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Ariana Baio
Mar 30, 2023
Elon Musk calls for a pause in artificial intelligence training: 'Profound risks …
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Elon Musk is facing increasingly tough criticism from people on Twitter indicating that people are unhappy with the direction he is taking the platform in.
In a surprise turn of events on Thursday, one of Musk’s largest supporters on the platform, who goes by Catturd2, issued a critique.
“Let me get this straight… I can’t scroll through my replies or home page without seeing tons of ads. So basically, advertisers get to advertise directly to my 1.6 million followers without paying me a dime,” Catturd2 wrote.
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“Not only that, I have to pay Twitter $11 per month who gets 100% of the advertising dollars,” Catturd2 added.
The complaint is a reference to Twitter Blue, the opt-in subscription-based feature that Musk rolled out late last year. For $11 per month, users can obtain a verification badge as well as get exclusive access to Twitter features.
However, Twitter Blue does not limit or remove advertisements for paid subscribers.
Twitter Blue’s about page says they “hope to offer fewer ads for Twitter Blue subscribers in the future” but their goal “is to provide enough value through premium features that people feel that it is worth paying for.”
\u201cLet me get this straight ...\n\nI can't scroll through my replies or home page without seeing tons of ads.\n\nSo basically, advertisers get to advertise directly to my 1.6 million followers without paying me a dime. \n\nNot only that, I have to pay Twitter $11 per month who gets 100%\u2026\u201d— Catturd \u2122 (@Catturd \u2122) 1680180517
However, some people like Catturd2 feel Twitter Blue is not “worth it.”
\u201c@catturd2 I canceled my blue check after a month because it offered nothing. @elonmusk is still throttling, shadowbanning and locking out conservatives. And I know of numerous conservatives whose accounts are still suspended from Twitter 1.0.\u201d— Catturd \u2122 (@Catturd \u2122) 1680180517
\u201c@catturd2 I\u2019m on the fence about canceling my subscription. Hasn\u2019t helped me in any kinda way. Engagement has been lower than ever.\u201d— Catturd \u2122 (@Catturd \u2122) 1680180517
\u201c@catturd2 Wow, sounds like we all need to stop paying for our blue check marks. \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\u201d— Catturd \u2122 (@Catturd \u2122) 1680180517
Catturd2 continued their rant saying, “Then they ban my account for a day for warning the public about potential violence- and while I’m suspended and can’t use my own account, advertisers still were doing ads in my replies.”
“Seems fair,” Catturd2 added.
Catturd2’s Twitter account was suspended this week for tweeting about a flyer for the “transgender day of vengeance.” Twitter removed thousands of tweets about the protest saying the word “vengeance” does not imply peaceful protest.
Like many conservatives, Catturd2 tweeted was opposed to the protest, but Twitter’s takedown of the flyer was quick with limited consideration of the context.
\u201c@CaseyExplosion catturd realizing that he is in fact the product, not a business partner\u201d— Casey @ twitch.tv/caseyexplosion (@Casey @ twitch.tv/caseyexplosion) 1680188117
Since Musk first took over Twitter in October, Catturd2 was an outspoken supporter, believing Musk would give conservative voices a larger platform to speak on.
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