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Elon Musk and the Twitter acquisition saga

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DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Stopped reading there. No thank you. No comment. No common ground to be found.

giphy.webp
Don't have to find common ground. I really couldn't care less who anyone else likes. I don't know why anyone would.
 
Good lord, I used to think you were a more moderate common sense left leaning person, seeing this post makes me realize that's not the case.
I don't know what would make you think that. If you were around during the "dark GAF days" (lowest membership count) after the split, when the politics forum was still around, if you saw many of his posts you'd know he was far from being "moderate common sense." EDIT: I should be fair. In fairness to him, some of the right wing people he was responding to were lunatics. Even if I myself align with the political right, there were some people in the political sub-forum that were... OUT there, man. (But many of them rightfully got banned when they stepped over the line.)

Which again, is one of the reasons why it was great for the administration here to nuke the politics sub-forum. Because we can all just kick back and talk about video games and funny off topic things, without needing to care if you vehemently disagree with their politics.
 
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DeaDPo0L84

Member
I don't know what would make you think that. If you were around during the "dark GAF days" (lowest membership count) after the split, when the politics forum was still around, if you saw many of his posts you'd know he was far from being "moderate common sense." EDIT: I should be fair. In fairness to him, some of the right wing people he was responding to were lunatics. Even if I myself align with the political right, there were some people in the political sub-forum that were... OUT there, man. (But many of them rightfully got banned when they stepped over the line.)

Which again, is one of the reasons why it was great for the administration here to nuke the politics sub-forum. Because we can all just kick back and talk about video games and funny off topic things, without needing to care if you vehemently disagree with their politics.
I could just not be remembering correctly but I recall having somewhat rational conversations with him regardless of the fact that we have different political views (which is fine). But now he's just regurgitating nonsense which is odd, but maybe that's who he always was and he was holding back or I was giving him too much credit.
 

Mistake

Member
I could just not be remembering correctly but I recall having somewhat rational conversations with him regardless of the fact that we have different political views (which is fine). But now he's just regurgitating nonsense which is odd, but maybe that's who he always was and he was holding back or I was giving him too much credit.
We all have our odd days
<3 Nobody_Important Nobody_Important
 

Ownage

Member
Cooked beef.

 
Accusing him of racism failed, so now they’re on to step 2: decade old harassment claims that can’t be proven.
1. Elon offers to buy Twitter and open up the platform
2. A certain group of people throw a fit, try to troll Elon
3. Elon chooses a political side, says "watch the people in #2 above come after me" (even though they were already trying to go after him)
4. Elon's prediction in #3 above proves to be 100% true.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
1. Elon offers to buy Twitter and open up the platform
2. A certain group of people throw a fit, try to troll Elon
3. Elon chooses a political side, says "watch the people in #2 above come after me" (even though they were already trying to go after him)
4. Elon's prediction in #3 above proves to be 100% true.
I mean, their patterns are clear, and have been for decades and decades. Only those lost in the sauce can't see it.
 
Of course.

That one high ranking Twitter exec admitted on camera to... (I forget who it was that was acting undercover... Project Veritas?) that he doesn't like Elon.
 
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Jsisto

Member
I’m highly skeptical of the the timing of this report, but god, the man needs to learn when to stop talking.

“You say I exposed my penis to someone. Ok then, what did my penis LOOK like!?”
 

Razorback

Member
I’m highly skeptical of the the timing of this report, but god, the man needs to learn when to stop talking.

“You say I exposed my penis to someone. Ok then, what did my penis LOOK like!?”

Seems pretty smart to me. What happens if she describes no discerning features, but he reveals he has a rocket tattoo?
 

Kev Kev

Member
highlights: the plane has zero privacy and wasnt large enough or even suited for a full body massage. the person who wrote the story is a friend of the accuser so its all hear say. the timing makes it seem like an obvious reaction from someone butthurt about elons twitter bid
 
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highlights: the plane has zero privacy and wasnt large enough or even suited for a full body massage. the person who wrote the story is a friend of the accuser so its all hear say. seems an obvious reaction from someone butthurt about elons twitter bid


Russian propaganda is more believable by this point.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
The sexual misconduct allegation in general has been weaponized to a truly preposterous degree. There are definitely legitimate allegations out there, particularly in Hollywood circles, but the “system” as it currently stands is basically the Salem witch trials redux. Time after time we see sickening displays of lives ruined over cynical power plays and petty revenge with no substance behind it. It’s a free card to play that leverages more power than just about anything else, with zero accountability or burden of proof.
 

