(Austin, Texas) Trying to keep up with Elon Musk is like running a relay race with no end. Today he advised top officials in Washington DC at the AI Insight forum while yesterday he spoke at the All-In Summit.
This blog post is about X and How the algorithm rewards creators who post long content that engages people.
Elon at All-In Summit
Elon explained how the algorithm flows to support creators who post longform articles as well as creators who post longer videos.
If you think about it, itâs very logical. When a short post is looked at and scrolled past quickly on X, it does not account for much time spent, so naturally it will not be something that contributes to many unregrettable user minutes. It may occupy two seconds of a person’s time, but no more. The impact it will have will be low. If I scroll constantly on X, I may regret it because I am not pausing to read an informative article or watch a finely crafted video.
When I paused to watch the hour long podcast on X with Lex Friedman and Walter Isaacson, I walked away enriched and enlightened and feeling great. This is a wonderful example of unregretted time spent on X. If thatâs the only thing someone did that day on the app, I think they will be quite happy because thereâs so much new information to be learned from Lex Friedmanâs podcast. Therefore, that material or rather, that video will be algorithmically promoted more on the app than a three second video.
Optimizing User Time On X
This is how Elon explained it on All-In,
âWe are trying to optimize for user time on the platform, what it naturally means, is that posting content that somebody looks at longer is going to get higher priority than content that is short. This is because the system is aspiring to maximize on regretted user minutes. So, if weâre succeeding, you want to spend more time on the platform and after having spent that time, you donât want to regret it.â
Elon explained that he would like people to spend time on X in order to both learn new things and to be entertained, rather than spend time that is later regretted. In contrast, people say they regret excessive time spent on TikTok. X should aspire to be different.
He went on to explain that
âWhen you are optimizing for unregretted user minutes, the more content you post on the platform, the more reach that thing will get, because the system is seeing the users spending more time on the platform, because theyâre seeing that youâre watching a long podcast or reading a longform article, or watching some video. Thatâs going to take a lot more time than, say, if you link to a video elsewhere, or link to an article elsewhere. That means you spent less time on the platform, so the system will not exclude it, but will give it less attention.â
Elon also emphasized that the algorithm that does this will be Open Source. Anybody should be able to recreate the same results using the algorithm that they see being created on the X app.
This kind of transparency generates trust and allows users to not only understand how the X app works, but it builds curiosity into the process. Some of the finest computer engineers are working on these algorithms, and being able to see their work, nicely presented, and cleaned up for the public, is a fantastic education in algorithmic programming.
While Elon was in Washingotn DC, I stayed grounded in Austin and we had rain and cool weather for the first time in months! Weâre finally reaching the end of a scorching hot summer. Iâm celebrating the cooler weather by writing, my favorite pastime! I am looking forward to September 23, the first day of Fall. Our Texas Summer has outdid itself this year on the heat scale and thereâs something really alluring about pumpkin pies and cozy jackets right now, bring on the cold weather!
Austin, Texas in rain.
Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. Gail writes on X independently, she also writes for WhatsUpX , WhatsUpTesla and Xcelerate.
X is a place to connect with other people, a wonderful way to find up to the secondnews about whatâs happening almost anywhere on Earth. The good thing about X is if a post is misleading then directly under it, you will see a Community Note and a link, explaining the context. If you happened to view that post, say, at 6pm and it had no Community Note at that time, then you will receive a notification on X that the post you saw now has a Community Note on it.
In this way, there is no other source for news with more truth than X.
ORGANIZING, STORING
X is free to use and Iâd also recommend that once you get established and understand how it works that you try X Premium, which will allow you to store valuable information in multiple bookmarks that you label.
I think of these as my digital file cabinet. I use these files to store information, images, and videos, which would otherwise get lost. I use this information in articles that I write and for research, similar to the old-fashioned galvanized steel file cabinets.
DAILY DOSE OF HUMOR
X is also the right blend of humor, hard-core research, and cutting-edge information from some of the worldâs smartest people.
The reason why humor is so important is it provides us with a good balance throughout our day.
X has a default for you tab, and when you update your timeline, you get to see posts from accounts that you may not have been following. Since I like humor, I end up seeing some funny things there alongside my interests (sustainable energy, electric transportation, autonomous driving, and Starship).
YOUR FEEDBACK IS WORTH IT
Thereâs one more aspect Iâd like to emphasize in this short article, and this is that Twitter went through different stages, and in each stage, it was difficult if not impossible to know who worked for Twitter, because they did not tweet, and if they did, we did not know who they were.
Whatâs interesting about X is that people who work for X who post are often popular on the app, but not in the sense of being sexy or glamorous unless the sexy and glamorous part could only be applied to being great at engineering.
In essence, I think itâs fabulous to see the work that X technologists are doing in real-time, but thereâs another twist to this which is outstanding. Itâs that you as a user on X can ask questions to X engineers or give them your feedback on how to make the app a better experience.
In fact, if you follow someone on X and you have a question about how it works, I have found that most people on X are ready and willing to help others understand the app better.
As I go about my day, working hard, but also taking sporadic breaks and relaxing, Iâm glad to experience X as a stream of consciousness in my life that expands my thinking. I hope my words and experience will help you to explain how X works to your friends and family who might not understand it so well.
JUST POST
The best way to understand it is just to start using it. Start posting your thoughts, and, maybe, let your first post beâŚ
âThis is my first postâ
If you liked this article, give it a heart and share your feedback and follow and subscribe to Gail Alfar on X at @gailalfaratx
Everything built at Elon Muskâs companies is designed with care, beauty, and the best possible technology.
How do we get from Twitter to đ?
How big is đ, and how many people are aware of the change?
How long will it take to transition from using terminologies related to Twitter, like tweet, retweet, and so on?
