Welcome to my blog! Relax, pour yourself a hot chocolate, and join me to learn about the New X Terms of Service.
I just read through the first new Terms of Service Summary from X. These terms are exciting because most agreements, up until now, were mostly holdovers from the days of the old “Twitter.”
The birds are free now, and there are new terms soon to be in effect! I will make this a quick read for you – under 2 minutes, to be exact. But don’t let the brevity fool you; these rules are pretty serious stuff. They will go into effect Sept 29, 2023.
SUMMARY OF X’S TERMS
Let’s get straight to the point with key takeaways:
Ads Are Part of the Package: When you use X, continue to expect some ads. In return for using X’s platform, X will show you some ads.
Follow the Rules: It’s vital to adhere to the User Agreement you sign, and all applicable laws when posting content or using X. You’re responsible for your actions on X. If you’re running a business on X, ensure your marketing practices align with both the platform’s rules and local advertising regulations.
No Sneaky Workarounds: X’s new Terms contain a stricter prohibition on scraping of the site’s data. X means business when it says you should only use the interfaces they provide. Scraping, trying to outsmart technical limitations, or any attempts to disrupt services are a big no-no.
X Holds the Cards: X has the authority to take action if you breach these terms. This can range from removing content to limiting visibility, restricting access, or, in severe cases, pursuing legal action.
Intellectual Property Licenses: You still own your content, and you grant X a license to share it with the world. X also provides you with a license to use their software to enjoy their services.
Use at Your Own Risk: X offers services “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE.” They disclaim all warranties and responsibilities. Keep in mind that you may encounter offensive or harmful content, and the platform’s services can change or be discontinued at any time. Understand that X does its best to provide a positive experience, but you should exercise caution and report any problematic content, using the X reporting system that accompanies every post.
Limited Liability: While you have remedies and redress mechanisms, X’s liability is limited. For certain types of damages, X won’t be liable at all, and their aggregate liability will not exceed $100 USD or the amount paid X in the past six months for the services in question.
WHY DATA SCRAPING IS A PROBLEM
I’ll illustrate why data scraping is likely against X’s rules, consider this scenario: Imagine a user scrapes sensitive information from X’s platform and uses it for malicious purposes. This could include stealing user data, spreading false information, or even engaging in identity theft. Such actions not only harm individual users but also compromise the integrity of the platform and the community. By prohibiting data scraping, I see X as protecting your privacy and ensuring a safe and secure environment for all.
Don’t Forget Privacy
These new Terms of Service also include X’s Privacy Policy, which you can find linked below.
MY THOUGHTS
Many big name accounts are still not verified, and currently, they often don’t display ads in their many replies. Ad revenue sharing is for people who pay for X premium. Under these new terms, I interpret that Ads could start appearing in all replies. As always, only VERIFIED accounts count toward Ad revenue sharing.
X needs to operate in a way to be (eventually) perpetually sustaining and profitable. In other words, X must protect itself from harm. These terms, a first for X, are also designed to maintain a fair and secure digital environment for you and all X users. Ultimately, you want to have a majority of unregrettable user minutes, while knowing your data is secure.
Article is by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any legal interpretation of X policies and you should read through them yourself for accuracy and always follow your local regulations first.
(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, it’s 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 that’s the only thing someone did that day on the app, I think they will be quite happy because there’s so much new information to be learned from Lex Friedman’s 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,
“We 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 we’re succeeding, you want to spend more time on the platform and after having spent that time, you don’t want to regret it.”
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
“When 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 they’re seeing that you’re watching a long podcast or reading a longform article, or watching some video. That’s 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.”
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! We’re finally reaching the end of a scorching hot summer. I’m 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 there’s 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 what’s 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 I’d 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 world’s 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
There’s one more aspect I’d 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.
What’s 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 it’s fabulous to see the work that X technologists are doing in real-time, but there’s another twist to this which is outstanding. It’s 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, I’m 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 be…
“This is my first post”
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 Musk’s companies is designed with care, beauty, and the best possible technology.
How do we get from Twitter to 𝕏?
How big is 𝕏, 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 𝕏
I wanted to write an article reflecting the thoughts of people I’ve spoken to and heard here on 𝕏. I know you are witnessing Twitter transforming into 𝕏. 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 Musk’s ownership of Twitter began to show up as 𝕏.Corp.
There were and still are multiple occasions in which Elon explains in interviews, conversations, and posts, that 𝕏 will be undergoing great change. Twitter, he has said, “was simply an accelerant to the creation of 𝕏.”
Do you remember when you could go to the website x.com and there would be a tiny little “x” in the upper left-hand corner of a big white void?
Today, when you go to the website, there is an Art Deco 𝕏, with the slogan “Happening Now“ over a more traditional blue background.