Rykan

Member
No.

No one thinks this. There is no one currently alive on planet earth that thinks the mud slinging operation began after his Republican tweet. Literally nobody.
Great! So I'm glad that we are all in agreement that Musk's own statement that this is in response to him saying he votes Republican is false.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
As for this specific case, time will tell. $250k is far too small a settlement for something aggressive to have happened in all likelihood, e.g. exposing his Falcon Heavy and propositioning. More likely he made some awkward deadpan aspie joke with sexual innuendo, as he does on a daily basis in interviews and on Twitter. A lot is known about his MO with women, and Jeffrey Epstein roleplay with his employees has not been part of that equation. He’s usually formal with his approach, fast-tracks to serious monogamous relationships, and goes for high status women (actresses, models, Grimeses).

Anything is possible of course, but hearsay during an obvious smear campaign is not compelling.
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
I keep seeing these weird conspiracist takes around the internet surrounding these events, and I just have to ask into the void: remove all emotion you may have regarding any of this, about Musk himself, and think - do you really believe that many various, unrelated news organizations around the world and the government of the United States worked in tandem to operate against Elon Musk because he was buying Twitter - only the 4th largest social media service in the country? The Shit Post Central of the waking world? Or because he shared what are really unsophisticated, unspecific political tweets?

Isn't it far, far more likely that Musk merely attempted to get ahead of a non-flattering story? I mean, we all watched it happen in real time. The receipts are all there to see - it's a simple and obvious chain of events.

I think too many people are losing themselves to these bizarre conspiracies when really all one has to do is take a step back and think rationally for a moment. No reason to come up with some grand scenario where various malignant forces in the world conspire together in some kind of panicked rush because the guy who smoked a blunt on the Joe Rogan Experience wanted to purchase Twitter while making bro-level troll tweets.

I'm sorry, I promise I am not trying to be dismissive of anyone's opinion, but the more I think about all of this and the longer it stretches out the more unintentionally hilarious it is all becoming.

Edit: I'll add, it's a possibility that the person bringing these allegations against Musk made it up and had a convincing enough story to fool some journalists at Business Insider. But that still wouldn't justify some global conspiracy
 
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Nobody_Important

“Aww, it’s so...average,” she said to him in a cold brick of passion
I keep seeing these weird conspiracist takes around the internet surrounding these events, and I just have to ask into the void: remove all emotion you may have regarding any of this, about Musk himself, and think - do you really believe that many various, unrelated news organizations around the world and the government of the United States worked in tandem to operate against Elon Musk because he was buying Twitter - only the 4th largest social media service in the country? The Shit Post Central of the waking world? Or because he shared what are really unsophisticated, unspecific political tweets?

Isn't it far, far more likely that Musk merely attempted to get ahead of a non-flattering story? I mean, we all watched it happen in real time. The receipts are all there to see - it's a simple and obvious chain of events.

I think too many people are losing themselves to these bizarre conspiracies when really all one has to do is take a step back and think rationally for a moment. No reason to come up with some grand scenario where various malignant forces in the world conspire together in some kind of panicked rush because the guy who smoked a blunt on the Joe Rogan Experience wanted to purchase Twitter while making bro-level troll tweets.

I'm sorry, I promise I am not trying to be dismissive of anyone's opinion, but the more I think about all of this and the longer it stretches out the more unintentionally hilarious it is all becoming.

Edit: I'll add, it's a possibility that the person bringing these allegations against Musk made it up and had a convincing enough story to fool some journalists at Business Insider. But that still wouldn't justify some global conspiracy
You are obviously right, but don't expect other people to agree with you.


We will just have to wait and see what comes out.
 

BeardGawd

Banned
I keep seeing these weird conspiracist takes around the internet surrounding these events, and I just have to ask into the void: remove all emotion you may have regarding any of this, about Musk himself, and think - do you really believe that many various, unrelated news organizations around the world and the government of the United States worked in tandem to operate against Elon Musk because he was buying Twitter - only the 4th largest social media service in the country? The Shit Post Central of the waking world? Or because he shared what are really unsophisticated, unspecific political tweets?

Isn't it far, far more likely that Musk merely attempted to get ahead of a non-flattering story? I mean, we all watched it happen in real time. The receipts are all there to see - it's a simple and obvious chain of events.

I think too many people are losing themselves to these bizarre conspiracies when really all one has to do is take a step back and think rationally for a moment. No reason to come up with some grand scenario where various malignant forces in the world conspire together in some kind of panicked rush because the guy who smoked a blunt on the Joe Rogan Experience wanted to purchase Twitter while making bro-level troll tweets.