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF đ
I wanted to write an article reflecting the thoughts of people Iâve spoken to and heard here on đ. I know you are witnessing Twitter transforming into đ. I felt a strong desire to write to mark this significant event in history.
The first signs of transformation were subtle. Terminology related to Elon Muskâs ownership of Twitter began to show up as đ.Corp.
There were and still are multiple occasions in which Elon explains in interviews, conversations, and posts, that đ will be undergoing great change. Twitter, he has said, âwas simply an accelerant to the creation of đ.â
Do you remember when you could go to the website x.com and there would be a tiny little âxâ in the upper left-hand corner of a big white void?
Today, when you go to the website, there is an Art Deco đ, with the slogan âHappening Nowâ over a more traditional blue background.
THE SLOGAN IN THE APP STORE IS âBLAZE YOUR GLORY!â
“Blaze Your Glory” suggests you will create a path of extraordinary success. You will leave an impact. “Blaze Your Glory” may encourage you to pursue your dreams, overcome obstacles, and leave behind a legacy that inspires others to follow their paths to glory.
A SHINING đ IN THE NIGHT OVER SF
For one magical night, the đ headquarters in San Francisco on Market Street had a shining, flashing, Art Deco, âđâ gracing the building’s rooftop.
At night, that âđâ sent a signal out through the electrons in the air and over the beautiful hills, buildings, neighborhoods, and streets of the city where so many people have left their hearts.
But Elon Musk has chosen to keep đ headquarters in SF, and not follow the trend to abandon it, relocating the business to Texas.
Change takes a gradual movement and does not happen overnight. I say this because some people are unaware of Twitterâs transition into đ. My smart, busy daughter that works in Austin wondered what that đ was on her phone, she had no idea it had changed until I told her. Likewise, my husband wasnât aware until I told him.
I believe that đ will take hold in the lives of many people, offering them something that Twitter could not have given them. It will do what âTwitterâ never could have done. For one, đ, as Elon Musk has posted, is a place where Creators can make a living,
âPeople from every corner of the world post incredible content on đ, but often live in tough circumstances, where even a few hundred dollars a month changes their life.â
People that may have been spectators, or never logged into Twitter, will one day become account owners. They will desire the secure payout and pay-in system that we will see on đ.
DELIGHTING USERS WITH THE BEST VALUE
When I use đ, I know that it is built with superior technology and designed to delight the user.
Tesla vehicles are a testament to customer satisfaction and joy over a beautiful product.
đ is similar to Tesla in that the technology behind your experience on đ will be superior to any other internet product.
đ is designed to delight you and give you more value than what you pay for it.
Elon Musk’s relentless focus on technology and engineering for Spaceđ, Tesla, Boring Co., and Neuralink, has been likened to âmagic.â You donât have to know how it works, it just does!
Elon can visualize, or see where something should go, and if there are no engineers that can do it, he will learn how to do it himself.
Iâm excited to watch Twitter transform into đ. It is wonderful, to watch the number of users, and the value that they receive increase. Soon we will forget about the birds, the tweets, and the retweets.
If you enjoyed this article, follow and subscribe to Gail Alfar on X at @gailalfaratx
I had a chance to listen to the first X Spaces hosted by David Sacks and Elon Musk in order to introduce people to presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Author’s Note: X is the new branded name for what was once called “Twitter.” This blog is renamed “What’s Up X?”
Ramaswamy is an American entrepreneur and a candidate in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries.
David Sachs hosted the XSpace and introduced Ramaswamy and then he was welcomed to speak by Elon Musk.
The first topic touched on the meaning of existence, and Ramaswamy mentioned that heâs 37 years old, the first millennial to run for president, and he said that many in his generation are looking for a way to be involved, but when people ask them what it means to be an American, many cannot answer that question. Elon Musk said he thinks young people should aspire to be the good guys.
Turning Fiction into Reality
Elon explained that he grew up watching shows where Americans were the good guys and he thinks people can find meaning in life by trying to understand the nature of the universe. Inventing and building new things is also something he thinks the younger generation can aspire to.
Elon said this is the reason that he is a big fan of expanding the scope and scale of humanity and that consciousness should be expanded, and we should believe that civilization is a good thing and not a bad thing.
Elon made a point that weâve seen amazing fictional movies and read sci-fi books about the future, and he believes those things should come to pass, and not remain fiction. He believes we should become a multi-planetary species because this gives people purpose and a reason to wake up in the morning and be excited about the future.
Amidst cheerful sounds of Elonâs son, Lil X, playing in the background, Elon spoke about truth, saying that itâs important to believe thereâs truth, and we should be aspiring to truth.
Ramaswamy asked what the conditions are that allow people to aspire to truth.
Elon said Earth is not the worst place and we should make it the best place possible, and heâs not thinking of colonizing Mars because Earth will never be a viable option in the future.
Instead, it will be nice to see the fictional life of Star Trek come to pass, where we are a multi-planet species.
Image Courtesy SpaceX of Starship Flame Deflector
How To Address Problems at Schools and Universities
Ramaswamy said that on this planet, he believes a revival (religious) of a sense of grounding and belief in a strong family is important. This led Elon to bring up another interesting point that at many Ivy League and top universities, students are being taught that it is not good to be a patriotic American. He believes it is a grave mistake to teach this to students.
I can attest, as I have a daughter, who works at the University of Texas, Austin, and the American flag is considered offensive, while the LGTBQ+ flag is considered politically correct. David Sachs added that in San Francisco, they ripped Abraham Lincolnâs name off one of the high schools.
