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Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Elon Musk has suggested that all users of X, formerly called Twitter, may have to pay for access to the platform.

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2/3s of members joined and can't figure out how to quit the service.

#1 | Posted by Scotty at 2023-09-19 02:34 AM | Reply

2/3s of members joined and can't figure out how to quit the service.

Elon is making it easy for them... just don't pay.

#2 | Posted by REDIAL at 2023-09-19 02:53 AM | Reply

Never used it when it was called Twitter.

As far as I'm concerned, it can go to Hell.. and take Facebook along.

#3 | Posted by Monkeybars at 2023-09-19 11:23 AM | Reply

Never used it when it was called Twitter.
As far as I'm concerned, it can go to Hell.. and take Facebook along.

#3 | POSTED BY MONKEYBARS

We know you prefer 4Chan. You've made that obvious.

#4 | Posted by Sycophant at 2023-09-19 12:01 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

... all users of X, formerly called Twitter, may have to pay for access to the platform. ...

Mr Musk has a revenue problem with X. He may try to deflect from that revenue problem by giving other reasons for the subscription charge. But the bottom line is that Mr Musk has a revenue problem.

By charging for subscriptions, Mr Musk also then gains access to some financial info (via the credit cards used by subscribers) which he can bundle with the other info X gathers on subscribers and make the personal data "packages" he sells to others more valuable.

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-09-19 12:16 PM | Reply

Speaking of Mr Musk and revenue...

Starlink Has A Small Fraction Of The Customers It Originally Promised Investors
www.techdirt.com

... With that as context, it's not particularly surprising that Starlink has signed up significantly fewer customers that originally projected. A paywalled Wall Street Journal report (see this non-paywalled Ars Technica alternative) notes that a 2015 Starlink investor pitch claimed that by last year Starlink would have 20 million subscribers and generate nearly $12 billion in revenue and $7 billion in operating profit.

Actual Starlink revenue for 2022 was $1.4 billion. And the company only has around 1.5 million users worldwide; a far cry from the 20 million originally predicted. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband is a sector riddled with failures, so the fact Starlink has reached this point is notable. ...


#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-09-19 12:20 PM | Reply

This is just apartheid elmo running his mouth for attention.

I don't think fElon has the balls to do this.
It would be the end of --------.

#7 | Posted by Nixon at 2023-09-19 01:39 PM | Reply

There's zero chance of that happening. It's just Elmo trying to get his name mentioned.
Twitter just isn't that important to most people. It might be a big deal for influencers and advertisers but that is only for as long as there are actual people to reach with it.

#8 | Posted by johnny_hotsauce at 2023-09-19 01:44 PM | Reply

Mr Musk has a revenue problem with X. He may try to deflect from that revenue problem by giving other reasons for the subscription charge. But the bottom line is that Mr Musk has a revenue problem.
By charging for subscriptions, Mr Musk also then gains access to some financial info (via the credit cards used by subscribers) which he can bundle with the other info X gathers on subscribers and make the personal data "packages" he sells to others more valuable.
#5 | POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER AT 2023-09-19 12:16 PM | FLAG:

All they'd get is transactions through Twitter, which is just the subscription. You get the full picture by simply buying it from the credit card companies.

This screams desperate attempt to control bot accounts which massively devalue the platform.

#9 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2023-09-19 01:45 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

@#9 ... All they'd get is transactions through Twitter ...

Combined with all the other X has about you, e.g., which websites you visit, etc.

... This screams desperate attempt to control bot accounts which massively devalue the platform. ...

I'm still not convinced of that.

What has devalued the platform looks more to be Mr Musk's policies since he took over.


#10 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-09-19 01:49 PM | Reply

Yet the DNC and major Dem pols all buy advertising on it still. Their concern seems to be wasting money on bot views.

#11 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2023-09-19 02:03 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

@#11 ... Yet the DNC and major Dem pols all buy advertising on it still. ...

X's ad revenue problem is not due to what political ads do or don't do, but to the huge advertising budgets of corporations going elsewhere because the corporations do not want their products advertised next to the hate-speech that seems to be so prevalent on X of late.

While X may have a bot problem, the loss of significant revenue looks to be due more to Mr Musk's policies.

So, will getting rid of the bots really help X's ad revenues?



#12 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-09-19 02:28 PM | Reply

Yes. Just political ads are worth $2.1 billion last year in sales.

#13 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2023-09-19 02:50 PM | Reply

and with election season gearing up, it's time to really make the monies.

#14 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2023-09-19 02:57 PM | Reply

We know you prefer 4Chan. You've made that obvious.

#4 | Posted by Sycophant

The ONLY person I ever told about hovering around 4Chan, was RCADE in a private email.

Many many many years ago.

So you also post as Sycophant to mess with the little folk? LOL

#15 | Posted by Monkeybars at 2023-09-19 03:19 PM | Reply

@#13 ... Just political ads are worth $2.1 billion last year in sales. ...

More next year. Much more. My guess would be double that overall.

But Twitter and X had banned political ads until recently, so there's no knowing how much of that political ad revenue will go to X.

While some politicians would revel in their ads being seen on hate-speech pages, I suspect that may be a minority of the politicians.