I'm sorry, I promise I am not trying to be dismissive of anyone's opinion, but the more I think about all of this and the longer it stretches out the more unintentionally hilarious it is all becoming.

Edit: I'll add, it's a possibility that the person bringing these allegations against Musk made it up and had a convincing enough story to fool some journalists at Business Insider. But that still wouldn't justify some global conspiracy
You don't seem to understand that things can happen without them all being in cahoots with each other. If a large group of people see republicans and free speech as a threat they will naturally do things to minimize it. No collusion needed. You've got literal Twitter executives on tape admitting to the bias. Dismissing everything as conspiracy theory that doesn't fit your preconcieved notions might be the problem. Noone here is in their emotions. What is there to be emotional about? We are only commenting about what we see with our own eyes.
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
You don't seem to understand that things can happen without them all being in cahoots with each other. If a large group of people see republicans and free speech as a threat they will naturally do things to minimize it. No collusion needed. You've got literal Twitter executives on tape admitting to the bias. Dismissing everything as conspiracy theory that doesn't fit your preconcieved notions might be the problem. Noone here is in their emotions. What is there to be emotional about? We are only commenting about what we see with our own eyes.

Well, I guess we both think one another is being unreasonable and disagree then.
 
You don't seem to understand that things can happen without them all being in cahoots with each other. If a large group of people see republicans and free speech as a threat they will naturally do things to minimize it. No collusion needed. You've got literal Twitter executives on tape admitting to the bias. Dismissing everything as conspiracy theory that doesn't fit your preconcieved notions might be the problem. Noone here is in their emotions. What is there to be emotional about? We are only commenting about what we see with our own eyes.
Well said. Especially about the "emotions" part. It was that poster's way of trying to discredit the (valid) school of thought that some of this seems like a coordinated attempt at discrediting Elon Musk.
 
...do you really believe that many various, unrelated news organizations around the world and the government of the United States worked in tandem to operate against Elon Musk because he was buying Twitter - only the 4th largest social media service in the country?

Isn't it far, far more likely that Musk merely attempted to get ahead of a non-flattering story? I mean, we all watched it happen in real time. The receipts are all there to see - it's a simple and obvious chain of events.

Or what is even far more likely is that Elon threatened their filter and online information bubble, hence the hostile reaction. Doesn't take much conspiring at all considering that twitter has become the main source of information for many of these journalists that are now furiously writing angry creeds against him. Twitter has become known for its political slant and common ideological ground, no wonder many media personalities are adopting these same views and preferences. Elon is upsetting their status quo, hence the defensive reaction.

Besides, digging up dirt on somebody in order to throw mud ad them and sully their public reputation really is the oldest trick in the book, it is done during every election campaign.

Your binary fallacy is dumb.
 
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RAÏSanÏa

Member
As for this specific case, time will tell. $250k is far too small a settlement for something aggressive to have happened in all likelihood, e.g. exposing his Falcon Heavy and propositioning. More likely he made some awkward deadpan aspie joke with sexual innuendo, as he does on a daily basis in interviews and on Twitter.
I'm picturing him inquiring about a pole dance while watching Iron Man high af as a hot stewardess walked by. "Hot sake. Hot sake."
That's about $250k. Touching add another zero.
 

LegendOfKage

Gold Member
I keep seeing these weird conspiracist takes around the internet surrounding these events, and I just have to ask into the void: remove all emotion you may have regarding any of this, about Musk himself, and think - do you really believe that many various, unrelated news organizations around the world and the government of the United States worked in tandem to operate against Elon Musk because he was buying Twitter - only the 4th largest social media service in the country? The Shit Post Central of the waking world? Or because he shared what are really unsophisticated, unspecific political tweets?

I think too many people are losing themselves to these bizarre conspiracies when really all one has to do is take a step back and think rationally for a moment. No reason to come up with some grand scenario where various malignant forces in the world conspire together in some kind of panicked rush because the guy who smoked a blunt on the Joe Rogan Experience wanted to purchase Twitter while making bro-level troll tweets.

This isn't about weird conspiracy theories, it's about human nature. Musk attack things many modern journalists strongly believe in, which makes them far less likely to be critical of any story that makes him look bad, which also makes them less likely to properly do their job as a journalist. We just saw video of a Twitter employee and self-appointed "good guy" throwing autistic people under the bus and mocking them as "special" because it allowed him to attack Elon and be dismissive of his actions and beliefs.