Ramaswamy agreed with Elon saying, when students are successful, they are often ashamed of that success, and try to hide it, he says itâs because America has always been number one, and students are taught to believe it is not good to be number one. Ramaswamy said part of Americaâs role in the world was to provide an example of what is possible when you have a country founded on those ideals, but once you start apologizing to the world for those ideals, thereâs a permanent loss of history.
Ramaswamy asked Elon Musk what he would do about it. This was Elonâs answer.
Elon said we should be castigating the schools and universities for doing this to our kids. He advised donors to universities and high schools to rescind their donations and ask for change before they donate again.
It sounded like Elon also was going to say stop sending your kids to those schools if they continue that, but he was cut off by Vivek who said “We want to make sure that America remains a meritocracy where smarts and hard work are rewarded instead of having an elite ruling class.â
Ramaswamy made the point that when students are ashamed of the exceptionalism of America, and when they apologize for being American, itâs like self-flogging. He said itâs like when you wear a burlap hair shirt and beat yourself with a stick. Elon disagreed when Vivek said that the climate movement is a form of self-flogging.
Helping Our Earthâs Climate is Not Far-Right Wing
Elon said that he believes he may have done more for our earth’s climate, than any other individual past or present.
He says he feels itâs extremely bizarre when people label him as a far-right extremist. Elon said that he has literally been pouring blood, sweat, and tears into protecting the environment. He doesnât understand what these people are talking about when they say that heâs a far-right conservative and he perceives himself to be a moderate, he cares about humans and our civilization, he is not far left, nor far right, but a centrist.
Why Are ESGs (Environmental, Social, Governance) Harmful?
The discussion turned to ESGs. You may already know that ESGs allow companies to be rewarded for woke policies of diversity and inclusion but then exclude many people.
Essentially, both Ramaswamy and Elon agreed that ESGs are harmful not only to companies but for people in the United States.
Elon said that fundamentally people have been misled and theyâve given their savings over to 401(k) plans that rate high on the ESG scale. Elon explained that people are having their money invested in index funds and ESG funds with the hope of the funds gaining in value so that they can have a secure retirement. Contrary to what people think, the voting that happens in these mutual fund environments is not in the best interest of profit nor in the interest of people.
Elon mentioned the names Vanguard, Blackrock, Fidelity, and T Rowe. He said that these companies are lying to shareholders.
Essentially, itâs possible that these mutual fund companies are setting themselves up for one of the largest class action lawsuits ever. This is because they are lying to their shareholders. Elon said itâs because they are breaking the deal with their customers, and they are not maximizing shareholder value.
The Government Monopoly on Violence
Elon also explained that the government is a corporation in the limit. âIt is the most important corporation and the biggest and itâs got a monopoly on violence. And so you should say, how much violence do you want the government to do? Not that much, less, generally not more.â
As background, in political philosophy, a monopoly on violence or monopoly on the legal use of force is the property of a political system that is the only entity in its jurisdiction to legitimately use force, and thus the supreme authority of that area.
âAs we speak, the flower of Ukrainian youth is dying in trenches.â – Elon Musk
On Ukraine, Elon mentioned we should know that our money is going to help the people of Ukraine, not a handful of oligarchs.
Elon Musk said, sadly,
“There has to be forgiveness, and there has to be some realism. And we have to look at Ukraine and Russia by not turning Russia into a devil and Ukraine into an angel. There are no angels in war.
“The flower of Ukrainian youth is dying in trenches. Why are these boys dying? For what?”
“We should also be sad that there are Russian boys dying in trenches. Why are these young men dying because of disagreements between old men? Why? And entrenched warfare where only a few miles are exchanged? At what price? How many lives per mile is a life worth?
“If you don’t forgive your enemy, you’re stuck in a circle of retribution forever. There has to be forgiveness.”
Ramaswamy said if he was voted into office, he would strike down legislation that President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed into law, which has prevailed ever since. He said he would strike that law down, and most likely it has evolved into something it was never intended to be. He carefully explained that we should be rewarded for the value of our contributions and that it should not be based on any other factors.
Iâm unclear which law Ramaswamy plans to strike down, as the Civil Rights Act was passed by Congress and signed by LBJ in 1964, outlawing segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels.
On June 29, 2023, the US Supreme Court ruled affirmative action is unconstitutional, ending race-conscious admissions in higher education. He could be referring to Executive Order 11246. President Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, in 1965 prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin by those organizations receiving federal contracts and subcontracts. This order could legally be struck down by Congress.
Interested in Etymology?
Lightening up the conversation about race, Elon mentioned that he owns etymology.com, which if you link to it, is simply an orange emoji. Elon announced that if there is somebody who would love to expand that, and go hard-core on it, he may be willing to sell it to that person.
FBI/CIA
Another point Elon brought up is that he has met a lot of people who work at the FBI and the CIA, and he stated that he thinks they have a lot of integrity.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, Elon said the discussion with Ramaswamy was important and that many people may agree with his position, and that he likely has won over a lot of people. He added there are a lot of things that sound pro-democracy and are ballot harvesting and are used to hack (votes). He said Goerge Soros is a talented arbitrator and heâs applied that talent monetarily and politically and he figured out that through charitable organizations you can promote a cause with pre-tax money and that doesnât count in any of the political stuff. It is effective because you do not attack the candidate, just the positions that they hold. Then you hire a big team to harvest ballots from Nursing Homes and all that sort of stuff. âThere are real things that have happened. I donât think we should counter corruption with corruption but there does need to be a get-out-the-vote campaign. Clearly, Republicans need to work harder at winning over voters. Especially in key House and Senate races and Presidency.â
Ramaswamy said this country has blessed him with so much. He said he wants to win the Presidency and has invested mostly his own dollars in his campaign thus far. He says it takes $2B to get elected and he raises money through donors. He invited listeners to donate. His link is on his X account profile.
