Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey offers his thoughts on Elon Musk and the future of Twitter following the sudden change in ownership.
It’s been a strange time for Twitter users; After initially opting to become a majority shareholder and take a seat on Twitter’s board of directors, Tesla CEO and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk ultimately rejected that offer and tried to buy the social media site outright. Its first offer of $41 billion was apparently rejected when Twitter opted to adopt a “poison pill” strategy to dilute the value of its shares and deter a buyout. Days later, however, Musk and Twitter struck a deal, and surprisingly, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey appears to be enthusiastic.
When news of the Musk purchase broke on April 25, 2022, Dorsey composed a Twitter thread that began with a link to the Radiohead song “Everything In Its Right Place.” He then offered his thoughts on the deal, commenting that “Twitter as a company has always been my only problem and biggest regret” and “Elon is the singular solution I trust.” Given the back-and-forth between Musk and Twitter that had been going on and Twitter’s aforementioned poison pill strategy intended to alienate Musk, Dorsey’s comments may seem like a sudden change in tone.
However, Musk’s eagerness to preserve free speech and authenticate all human users appears to be in line with Dorsey’s belief that Twitter represents a “global consciousness.” Dorsey, of course, chooses to view the social media platform in a positive light, and there are certainly plenty of good things to come out of Twitter. From the Twitter bots helping Twitch streamers without viewers to the platform serving as a way for smaller developers without huge budgets to market their games and build an audience, Twitter has done quite a bit for the gaming world.
However, Elon Musk once called Twitter the “Dark souls of social media” for a reason; it’s no secret that toxic communities have sprung up due in part to the platform. Twitter’s new owner was probably joking when he made that comparison in 2018; he later suggested that Reddit would be blood borne and Instagram would be somehow The legend of Zelda—but, in a way, it underscores the problems of the site. If Jack Dorsey can endorse Musk’s vision for the service, then perhaps skeptical users can too.
For most, Twitter will remain a space to catch up on trending topics, talk to other members of the communities they’re interested in, and perhaps watch a bot meticulously work its way through the first one. Condemn match. However, those deeply concerned about the change in ownership can take comfort in Dorsey’s confidence in Twitter’s new owner.
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