Kann Twitter happy Musk isn’t coming? At least I was happy. The fact that Musk wanted to buy Twitter for $44 billion caused a tumult on the platform in April. Debates about the sale of social media bring their economic basis back into the consciousness of users. In everyday life, most people rarely think about the role each individual plays in the value of the platforms.
For example, when Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012, it was easy to calculate that each of the then 30 million user accounts was worth about $33. The number of daily active, globally distributed Twitter users is currently around 230 million.
Point of sale or creative space
So each of these accounts is worth around $190 if you follow the asking price. The reason why Musk dropped the purchase was that Twitter had not disclosed the number of fake accounts – the number of active accounts is central to the value of a platform.
However, the quality and radiance of social media depend not only on the number of users, but also on their influence and status, on networks that extend beyond the edges of a platform into the online and offline world. The algorithmically determined communication architecture determines the climate and thus our satisfaction. And this is where the responsibility of the companies lies: do they see the platforms as a place to sell products, as a creative space or as an arena for political struggles?
That’s another reason why Musk’s plans had me concerned, because the billionaire had previously caused a stir with his vision of Twitter as an unmoderated village square of radical freedom of speech. I couldn’t bear the idea that maybe even more misanthropy, extremism and hatred would flood my timelines in the future.
For many active users like me, the debate made it even clearer how little we are ultimately involved in designing and managing the platform. Some migrated because of this and deleted their accounts. I initially decided to stay because I didn’t want to miss out on the social network that had grown and I didn’t want to wait and see what the planned takeover would entail.
The fact that Musk no longer wants to buy Twitter is probably not that important after the initial relief for users. More important is the awakened awareness among many that their own time on the platform is important for its success. And there’s nothing wrong with collectively looking for a place with better conditions when things get uncomfortable. No social media is too big to failif we choose another platform.
#collapsed #deal #Twitter #happy #Musk #isnt #coming