Elon said it is âRare to meet a politician that is not an NPC.â referring to Ramaswamy.
Looking over the new Capitol Mall, the Texas Capitol Building and the Austin, Texas skyline. http://art.cvsherman.com
Itâs early in the morning and I wake up and⌠check Twitter. If this is you then youâll love this article as it takes you through the past week of Twitter in minutes and you get to read about Twitter. From lawsuits to engineering advancements, Twitter 2.0 is not boring.
Elon Muskâs role at Twitter is executive chairman, and chief technical officer overseeing product, software, and system operations. Linda Yaccarino is CEO of Twitter (and doing a great job). Twitter has improved under their leadership. Additionally, Tesla is thriving under Elonâs leadership as Technoking of Tesla and CEO, as reported in Teslaâs Q2 2023 Update Report. So, when Sen Elizabeth Warren suddenly came along to throw false accusations at Elon Musk and the Tesla board, it was cringe, to say the least. Elonâs legal team respondedâŚ
TWITTER TO SUBPOENA SEN. WARREN
Twitter legal informed a federal court on Thurs, July 20 that theyâre seeking for Sen.Warren to disclose her communications with the SEC and the Federal Trade Commission from the past few months. This includes the document she sent to SEC Chair Gensler, where she falsely accused Elon Musk of harming Tesla.
META CAN NOT LEGALLY COPY TWITTER (THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPANY)
Meanwhile, Twitter has addressed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerbergâs haphazardly created âThreadsâ app. Representing Twitter, Lawyer Alex Spiro sent Zuckerburg a cease-and-desist letter saying, âTwitter has serious concerns that Meta has engaged in systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.â
Alex Spiro said of Twitter last March,
âOnce you get to Twitter, you realize the geopolitical significance, the significance across so many different things, thought, speech, the community of viewpoints. You realize it may actually be the most interesting and important company in the world.â (Vanity Fair Interview, March 2023)
Sadly, in the past year, Zuckerburgâs âMetaâ hired many ex-Twitter employees to gain access to Twitter’s trade secrets and highly confidential information. Meta then assigned these employees to develop their copycat “Threads” app in a few months, with the sole intent of using Twitter’s trade secrets and intellectual property to accelerate their copycat âThreadsâ app. This is a violation of state and federal laws and the employees’ ongoing obligations to Twitter.
Competition can be a good thing, but cheating is always wrong.
Elon Musk said it well, âCompetition is fine, cheating is not.â
So, as the copycat app âThreadsâ reaches an all-time low in interest, Twitter continues to employ hard-core engineering, 24/7 under the direction of Elon Musk. What cannot be underestimated, is the high value of having Elon Musk, as chief technician at Twitter. Not only will Twitter become one of the top places alongside SpaceX and Tesla to work as a software engineer, but Twitter will eventually become so advanced in software engineering that it will become the gold standard, assuming it isnât already.
TWITTER IS A VALUE-ADDED APP
In an incredibly short amount of time, Twitter became an app with a generous toolbox for writers, creators, artists, and more!
Twitterâs publishing capability can now extend to essentially an unlimited amount. Is possible to publish an entire encyclopedia on Twitter, if somebody wanted to!
Donât be surprised if Twitter is used by teachers extensively due to the usefulness of having books directly on Twitter combined with an extensive bookmark system available on the app, as well as an entire safety team dedicated to making sure abuse, hate, and threats are de-amplified on the app.
Iâll end this article with my heartfelt thoughts. It is difficult for me to understand why anybody would want to work against what Elon Musk is doing at Twitter. He is allowing creators on Twitter to share ad revenue, which brings income to places far and wide in this world. It brings needed income to places where, truly, it could be the income that a family needs to provide a living. These opportunities have never been available before and can provide amplification of talent, art, and culture. Make no mistake, Twitter is not just for North America, its reach is global, and so the goodness that it can provide through education, books in different languages, and creative and unique art, are for the good of all humanity.
It truly pains me to think that Zuck, Warren, and others, would love to see Twitter fail. The memes Iâm sharing with this article are useful for making humor out of senseless acts of intended destruction. Twitter 2.0 will prevail, for the benefit of humanity!
Meta CEO Zuckerburg coped Twitter illegally.
This article is by Gail Alfar please credit accordingly and thanks for your support.Â
Creator Ads Revenue Sharing is exclusive to Elon Muskâs Twitter 2.0. It did not exist with the Twitter 1.0 business model.Â
âAbsolutely essential. Creators need to make a living!â – Elon Musk on 11/1/22 after buying Twitter on 10/27/22
Twitter made history with a generous new program to share advertising revenue with creators. This was one of Elon Muskâs intentions from the very beginning when he purchased Twitter. Since his purchase, Twitter has improved dramatically through Elonâs deliberate shift in prioritizing technology and software at Twitter.Â
On July 13, Twitter selected an initial group of talented creators, and they were invited to accept ad revenue payment. Iâll share a few of their enthusiastic comments later in this article.
WHEN CAN MORE CREATORS APPLY FOR AD REV SHARING?
Twitter plans to roll out Creator Ads Revenue Sharing more broadly later this month and all eligible creators will be able to apply. When the program goes wide, Twitter will have tens of thousands of people applying, so I expect the program to take some time to regulate.
Here are a few of the requirements:
Be subscribed to Twitter Blue or Verified Organizations
Must be in a country where Stripe supports payouts
Have at least 5M impressions on posts in each of the last 3 months per Twitter analytics
Pass human review for Creator Monetization Standards. This process may take time.
