Many trade publications take it for granted. Elon Musk changed the Twitter algorithm to reward his tweets. The Verge and Platformer even cite internal messages sent by the Twitter CEO’s cousin, James Musk, to the team of engineers who deal with the social network: “We are solving an engagement problem on the platform. Anyone who can write software can help us solve this problem. It’s very urgent.”
The problem, the engineers called to arms will later discover, is that a tweet from Elon Musk during the Super Bowl was seen fewer times than that of US President Joe Biden. Nine million against 21. An unacceptable defeat for the new owner of the company who immediately ran for cover.
Twitter has changed. Musk has been everywhere for three days
Confirmations or not there is a fact that is difficult to dispute. Anyone who has accessed Twitter for a few days sees many more tweets from Elon Musk. The timelines, according to various users, many also in Italy, seem to be invaded by messages from the company’s number one. Even if you don’t follow it. Even if you have no common interests.
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If you go to Twitter, you come across something Musk wrote or interacted with. Even creating a profile from scratch, as we tried to do at Italian Tech, Musk is seen as the first result. First among the accounts suggested to start using social networks (along with that of Fedez e Rosa Chemical, the other two in the podium of the suggested ones). Then in the feed itself, appearing in the ‘to follow’ section, a few minutes after starting to post the first followers.
It is clear that something has changed. That it is Musk who wanted it, highly probable.
Users are divided. And the divide on Twitter is still right-left
User reaction is currently divided. As is often the case with matters involving Musk. Divisive profile by nature, perhaps more than by choice.
Su Twitter hashtag come #BlockElon (blocks Elon, ed) are starting to become popular. And many say they blocked Musk to avoid seeing his tweets all the time. Some because they are not interested in his affairs. Others as a reaction to the somewhat master-father profile assumed by the new number one on the platform. And to his authoritarian choices made as sole owner, after buying the company for 44 billion last November. Who can afford to make good and bad weather on a social network used by 300 million people and with enormous communicative firepower.
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But what is unleashing on Twitter is once again a radical division between parties. Parties. Political factions. Musk has been making a right-wing voice on his social network for several months. He said he votes Republican. And for many he is considered a voice of American right-wing thinking. That the algorithm change comes after having suffered a ‘social defeat’ from Joe Biden is perhaps no coincidence.
Just as it is no coincidence that today in the company there is no one who knows (can?) oppose his decisions. Many engineers have been fired. Musk has repeatedly threatened to fire others. So it’s probable that nobody blinked at the request for a ‘free’ promotion of his tweets.
Forcing Twitter to drink its milk. A meme perhaps tells the choice
Several authoritative American sites say that in recent weeks Musk has developed a sort of obsession with the number of views his tweets get. Last week, Platformer recounted the firing of one of the company’s two remaining principal engineers. The reason? The tech had tried to explain to Musk that views of his tweets were declining in part because interest in him had waned. In general. The reaction of the number one of the company is described as furious. Then on Monday, the problem was fixed.
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More technically, it seems that the solution was to break down all the barriers to Musk’s tweets. His posts should therefore be able to run freely on Twitter among the best possible contents to enjoy. Regardless of the specific content of some tweets. In Twitter this solution is called “Power user multiplier”, multiplier of a user’s power. Used only and exclusively for Musk.
The meme and the milk
And Musk is aware of it. He enjoys it. He plays with it. One of his last Tweets tells about it. a meme. Elon Musk forcing Twitter to drink milk. His milk.
142 million views. Almost all active users on the platform. 20 million more than his followers. A doped communicative force. Which raises a lot of doubts. And some concern. Which are confirmed in that milk meme. Thanks to that extraordinary ability to transcend meaning that only memes have.