This is what modern politics has done to integrity for a great deal of people in power. Now add to that the "believe all women" movement, and you have even less reason for a journalist to question what they're being told. And that's how we end up here, with freaking you tubers pulling up blueprints of Elon's private plane and explaining that it doesn't have any separate rooms where this could have happened.

Isn't it far, far more likely that Musk merely attempted to get ahead of a non-flattering story? I mean, we all watched it happen in real time. The receipts are all there to see - it's a simple and obvious chain of events.

Could be musk getting ahead of a story that isn't true, getting ahead of a story that is true, or is partially true, or is completely different but still something he doesn't want to be known. Either way, between this story and getting called "special," either could have been the straw that broke the camels back, as it were. But I still think it was dumb of him to pick a side.

Elon is correct that we're being manipulated with anger to increase engagement and retention regarding social media platforms, but I'd say the best way to combat that is to refuse to engage in tribalism.
 
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Today I learned the government and media doesn't collude on narratives despite the last 200 years of world history actually happening.

thumbs-thumbs-up-kid.gif

As if big tech colluding with the government, never happened before.
I mean, it has become such an enormous issue, that there's plethora of articles readily available out there.

Twitter is even publicly admitting to enforcing government messaging:

We’re committed to playing our part to amplify authoritative, official content across the globe.

Twitter is also heavily favoring one side over the other:

Luckily, through the use of standard statistical methods—similar to those commonly applied to calculate confidence intervals in the physical and social sciences—one may determine that the underlying population disparity (i.e. the disparity between liberal and conservative behavioral norms) would have to be quite large in order for there to be any significant likelihood of observing a randomly constituted 22-point data set characterized by the above-described 21:1 ratio. Indeed, assuming some randomness in enforcement unrelated to bias, one would have to assume that conservatives were at least four times as likely as liberals to violate Twitter’s neutrally applied terms of service to produce even a 5% chance (the standard benchmark) that a 22-data point sample would yield a result as skewed as 21-1.

Also in October 2021, The Wall Street Journal revealed that social media sites like Facebook use internal tools to suppress content from the political opposition. Facebook’s own internal research concluded that if the tools were removed, Breitbart would experience 20 percent more traffic, The Washington Times 18 percent more, Western Journal 16 percent more, and Epoch Times 11 percent more.

Social media is used as a tool for amassing political power and just like with Joe Rogan, that tool is now directly aimed at Elon Musk who is now threatening the status quo.
But hey, it's all just one big emotionally driven conspiracy, amirite?
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
We just saw video of a Twitter employee and self-appointed "good guy" throwing autistic people under the bus and mocking them as "special" because it allowed him to attack Elon and be dismissive of his actions and beliefs.

Not being dismissive of the rest of your thoughtful post, I just wanted to highlight this bit: it's concern trolling seeing so many people come out against this autism comment when many of these same kinds of people routinely make "retard" jokes or complain ad nauseum about comedians not being able to make such jokes (e.g. the whole Dave Chapelle affair - being politically incorrect, punching down, whatever).

I just wanted to put that out there. I'm tired of seeing the same people who preach for complete free speech and unbound satire and comedy suddenly complaining about this kind of commentary when it comes from someone who is not on their "side".

^ all rhetorical, not directed at you personally
 

BeardGawd

Banned
Not being dismissive of the rest of your thoughtful post, I just wanted to highlight this bit: it's concern trolling seeing so many people come out against this autism comment when many of these same kinds of people routinely make "retard" jokes or complain ad nauseum about comedians not being able to make such jokes (e.g. the whole Dave Chapelle affair - being politically incorrect, punching down, whatever).

I just wanted to put that out there. I'm tired of seeing the same people who preach for complete free speech and unbound satire and comedy suddenly complaining about this kind of commentary when it comes from someone who is not on their "side".

^ all rhetorical, not directed at you personally
People call out the Aspergers comment because Liberals complain about it everywhere else. It highlights their hypocrisy.
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
Most of his customers are in California for Tesla. Most of his employees are left leaning at Tesla and Twitter. 50% of his customers are going to be left leaning nationwide. And he's gone from Einstein to the My Pillow guy in 1 month. Confident or not hes massively blowing it in terms of PR and his image. He sounds erratic and its hard to take his word on anything now after this and his Twitter buyout flop.

