Thread by @Shoq

Many of us said the Blue-Checks (verified accounts) would create a cultural caste system within Twitter. @ev, @biz , @jack and others nodded at the concerns, but just seemed to shrug them off as a minor carp.

But we the critics were right, and the intellectual, … 1/4

@ev @biz @jack … journalistic and cultural carnage is now everywhere. The good news is that @Twitter could disable that really awful idea by allowing— as @Karoli has long advocated— everyone to be verified if they want to be. That denudes the "cache" of the caste status—exploited … 2/4

@ev @biz @jack @Twitter @Karoli … by corporate and parochial interests— immediately. It would reboot @Twitter tomorrow and a new vitality would thrive as people once again discovered new people and ideas, divorced from the brands, books and bandits that employ or enrich them. Much as we did on … 3/4

@ev @biz @jack @Twitter @Karoli … Twitter back in the day. No one would miss the old anointed Blue Check system, except some old Blue Checks. 4/4

New followers. My stream knows I am not a Twitter hater. I love the core Twitter idea. I'm just critical of what I love because I want to to be more than good. I want it to be great. And I think it can be. It just needs to become a seat of innovation again,