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1/ For the army of butthurt MAGA But Muh Free Speech bleating over my critique of this absurd "X" rebranding...
A. Stanning every Elon decision is just silly; stanning THIS decision is absurd. As @karaswisher notes, this idea a "hold my beer" moment.
A. Stanning every Elon decision is just silly; stanning THIS decision is absurd. As @karaswisher notes, this idea a "hold my beer" moment.
@karaswisher 2/ Desperate rebrands are inherently a weak strategy when it's the product itself that needs the upgrade. Elon has worked diligently to make this site less fun, interesting, and easy to use.
We'll leave motive out of it for now.
But ad rev has...
We'll leave motive out of it for now.
But ad rev has...
@karaswisher 3/ ...crashed. It's a smoking crater. The $8 program flopped, and as the usual credit card expiration cycle runs, it'll drop off the cliff even more.
The qualitative decisions to elevate garbage low-quality accounts wasn't "free speech."
It was pique.
The qualitative decisions to elevate garbage low-quality accounts wasn't "free speech."
It was pique.
@karaswisher 4/ Grunting out "Muh First Amendment" on a private platform is like screaming "Hanseatic League!" at a Denny's. You'll get some weird looks, but they're not connected issues.
He can name it whatever he wants to name it...but it diminishes an already wounded brand.
He can name it whatever he wants to name it...but it diminishes an already wounded brand.
@karaswisher 5/ Now it's time to understand the dog food rule.
Posit you have a dog food company that makes dog food with rotten meat; the nastiest, most rank and vile roadkill every canned.
But you hire a GREAT ad agency. The greatest in history.
Posit you have a dog food company that makes dog food with rotten meat; the nastiest, most rank and vile roadkill every canned.
But you hire a GREAT ad agency. The greatest in history.
@karaswisher 6/ They make wonderful ads; chunks of perfect, glorious beef with healthy dogs racing to their bowls to wolf it down.
People buy the hell out of it.
But then when they open the can and the rotten meat drops in the dish, the dogs run away.
People buy the hell out of it.
But then when they open the can and the rotten meat drops in the dish, the dogs run away.
@karaswisher 7/ The dog food tastes bad. So the company renames it from Mountain Meadow Gourmet Dog Food to Wildlands Range Meat Delight. They advertise more.
People give it another chance.
The dogs still won't eat it.
The dog food is rotten. The ads and branding don't matter.
People give it another chance.
The dogs still won't eat it.
The dog food is rotten. The ads and branding don't matter.
@karaswisher 8/ Proposing a rebrand, or some MTLB visioning session won't fix it. And it won't fix this platform.
All the ways ad rev can come back are easy but cost ego points from the owner.
I've been here a long time. There has been tremendous value and importance...
All the ways ad rev can come back are easy but cost ego points from the owner.
I've been here a long time. There has been tremendous value and importance...
@karaswisher 9/ ...to the national conversation, news, information, fun, and connection here.
Now, the perverse incentives to make it more hellish for the users who make the most impactful content are why the money went away.
Logo revamp isn't going to change that.
Now, the perverse incentives to make it more hellish for the users who make the most impactful content are why the money went away.
Logo revamp isn't going to change that.
10/ Ironically, the people who mindlessly encourage this kind of dumb corporate behavior on Elon's part have the most to lose.
And with that, I'm off to post a picture of my cat in a too-small basket on Threads.
And with that, I'm off to post a picture of my cat in a too-small basket on Threads.
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