X to allow paid political ads, lifting Twitter's earlier ban (August 30, 2023)
techcrunch.com

... X this week confirmed it's lifting its ban on paid political ads " a move it committed to earlier this year, shortly after Elon Musk took over the social network previously known as Twitter. The company had originally banned such ads back in 2019 under then-CEO Jack Dorsey's management, claiming at the time that "political message reach should be earned, not bought."

The company had defined the banned content as "content that references a candidate, political party, elected or appointed government official, election, referendum, ballot measure, legislation, regulation, directive, or judicial outcome," it said.

The ban also encompassed a broad range of content, including any ads that appealed for votes, solicitations of financial support and advocacy for or against any of the above-listed types of political content. ...


Regardless, it will be interesting to see the chapters unfold in this continuing soap opera called, "X."


btw, for the overall amount spent on advertising..

Spending on advertising
https://www.theworldcounts.com/economies/global/spending-on-advertising



#16 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-09-19 03:26 PM | Reply

"X" and "Elon" can't go under fast enough. So sick of malignant megalomania.

#17 | Posted by Yodagirl at 2023-09-19 07:05 PM | Reply

Elmo changes the subject when Bibi brings up the anti-semitism which is flourishing on Twitter.

www.thedailybeast.com

#18 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2023-09-19 09:21 PM | Reply

He is literally trying to tank Twitter; I know nobody willing to put money in Elmo's pocket for the benefit of looking at Nazi memes and all kinds of disgusting and illegal porn that reportedly has skyrocketed since he removed the gatekeepers (I'm not on Twitter, used to be, but my cortisol levels are much better now). Zuck is salivating over becoming the new public square, making him even richer.

#19 | Posted by _Gunslinger_ at 2023-09-19 09:22 PM | Reply

@#18 ... Elmo changes the subject when Bibi brings up the anti-semitism which is flourishing on Twitter. ...

Wow... so Mr Musk apparently intentionally avoided the question poised to him ...

From the article cited in @18 ...

... And Musk has faced claims of antisemitism and allowing hate speech to proliferate on his social media platform X. During the meeting, which was streamed live on X, Netanyahu told Musk: "I hope you can find within the confines of the First Amendment the ability to not only stop antisemitism as best you can, but any collective hatred of the people that antisemitism represents."

He later added, "I encourage you to find the balance."

In response, Musk tried to redirect the conversation to his interest in free speech, saying that he was "in favor of that which furthers civilization and which ultimately leads us to become a space-faring civilization." ...



.... In response, Musk tried to redirect the conversation ...

Wow., just friggin' wow. Mr Musk tired to redirect the conversation to allowing his apparent love of hate-speech.

And, just what sort of "civilization" does Mr Musk want?




#20 | Posted by LampLighter at 2023-09-19 09:35 PM | Reply

Goodbye X, if it does.

#21 | Posted by Ronnie68 at 2023-09-20 05:26 PM | Reply

Just wait until the UAW finds success in unionizing Tesla workers. Unions have not yet been successful in California and New York (union bastions) but I suspect they are still trying...

#22 | Posted by catdog at 2023-09-20 05:39 PM | Reply

How to throw away $46 billion in fewer than 2 years, by another fascist JeNiUS.

#23 | Posted by chuffy at 2023-09-21 03:59 AM | Reply

He did what he set out to do.

Destroy a powerful and free tool being used by the masses to organize, communicate, protest and fight back.

Fight back against people in power. Like him.

He hated Twitter.

The billions he burnt through were probably mostly government subsidies.

Our tax dollars.

#24 | Posted by ClownShack at 2023-09-21 04:33 AM | Reply

I question the value of political advertising on X? Why would an average American with the normal values we would associate with average Americans want to even seek access to that platform much less be influenced by political discussion on that platform? Isn't it important for those deciding where to spend candidate's campaign advertising budgets to choose platforms that reject extremists and appeal to those people more willing to listen to more nuanced advertising designed to influence voters who have a desire for hopeful ideas and real solutions to real problems, not just more tired old "culture war" b*lls**t; Desantis going after drag queens? Is that eally an issue on the minds of most Americans instead of the dramatic rise of rents in all urban parts of Florida. Sorry to focus on Florida but I think the same problems are common all across the nation. Most voters realize preventing a young woman from seeking an abortion won't help them pay their own rent. The culture war garbage is just an attempt to disguise the class war. Problem is ; it works among the less sophisticated voters who see through the culture war garbage and who focus on the needs of their families and their children but banning books certainly isn't about that.

#25 | Posted by danni at 2023-09-21 09:19 AM | Reply

350ish million daily active users speaks for itself... sort of?

It reminds me of the rise of the talk radio Republicans in Texas politics. They talked so much ----, and got enough local attention, that their opponents bought ads on their enemies talk shows.

#26 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2023-09-21 09:32 AM | Reply

and now one of those talk show trashhumans is our Lt. gov...

#27 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2023-09-21 09:34 AM | Reply

He'll jump right back into business JEniUs mode when he buys Trouth Sential from the casino bankruptcy guy, merging the two into Nazi Social.

#28 | Posted by chuffy at 2023-09-21 11:25 AM | Reply

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