He’s imploding all by himself, and his knack for cutthroat business decisions has been taken hostage by his need to be famous, which has done nothing but expose him in a bad light. He should have left his fans believe he’s a revolutionary genius by cultivating mystery instead of showing his hand for the world to see.

Let’s see if he can finesse his way out of this, I’m sure there’s enough money to be spread around if his ego can muster.
 
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BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
People call out the Aspergers comment because Liberals complain about it everywhere else. It highlights their hypocrisy.

No, they're not doing that. I have not seen a single person (until you this moment) anywhere on social media write / say "that's hypocritical". Rather, they concern troll.
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
It’s interesting to see all this play out simultaneously with the ongoing Depp/Heard case.

This is what it must have felt like to have been an adult in the 90's when all of those trials were going on on TV. OJ, Menendez brothers, that woman who cut her husbands Richard Packer off, etc.
 

LegendOfKage

Gold Member
Not being dismissive of the rest of your thoughtful post, I just wanted to highlight this bit: it's concern trolling seeing so many people come out against this autism comment when many of these same kinds of people routinely make "retard" jokes or complain ad nauseum about comedians not being able to make such jokes (e.g. the whole Dave Chapelle affair - being politically incorrect, punching down, whatever).

I just wanted to put that out there. I'm tired of seeing the same people who preach for complete free speech and unbound satire and comedy suddenly complaining about this kind of commentary when it comes from someone who is not on their "side".

^ all rhetorical, not directed at you personally
If I didn't express myself well enough, my point is that the current political climate can cause people to betray their integrity. This absolutely happens in both directions. I just used that example specifically because it's another possible reason why Elon made the statement he did. And speaking of which, I think Elon's statement could be argued to be his own betrayal of integrity. If he's really a nuanced middle of the road kind of guy as the claims to be, an argument I've even seen CNN make for what it's worth, then it's not a great idea to pick a side.

But pointing out hypocrisy and someone harming their own integrity isn't it's own form of hypocrisy. Not unless it comes with both feigning offense AND a history of engaging in the same behavior. And not to say you won't be able to find examples of that, but casual use of the word retarded and a statement suggesting that no one should be listening to anyone who is autistic are two different things.

To use a less political example, let's say someone is against vaping. Then you present a picture of them vaping. You're just pointing out a perceived violation of their own values. This can be done no matter if you are for or against vaping. That doesn't matter. You'd only be a hypocrite in pointing that out if you feigned offense to them vaping because of the vaping, not the hypocrisy, but in the recent past you also defended people for vaping. So hypothetically you defended your friend or yourself, and criticized someone you don't like, for engaging in the same behavior. Does that make sense?
 
No, they're not doing that. I have not seen a single person (until you this moment) anywhere on social media write / say "that's hypocritical". Rather, they concern troll.
Doesn't matter what you've seen (also: selection bias), the fact remains that for the group that preaches compassion and inclusivity... There's really no compassion, it's a shallow and hypocritical ideology.

Group: "We must protect and respect women!"
J.K. Rowling (a *woman*) says something they disagree with.
Group: "That f*cking c*nt! Burn in hell!"

Group: "We must protect and respect 'neurodivergent' people!"
Elon Musk (a "neurodivergent" man) says something they don't like.
Group: "Ugh he's such a freaking jerk, with his stupid SPECIAL NEEDS..."

Group: "We must protect and respect black lives!"
Clarence Thomas (a *black* man)... Exists
Group: "Nah, he doesn't count."
Some black people (voting for the "other" party the group doesn't expect)
Presidential Candidate: "if you can't tell whether you need to vote for me or [opponent] then you ain't black."

There are a trillion examples of this kind of behavior... I was just quickly highlighting some of them.
 
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BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
As if big tech colluding with the government, never happened before.
I mean, it has become such an enormous issue, that there's plethora of articles readily available out there.

Twitter is even publicly admitting to enforcing government messaging:



Twitter is also heavily favoring one side over the other:



Also in October 2021, The Wall Street Journal revealed that social media sites like Facebook use internal tools to suppress content from the political opposition. Facebook’s own internal research concluded that if the tools were removed, Breitbart would experience 20 percent more traffic, The Washington Times 18 percent more, Western Journal 16 percent more, and Epoch Times 11 percent more.

Social media is used as a tool for amassing political power and just like with Joe Rogan, that tool is now directly aimed at Elon Musk who is now threatening the status quo.
But hey, it's all just one big emotionally driven conspiracy, amirite?

I don't want to delve too deeply into this since it's so poltical, but all I see here is platforms attempting to combat disinformation.
 
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