyway).

But again, a having a political alignment to communism doesn't make you a terrorist. It makes you a dumbass that doesn't understand how the real world works.

 

[Mistake]

All of the "communist" countries are actually more totalitarian in practice. The only idiots advocating for communism in this day and age are lazy SOBs in democratic nations that just want shit given to them (which wouldn't fly in real communism, anyway).

But again, a having a political alignment to communism doesn't make you a terrorist. It makes you a dumbass that doesn't understand how the real world works.

Well the reason I mentioned it in the first place is because there are chinese officials, who are currently killing plenty of people, allowed on the platform. Taliban, isis, and al queda have also been on there for years. The point of the matter is, twitter had selective enforcement and was run by hypocrites

 

[thefool]

I have no idea exactly why Elon bought Twitter, but my gut tells me it's more of a financial than altruistic reason.

Free speech only protects you from the government, not private companies. If he wants to remove all the rules regarding discussion Twitter has (or had), that's his prerogative and I wish him the best. But don't act like any of us are entitled to free speech from a private entity, and that includes here.

I agree with your first paragraph, allow me to rephrase my og post. If you believe Elon started touting free speech to protect fringe content or conspiracy nuts, i don't know what to tell you.

Twitter is not Evilore. Its a platform part of big tech oligopoly, which, like any other industry, falls under regulatory supervision to prevent abuse of their market power, including political instrumentalization. Neogaf is a private message-board where we either abide by Evilore rules or he will (gladly) tell us to fuck off.

 

[Smiggs]

Well the reason I mentioned it in the first place is because there are chinese officials, who are currently killing plenty of people, allowed on the platform. Taliban, isis, and al queda have also been on there for years. The point of the matter is, twitter had selective enforcement and was run by hypocrites

That is fair. The fact that actual, certifiable terrorist groups have any kind of presence AT ALL on Twitter is beyond reprehensible. This should be the first thing to change.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

 

[Smiggs]

Twitter is not Evilore. Its a platform part of big tech oligopoly, which, like any other industry, falls under regulatory supervision to prevent abuse of their market power, including political instrumentalization. Neogaf is a private message-board where we either abide by Evilore rules or he will (gladly) tell us to fuck off.

What kind of government protections are there regarding their abuse of market power, other than antitrust laws? There's nothing that guarantees anyone access to their service if they don't agree to their EULA.

The scale makes no difference in that, whether it's micro (here) or macro (Twitter, FB, etc).

 

[Raven117]

I have no idea exactly why Elon bought Twitter, but my gut tells me it's more of a financial than altruistic reason.

Free speech only protects you from the government, not private companies. If he wants to remove all the rules regarding discussion Twitter has (or had), that's his prerogative and I wish him the best. But don't act like any of us are entitled to free speech from a private entity, and that includes here.

Strictly speaking legally, this is correct. But it’s far too simplistic in todays modern era. We have essentially privatized the public piazza and how communication is effectively done now. To simply shrug and say “well, it’s a private company” is ignoring reality.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Twitter is not Evilore. Its a platform part of big tech oligopoly, which, like any other industry, falls under regulatory supervision to prevent abuse of their market power, including political instrumentalization. Neogaf is a private message-board where we either abide by Evilore rules or he will (gladly) tell us to fuck off.