Twitter says, âYou cannot feature the identity of another person or a fake identity that is intended to deceive others. This includes parody, fan, and commentary accounts.âÂ
REACTIONS TO TWITTER REV SHARING ARE HEARTFELT
I have seen many positive comments about the program, here are a few:
Kanekoa The Great was chosen to share in Twitter ad revenue, he said,
âTwitter 1.0 silenced me for expressing my opinions. Twitter 2.0 rewards me for sharing my ideas. Thank you Twitter for the opportunity to earn a living! Gratitude to Elon Musk for investing $44 billion to revive freedom of speech on the internet!â
Alex Larusso (ALX) said,
âLess than a year ago, I was banned from this platform, now Iâm getting paid to Tweet. This is a game changer. Thank you Twitter!â
Nick Sorter shared his enthusiasm,
âIndependent journalists like myself can literally make a living off Twitter now reporting REAL, censorship-free stories that you won’t see in the mainstream media. This is HUGE. Can’t thank you enough, Elon Musk! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!â
My favorite reaction was from Billy Marcus, who simply shared,
âi like twitterâ
MORE TWITTER IMPROVEMENTS!
Before I leave you, Iâd like to share a few more Twitter updates,
Elon Musk responded to a meme that communicated the importance of people being free to express themselves without fear of being fired by their employers for different opinions. For this reason, Twitter will continue to allow anonymous accounts to be verified.Â
Twitter quietly unveiled an icon to appear on video content that lets you connect directly to watch content on your big-screen TV.Â
You can also watch videos from Twitter while scrolling using the pic-in-pic video feature.
Twitter has made improvements so that, on average, it will only take 1-2 days for a new account to be verified or for a blue check to be restored after changing a profile picture or username.
Jessica Kirsh, a space history archivist, uncovered that Twitter now limits how many accounts you can âtagâ in a tweet. This is a good feature to limit potential spam. Imagine a longform tweet tagging hundreds of people?
Advertising on Twitter aims to reach people who may need the products they see, and therefore only human views of ads matter. On July 5th, Thomas Slabbers observed, âThere is an even greater assurance that ads are reaching real humans since these view limits primarily impact automated entities rather than human users.” Elon Musk responded, saying âUnless bots start buying things at scale, only human views count.âÂ
Will you find our next job through Twitterâs upcoming Verified Organizations jobs feature? Twitter plans to allow companies to post up to 5 jobs. The feature is a way to âfeature jobs on your company profile, and attract top talent to your open positions.âÂ
SEE YOU ON TWITTER!
Iâve been an observer of Elon Muskâs unmatched style of using technology to allow Twitter to evolve rapidly. After closing the Twitter deal, Elon Musk said on 11/13/2022,
âItâs just that Twitter at its core is a software and servers company. The technology needs to evolve rapidly, which requires a technologist.â
Elon Musk adds something else to Twitter. He adds kindness and has the ability to make people feel valued. Creator Ads Revenue Sharing is an act of kindness that will forever set Twitter/X.Corp apart from all other attempts at social media. Additionally, Elon himself generously gave all of his revenue to other creators,
âI gave my share to the creator payout pool.â – Elon Musk
Happy Tweeting and Iâll see you on Twitter!This article by Gail Alfar. Please credit accordingly. Since January 2022, I have been writing and recording many of Elon Musks’ talks on my blog and here in order to preserve his important words in writing. My blog link is on my Twitter bio and I thank you for reading and for your support. You rock and you are part of Team Humanity! Thank you! Mentioned are Jessica Kirsch, Thomas Slabbers @Thomasslabbers @KanekoaTheGreat  @ALX @nicksortor and Billy Markus.
If youâre reading this, you likely have a Twitter account. I have some wonderful updates and insights that I hope to share with you to make your day brighter today.
“Twitter is the only social media company where you can see the code of the algorithm. The way to build trust is to show how it works, with full transparency.” –Elon Musk
My goal is to encourage you to take advantage of the features Twitter has to offer. I believe you will find them interesting, useful, and hopefully make your life better.
First, I truly encourage you to get Twitter Blue. Blue is currently $84 per year when you subscribe on an annual basis on the web. Most of the features Iâm going to describe to you are those that belong to Twitter Blue users. Iâm doing this because I have had friends tell me they either donât know how to start Twitter Blue, or donât see value in it.
This chart shows how much you can save when you subscribe to Blue via the web.
A Strong Use Case For Twitter Blue
For writers, researchers, commentators and engineers, and especially people looking for work, Twitter Blue is valuable as you can tweet up to 25,000 characters in a single tweet. When you use the web to tweet, you can place multiple (four) images or charts in line by dragging the image to where you want it in the tweet or âarticle.â
This is good for tweets that would like to communicate research and information similar to what is shared in traditional blog posts on different platforms.
For example, Iâve done research on Tesla Megapacks and their usage. Some of my articles are quite long and demand multiple visuals. The 25,000-character feature makes it possible to share these long articles that would normally be on other platforms. Now they can be shared on Twitter. The advantage to this is people are more likely to read your work when they do not have to click on a link that leads them off of the Twitter platform. People can also bookmark your articles (Iâve seen a lot of bookmarks on my longer articles, possibly for this reason). You can also bookmark data sources from across Twitter, in order to produce better articles through organizing your work.
Bookmarks that are labeled are extremely useful, they serve as files that you can reference through time. For example, I write articles about Tesla, SpaceX, and of course Twitter. I have multiple bookmarks for categories of research and also bookmarks for fun things, like memes or things I would like to investigate later.
Letâs Talk About Why You Donât Use Blue
Iâll pause here in the article, just to address a concern that Iâve seen people express on Twitter. This is people saying they refuse to get Blue check verification, because they do not like some of the tweets by Elon Musk.
