What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk is known for not just his out-of-the-box ideas and ambitious plans for the progress of humankind, but also for his weird comments and friendly banter on Twitter which he now owns.
On Wednesday morning, Musk made light of a comment which insinuated that the Tesla chief executive officer is “extremely stupid”.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned from all this, it’s that it’s possible to be both the richest person on the planet and also extremely stupid,” a Twitter user who goes by the name of ‘God’ wrote.
In the reply section of the tweet, Musk, who tweeted numerous witty posts within a few hours, gave his approval, posting the emoji “100”.
💯
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
The user was referring to a series of new business measures including a Rs 220 per month charge for the most-coveted blue badge, which Musk has been implementing after completing his USD 44 billion Twitter purchase.
Late on Wednesday, the billionaire announced that Twitter will no longer give the blue tick verification mark to individuals for free. “Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month,” he tweeted.
Currently, there is no charge for the blue tick, which is usually associated with high-profile figures.
He said that the move is “essential to defeat spam and scam”, adding that the paid users will be given priority in replies and searches and will have to face half as many advertisements.
To all complainers, please continue complaining, but it will cost $8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2022
Before Musk took over, Twitter’s method of verifying users included an online application form. Also, the blue tick is reserved for certain people, which includes celebrities, politicians and journalists, who can be the target of impersonation.
Twitter introduced the system in 2009 after it faced a lawsuit accusing it of not doing enough to prevent imposter accounts. However, Twitter’s selective approach on the topic has not gone down well with many as they accused it of being biased and termed the process as arbitrary.
An astute businessman, Musk is aware of the fact that his newly acquired company has not posted a profit in years. He is also facing the daunting task to revamp Twitter’s business.
Interestingly, in a long run, Musk wants to reduce Twitter’s reliance on advertising.
He also said that publishers willing to work with the company will get a paywall bypass, enabling Twitter to reward content creators.
“There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians,” he said.
Only days before, it was widely speculated that Musk was planning to bring big changes in the verification process. Reports suggested that he was going to introduce a “subscription fee” for blue tick.
