So "X" - nothing to see here. Elon's in control - Part XXX

Sued for unpaid rent in London after it unilaterally abandoned the office...

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/24/twitter-sued-by-crown-estate-alleged-unpaid-rent-london-hq

The zombie bird continues to roam the world of S&M (social & media)

Musk is now stating that legacy verified accounts like mine will no longer retain their blue ticks unless they subscribe to Twitter Blue, which is not available in Ireland. The verified blue tick meant you are who you say you are. When I got verified I had to provide certain information that proved I was who I said I was. What's to stop some clown in the future subscribing to Twitter blue and claiming to be somebody else?

This is going to be a disaster.

Very few are going to pay that.

Can't see the benefit in paying.

Having the same fee for CNN and the New York Post as the Gorey Observer doesn’t make any sense.

He is still only chasing shadows.if he gets 100k businesses to pay it Twitter will bring in 100 milion.

He failed to protect his revenue sources. He could now have the situation where businesses (especially media businesses) will stop putting content up again effecting his ability to bring in advertising revenue.

It's hard to know how bad it is because Twitter no longer has to publish accounts you will have to wait for company filings

An account with a few thousand followers and an account with millions of followers aren’t getting the same service.

He’s also deterring businesses from providing content for his network. There’s an argument that he should be paying them, not charging them.

In the case of TV networks, say ITV which isn't a state broadcaster like BBC which doesn't have any commercial advertising, ITV are using Twitter to gain revenue off their own advertising themselves.

So it doesn't seem irrational to me that ITV pay Twitter a grand a month. In fact that seems cheap. Another way of doing it is charging per hit rate or Twitter demands a percentage of ITV's advertising revenue.

But you are right, it is a circular thing, but if Twitter is in the red I think they are warranted in charging significant bucks for the service they provide to entities that are in the business of advertising themselves and not only.

Companies driving engagement on Twitter is absolutely key. Outside of advertising or promotion of tweets/accounts, the very fact they're on Twitter means people can tweet at them, ask questions, customer support, info etc. Those accounts can still do that with an unverified account. The only thing that happens with them not having a checkmark beside their name is that people may set up fake accounts, and people may get tricked by them and give personal info to what they thought was an official account. People aren't always going to check things like follower numbers, date account joined etc. Some people are possibly going to get scammed.

Whereas Musk wants companies to pay $12k a year (+$600 for each affiliated account)? Some companies will pay it because it's a drop in the bucket, but many won't because all of a sudden they have $12k+ added to their social media bill for the year.

It's extremely shortsighted, just like most of Musk's decisions, many of which he's had to walk back. I wonder if Executive Senior Advisor catturd2 will talk him out of it.

If anything, I've found I get more/quicker response from companies on social media than by trying to call them or use webchat, because social media is public and they want to be seen helping people as quickly and efficiently as possible to get positive public feedback. Though oftentimes, they just tell you to contact their call centre or whatever.

Hilariously not one of ITVs twitter accounts that I could find are verified anymore meaning they already arent bothered paying just the 8 dollars so what makes you think they would be willing to pay a grand?

Realistically how long does he have to turn the ship around before his investors start coming for him?

I'd also add in that there are probably a lot of bills ready to come due in the next 12 months from legal payouts for staff who weren't let go in accordance with relevant local laws and rent payments missed on various offices, and probably more similar payouts from sheer mis-management of the company, regardless of how well or badly the company is performing.