Iâd like to say that itâs still OK for you to get a Blue check, in fact, itâs to your advantage to get a Blue check, because it will help you to be more productive. It will help you to differentiate yourself from fake accounts that may try to impersonate you.
A good example is one of the top employees at Tesla recently had his account impersonated, it would have been very difficult to differentiate between the official account and the fake account because it had 12K followers. The fact this employee has Blue check verification made it easy to identify the real account and report the fake one.
Also, if youâre not getting a Blue check, because youâre part of a movement to oust Elon Musk, the movement isnât very organized and it hasnât been very effective. Youâre actually at a disadvantage because of this fact. Twitter is not going to shut down, and itâs offering tools that it did not offer in Twitter 1.0 that are designed to help you.
âIâm Just A Fun Dog!â
On Twitter, some people have voiced concerns about not wanting to pay for Twitter Blue unless they can pay with Dogecoin. In a recent interview in the Twitter HQ, Elon Musk wore a Dogecoin-themed T-Shirt as seen in this image. This shows he supports Dogecoin. He chose to make a fun statement when we all know that he could have chosen to wear any other T-shirt in his closet. For this reason, I encourage you to convert your Dogecoin into USD and join Twitter Blue in support of what Elon Musk is doing! Let me know if you do, I think it would be awesome!
Elon Musk in a splendid Dogecoin t-shirt and the Babylon Bee Crew.
Bye-Bye to the Bot Farms
This leads me to the biggest advantage of Twitter verification, and that is that you are differentiating yourself from the millions of bots, which are present on every platform, including Twitter. I say this out of experience because I have found multiple bots following my account. In fact, if you look at my tweets, you will see bots latch onto tweets immediately when they happen, after every tweet. I will tell you I have never seen a bot with a Blue check do this. Bots can try to mimic humans, and I have experienced that as well, including bots that are controlled by artificial intelligence. Getting up to speed with protecting your identity is a very important thing.
Encryption
Another important aspect of Twitter Blue is the ability for you to send encrypted messages. You may not think its important now, but when you need to communicate something sensitive, itâs important to use encryption, and that is only available between Twitter Blue subscribers.
The screenshot below is, I feel, an underrepresentation of the perks of Blue. If anything, Elon Musk tends to promise less and deliver more. I see him doing this repeatedly with Twitter. It is classic Elon. He has done this with Tesla as well.
You will save substantially when you subscribe to Twitter Blue on the Web instead of on your phone.
Finally, Iâm going to share a few things that truly delight me as a Twitter Blue user. I love that I have up to one hour to edit my tweets/articles. This is a wonderful feature and gives me a chance to correct any mistakes I think of within that hour. I have used this feature with almost every article. Itâs amazing how your work looks different once it is live on Twitter versus how it looks in your document edit screen.
“If Twitter can be the least imperfect place to find the truth on the internet, then I will consider that we have done a good job.” – Elon Musk
Final thoughtsâŚ
As you know, thereâs a lot of misinformation on the Internet. One of Elon Muskâs goals is to provide you with a place that is the least imperfect. In other words, no social media platform is going to be perfect. Elon and his team are striving to make Twitter the least imperfect. I think thatâs a worthy goal, and I personally think itâs worth financially supporting. My $84 a year is an extremely small amount to support such a wonderful mission. I hope that you will support Twitter, see the advantages of using Twitter Blue, and most of all enjoy Twitter and have the least amount of regrettable minutes on the platform as possible.
Let That Sink In, Elon Musk at Twitter HQ
Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. Have a beautiful week and, love those around you, and enjoy the gift of life that you have.
Summer is here and I love writing these quick updates. If you love X.Corp, then read onâŚ
“Twitter is the only social media company where you can see the code of the algorithm. The way to build trust is to show how it works, with full transparency.” – Elon Musk
Elon Musk charmed the audience in Paris at VivaTech, he explained how Twitter is building trust through transparency. Twitter is the only social media company with open-source code for the algorithm.
Elon also explained that X, the Everything App, is a way to finish the task that was started 20 years ago.
You may know that X.com was an online bank co-founded by Elon Musk, Harris Fricker, Christopher Payne, and Ed Ho in 1999. In 2000, X.com merged with Confinity Inc., and subsequently changed its name to PayPal.In 2022, it was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion.
Twitterâs Beautiful International Reach
X.Corp, as I like to call it, or Twitter, announced on June 14, that Community Notes has expanded to another 8 countries. These include Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. For more information on Community Notes, see @CommunityNotes on Twitter for details.
Left or Right, Twitter is your platform
If you consider yourself left or right (in a political sense), then Elon Musk has, once again, offered equal treatment to all. On June 14, he tweeted,
âOnce again, Iâd like to offer this platform to anyone on the left. You will get equal treatment.â
Hidden Replies?
Staying true to his words, Elon Musk responded to Twitter account TitterDaily, when he tweeted,
âOPINION: As part of Twitter Safetyâs rollout of transparency features, Twitter should aim to clarify how the ‘More Replies’ filter works. Verified accounts and even original poster replies to replies are sometimes hidden under this filter, without a clear reason.â
Elon responded, âAgreed, this is broken in random ways. Will be fixed.â
Smart CEOs will improve their products like this with direct feedback in real-time.Â
The Usefulness of Group Chats
Twitter Support announced on June 12 that group Direct Messages can include up to 100 people, with larger limits upcoming.