THE SLOGAN IN THE APP STORE IS “BLAZE YOUR GLORY!”
“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 𝕏 IN THE NIGHT OVER SF
For one magical night, the 𝕏 headquarters in San Francisco on Market Street had a shining, flashing, Art Deco, “𝕏” gracing the building’s rooftop.
At night, that “𝕏” 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 𝕏 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 Twitter‘s transition into 𝕏. My smart, busy daughter that works in Austin wondered what that 𝕏 was on her phone, she had no idea it had changed until I told her. Likewise, my husband wasn’t aware until I told him.
I believe that 𝕏 will take hold in the lives of many people, offering them something that Twitter could not have given them. It will do what “Twitter” never could have done. For one, 𝕏, as Elon Musk has posted, is a place where Creators can make a living,
“People from every corner of the world post incredible content on 𝕏, but often live in tough circumstances, where even a few hundred dollars a month changes their life.”
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 𝕏.
DELIGHTING USERS WITH THE BEST VALUE
When I use 𝕏, 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.
𝕏 is similar to Tesla in that the technology behind your experience on 𝕏 will be superior to any other internet product.
𝕏 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 Space𝕏, Tesla, Boring Co., and Neuralink, has been likened to “magic.” You don’t 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.
I’m excited to watch Twitter transform into 𝕏. 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 he’s 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 we’ve 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 Elon’s son, Lil X, playing in the background, Elon spoke about truth, saying that it’s important to believe there’s 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 he’s 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 Lincoln’s 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 it’s 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 America’s 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, there’s a permanent loss of history.
Ramaswamy asked Elon Musk what he would do about it. This was Elon’s 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.”
Ramaswamy made the point that when students are ashamed of the exceptionalism of America, and when they apologize for being American, it’s like self-flogging. He said it’s 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 Earth’s 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 it’s 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 doesn’t understand what these people are talking about when they say that he’s 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 they’ve 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, it’s 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 it’s 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. “It is the most important corporation and the biggest and it’s 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.”
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.
“As we speak, the flower of Ukrainian youth is dying in trenches.” – 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.
I’m 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 he’s 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 doesn’t 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. “There are real things that have happened. I don’t 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.”
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 “Rare to meet a politician that is not an NPC.” referring to Ramaswamy.
Looking over the new Capitol Mall, the Texas Capitol Building and the Austin, Texas skyline. http://art.cvsherman.com
Austin in June is hot, and dusty, and when the sun sets, in that in between time of sunset and night that we call dusk, the Junebugs really do come out. The cicadas sing. But this night, this June night on a Saturday, the 25th of June, 2022 was a little different. In fact, it was intoxicating. I had the opportunity to meet Elon Musk earlier in the day, not just a chance encounter, but a rare private interview setting in a conference room alone with just Elon Musk and Johnna Crider. No audio/video crew, just us.
T-Shirt Gail brought as birthday gift for Elon Musk on June 25, 2022.for his birthday. Design idea was by K10 (Kristen on X)
Twitter Changing Hands
Let me back up a little. Elon Musk was actually a big topic of conversation in June of 2022 as this was right after he announced intentions to buy Twitter. On April 13, 2022, Elon wrote to Bret Taylor, Chairman of the Twitter Board,
“I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.
However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company.
As a result, I am offering to buy 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash, a 54% premium over the day before I began investing in Twitter and a 38% premium over the day before my investment was publicly announced. My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder.
Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it.”
Elon continued,
“As I indicated this weekend, I believe that the company should be private to go through the changes that need to be made.
After the past several days of thinking this over, I have decided I want to acquire the company and take it private.
I am going to send you an offer letter tonight, it will be public in the morning.
Are you available to chat?”
[VOICE SCRIPT]
1.
Best and Final:
a.
I am not playing the back-and-forth game.
b.
I have moved straight to the end.
c.
It’s a high price and your shareholders will love it.
d.
If the deal doesn’t work, given that I don’t have confidence in management nor do I believe I can drive the necessary change in the public market, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder.
i.
This is not a threat, it’s simply not a good investment without the changes that need to be made.
ii.
And those changes won’t happen without taking the company private.
2.
My advisors and my team are available after you get the letter to answer any questions.
a.
There will be more detail in our public filings. After you receive the letter and review the public filings, your team can call my family office with any questions.
Hopeful future
I realized, that June night, that I had had the opportunity to speak to the man who is doing the most to advance humanity of anyone on earth.
It was clear to me he was different from anyone I’d ever met.
I invite you to listen to the Podcast, Getting Stoned with Elon Musk by Johnna Crider.
Austin, Texas.
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up X – June 28, 2022. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author is to support X and Elon Musk in both making lives better on earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization.
WHAT'S UP 𝕏 by Gail Alfar 