What is a great use for such a large group chat? Here are a few ideas:Â Professional Networking, Event Planning (like weddings, conferences, fundraisers), Interest-Based Discussions (car clubs, hobbies, news groups), Project Management, and Community Engagement.Â
Elon Explains Why X.Corp Will Survive
My Twitter account has many bots that follow it and with most tweets, automated ones respond. Bots can also mimic real people using AI. I believe I have seen these as well. X.Corp has a way to battle this attack. On June 11, Elon explained,
âIt is increasingly difficult to distinguish between AI bots. Soon, it will be impossible. The only âsocial networksâ that survive will be those that require verification. The payment system is a means of verification that increases bot cost by ~10,000X.â
On June 8, Titter Daily also revealed that Twitter is working on limiting the ability to send Direct Messages to people who don’t follow you to Verified (Blue) users only. This will also apply to creating group chats. This is another way to lessen Direct Message bot spam.
Would You Love to see Twitter AI Art?
In my last article, I wrote about Kris Kashtanovaâs amazing Twitter account. On May 25, she tweeted that âTwitter is the most welcoming space for our AI community. I invite you to create images inspired by the platform that connected us all. Iâm grateful for you here.âÂ
Kashtanovaâs prompt idea resulted in many amazing AI images for the Bird App! Check out her account at @icreatelife on Twitter!
Enjoy your Summertime Sadness! I love Lana Del Rey and her melancholy music so I thought I would add that here. I do hope you have a great week and take time, as always, to love yourself immensely and love the ones close to you!
â˘ââââââ âž â˝â ââââââ˘
This article by Gail Alfar please credit accordingly. Thanks for your support and let me know your thoughts about X.Corp.Â
(Austin, Texas) In an invigorating discourse that sparkled like a captivating citrine gemstone, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Elon Musk engaged in a riveting conversation on a Twitter Space titled “Reclaiming Democracy.” This conversation served to inspire me, and I think youâll be inspired too! I hope youâll join me and read what Elon said about artificial intelligence, the groundbreaking potential of Neuralink, the profound value of free speech, and the benevolence of America. This exchange provided a much-needed spark of energy to my day. I hope it will rejuvenate your mind and ignite new possibilities. Listening to Elon Musk answer questions from RFK was delightfully insightful as these brilliant minds illuminated the intersections of technology, democracy, and human progress!
Appreciation for Elon Musk’s Contribution to Democracy
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. began by thanking Elon Musk saying that he is a breath of fresh air toward democracy in this country. He mentioned itâs âcommendable, given Elon was born in South Africa.â
Elon Musk emphasized that you have a robust democracy. Itâs important to have free speech. In the absence of that, he stated, âthe democracy would not function.â
Free Speech as the Lifeblood of Democracy
RFK said that free speech is the sunlight, water, and soil of democracy, and without free-speech democracy, would wither and die. He explained that thereâs never been a time in history when weâve looked back and said that the guys who censored free speech are the good guys, generally, theyâve always been the bad guys.
Dangers of Censorship and the Power of Debate
Elon explained democracy and free speech,
âItâs like washing your laundry in public. There is dirty laundry, but at least you see it and it is not hidden. Itâs essential to have that debate, even if you disagreed strongly with another side of that debate.â
Elon added that itâs important to understand that âunless there are people that can say things that you donât like, itâs not free speech. And if you start censoring, itâs only a matter of time before that censorship is turned upon you.â
Lack of Media Integrity and Collusion between Governments and Corporations
Elon also said that the thing he finds bizarre and completely different from the past is that itâs ânot only governments and corporations in collusion â which has been the case for a while, I think it was Eisenhower, who warned about the industrial military complex â but the thing I find difficult to forgive is that the legacy traditional media is also almost entirely working lockstep with the government and corporations. itâs really their obligation to question the government, not go along with it.â
Advertiser Pressure on Twitter/X.corp.
Elon also mentioned that âTwitter has seen extreme pressure from advertisers, at least in the West. And I see an advertiser boycott problem with a lot of companies.â
He went on to graciously thank the companies that have stayed with Twitter like Apple and Disney and many others.
Elonâs Commitment to Free Speech and the Impact on Advertising
Elon said that half of Twitterâs advertising has disappeared overnight in North American and European markets, âThis has happened, simply because Twitter insists on free-speech.â
Financial Pressure on Organizations and the Corruption of Democracy
I agree with Elonâs statement that he does not think the public fully realizes âthe magnitude of the extreme amount of financial pressure that is placed upon organizations to toe the line by advertisers.â
I personally, think it is a serious matter. Elon elaborated, saying, this is a âfundamental corruption of democracy, and the public should be absolutely outraged by this!â
Elon Musk’s Controversial Decision to Release Twitter Files
RFK expressed concern and surprise over Elon Musk’s choosing to release the Twitter files and that in any normal circumstance, a corporate attorney would advise him not to. He wanted to know if Elon had any discussions with an attorney before he released the files.
Defying Legal Advice: Transparency and Trust as Motivations
Elon explained that every lawyer advised against it and said it was insane to do so, that he would be getting into huge trouble, and be sued to hell and gone and it would be a massive disaster.
As you know, Elon still chose to release the Twitter files, in order to prove transparency and trust for Twitter, because transparency and trust are a rare quality, especially in a social media platform.
Thankfully Elon did not respond to the lawyer’s advice to refrain from releasing the Twitter files, in fact, Elon stated,
âI did not care!â
The Significance of Free Speech for Democracy
In order to explain this better, Elon said that âItâs easy to take for granted the system that we have here in the United States. It really doesnât exist anywhere else. Not even in Canada. And I am half-Canadian. You do not have the free speech rights in Canada that you do have in the United States. Perhaps a new government in Canada will enact those rights because it is incredibly important. But I think if we donât protect free speech at all costs, we donât have a functioning democracy. And if we donât have a functioning democracy, nothing else matters.â
RFK responded, and it should be noted that Robert has laryngeal dystonia, where a person’s voice muscles contract involuntarily, therefore, Robert has a unique vocal quality. In any case, he asked Elon an interesting question:
âWhat is it in your background that gave you such firm convictions to where youâd be willing to take that this huge, massive unspeakable economic hit on behalf of a principal for a country in which you were not even born?â
Elon Musk’s Firm Convictions and Love for History
Elon responded by saying that he does consider himself an American. He went on to explain that one reason he has firm convictions is that he loves studying history and civilizations of all kinds.
The Benevolence of the United States in History
Elon explains that while the United States is not perfect, and has made mistakes, he still believes it is the country that has shown the greatest form of benevolence towards humans in all of history.
Elon cited the Marshall plan after World War II. Elon said,
âAt the end of World War II, the United States had overwhelming military strength, and it had the nuclear bomb. The United States could have taken over the world. It could have acquired any country that it wanted, and yet it did not do any of that.
âInstead, the USA gave money to the country that it had been fighting. Iâm not sure if that has ever happened before in history. The United States helped rebuild Germany and Japan. It helped rebuild Japan, even after things like Pearl Harbor. Maybe this has happened before in history, but Iâm not aware of it.â
Acknowledging Imperfections and Profound Admiration for America
Elon went on to explain that America is not perfect and can do better, he added heâs a huge fan of America!
In a beautiful statement, Elon reiterated that he does not carry a passport for any other country in the world,
                    âI will live and die here!â – Elon Musk
RFK’s Appreciation for Elon Musk’s Service and Commitment to the USA
RFK said he loved the statement and it was quite moving, and very admirable, and then he thanked Elon for his service and commitment to the United States of America.
I trust you found this initial segment of my series enlightening, exploring the fascinating insights shared by Elon Musk. In my observation, RFK’s remarkable interviewing skills allowed him to extract profound observations from Elon. The respectful manner in which RFK approached Elon’s expertise highlights his respect and appreciation for the remarkable contributions Elon Musk is making for the betterment of humanity.
Stay tuned for Part II, where we will look into more of this engaging conversation. As you and I continue learning throughout life, let knowledge light up your dreams like the sparkling gemstone of citrine!
Photo of Austin, Texas by Carlos Alfonso on Unsplash
(Austin, Texas) This article unveils an alluring panorama of the latest updates on Twitter and may leave you craving for more.
Join me this beautiful evening, we will walk through the intro of notes on AI-generated media, which is a new feature that adds an extra layer of transparency to combat misleading content. Just as topaz and amethyst possess inner beauty, these notes will shed valuable light on the authenticity of media shared on Twitter.
We will also look at YouTubeâs policy change regarding claims of fraud in the 2020 US election, changes to Twitterâs infrastructure maintenance, and the emergence of multiple organization affiliate badges on Twitter. Iâll introduce you to an intriguing Twitter account of a professor who engages with cool AI assignments⌠to her followers!Â
Increased Capacity for Twitter Spaces
Twitter recently enhanced its ability to handle larger Spaces/audio-only chat rooms.
This upgrade is aimed at providing a better user experience and accommodating a greater number of participants in Spaces. this is exciting because of Elon Muskâs historical interview of Robert F Kennedy, Jr. on June 5.
Community Notes on “AI-Generated Media” on Twitter
Community Note Contributors with a Writing Impact of 10 or above now have the option to mark their notes as âAbout the imageâ when they believe the media is potentially misleading, regardless of the specific Tweet it is featured in.
These notes automatically appear on recent and future matching images, providing contextual information to readers and raters.
Notes on AI-generated media empower contributors in combating misleading media by providing additional information directly attached to the image.
By marking their notes as âAbout the image,â contributors ensure that the focus is on the media itself and not just the specific Tweet containing it.
Limitations and Future Enhancements
Currently, the AI-generated media notes feature supports Tweets with a single image.
However, Twitter is actively working on expanding its functionality to include videos and Tweets with multiple images or videos.
To prioritize accuracy, the matching algorithm may not identify every image that appears to be a match, but Twitter aims to refine the system to expand coverage while avoiding false matches.
Feedback from users and contributors will be crucial in shaping the future enhancements of this feature and maximizing its effectiveness.
YouTubeâs Policy Change and its Impact on Twitter
YouTube recently announced a significant policy change regarding claims of fraud in the 2020 US election.
In a shift that may be influenced by Twitterâs free speech policies, YouTube will no longer enforce its previous policy against such claims.
This relaxation of moderation signifies a potential response to the competition posed by Twitterâs approach to free speech.
Content creators, including political shows and podcasts, have expressed intentions to upload their content on Twitter alongside or even in place of YouTube.
This shift in content distribution suggests that YouTubeâs policy change may be an effort to mitigate the migration of creators to other platforms.
Emergence of Multiple Organization Affiliate Badges on Twitter
A recent development on Twitter is the introduction of multiple organization affiliate badges, allowing companies to showcase their affiliations on their Twitter accounts.
Examples have emerged of companies displaying two affiliate badges on the same account, highlighting their multiple partnerships.
This development holds significance as it enables organizations to visually demonstrate their associations and build trust with their audience.
Special Feature: Kris Kashtanovaâs Engaging Approach to AI Education on Twitter
An interesting Twitter account that deserves special attention is that of Kris Kashtanova, an AI professor who teaches at Columbia University.
Kris has adopted a unique approach to engage with students and the wider Twitter community by offering AI assignments accessible to anyone on Twitter.
Her dedication to providing educational opportunities and fostering discussions on AI topics has garnered significant interest and engagement. Find Kris at @icreatelife on Twitter.
Downtown Austin, Texas with the building the “Wilson” added in as a render. This building was slated to be 88 stories tall. It was subsequently reduced to 44 as depicted here.
Article by Gail Alfar and first appeared on Twitter. Please credit accordingly
WHAT'S UP đ by Gail Alfar 