2022 and beyond Social Media Thread

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

If my company did this, I'd probably click "yes" since I'm in a comfortable financial situation and don't have a worry about finding a new job. I'd then see how little I could do before getting fired, just for the lulz.

How about if, up until a couple of months ago, you really liked your job at Twitter and this was your primary income that you needed to live. If I were in those shoes, I'd be doing some calculus with my wife of:

1) Do I think I can survive at a company that fires people on a whim even more than normal and has stated a goal to get rid of 75% of the workforce is is only halfway there? Meanwhile, my working conditions got substantially worse and it's like working at a startup without the lure of startup stock.
2) Do I think I can hang on more than 3 months in my full time job basically becoming "job hunter"? It sounds like management and middle management are already decimated so you might just be the only guy coming into your floor in the office. Whenever anyone is around, make it look like you're doing work because there may not be anyone anymore who even knows what your deliverables look like. The rest of the time, just be looking for a job.
3) Is the 3 months severance the best offer? Take 3 months pay and use it to look for a job. You weren't going to survive new "hardcore" Twitter so take what you can get and move on with your life.

I think, for a lot of people, #3 might be the best option. There's some chatter on Twitter and Reddit that this is an attempt to force out anyone local and basically subsist on slave H1-B labor. But that's probably a bit overstated since estimates are that they only had about 10% of their labor with H1-Bs (which is still super high): Twitter And Other Tech Layoffs Raise H-1B Visa Employment Issues

SI

[Mota]

It's pretty ridiculous! Elon believes that he "owns" each of these employees, apparently. That's not a good look. But people still defend him online, it's crazy!

And Sterlingice, you are 100% correct about the startup comment. Sure it's a lot easier to dedicate your entire life and forget about sleep when you are the owner (or part owner) and those improvements directly affect your net worth. For an employee who is making a modest salary, why should they completely abandon their personal life, and also likely cause relationships and marriages to end , just to make Elon more money?

Elon wears his work ethic as a badge of honor, meanwhile he has 10 kids of which he has very little relationship with.

[Ksyrup]

Yep, I'd take #3.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Mota

It's pretty ridiculous! Elon believes that he "owns" each of these employees, apparently. That's not a good look. But people still defend him online, it's crazy!

And Sterlingice, you are 100% correct about the startup comment. Sure it's a lot easier to dedicate your entire life and forget about sleep when you are the owner (or part owner) and those improvements directly affect your net worth. For an employee who is making a modest salary, why should they completely abandon their personal life, and also likely cause relationships and marriages to end , just to make Elon more money?

Elon wears his work ethic as a badge of honor, meanwhile he has 10 kids of which he has very little relationship with.

I don't know this about Musk, but there are a bunch of CEOs and other C-suite who talk a big game about work ethic and are completely full of it, too. Sure, they'll send out emails at 10pm to get that power trip and because they have no social life but they'll also be found at the golf course or traveling on the company dime with minimal company returns at conferences or "taking tours of company plants".

SI

[whomario]

A classic pic.twitter.com/RM0EvQK0jw

— Antonio Djigo (@brownio_) November 17, 2022

[whomario]

On the other hand i am pretty sure that this is not really about making money. Maybe a bit about not loosing too much for what is a hobbyhorse/cause for him but that's it. Even the 8$ thing is going to be less about money but about what it (including the fact it costs) does. It's pretty clear how the demographics of those buying this privileged access skew and given what features are planned to be associated with the subscription it's pretty evident where this is headed.

[Ksyrup]

If all I'm going to see are posts and even replies from people who have paid... fuck it, I'm out. It's like FB's algorithm except substituting forcing me to view posts from a bunch of largely unknown idiots who paid for verification for forcing me to view posts from a bunch of idiots I kind of or used to know who the algorithm thinks are my best friends.

[GrantDawg]

All Twitter offices have just shut their doors, and all access cards have been suspended. They said to expect them to reopen Nov. 21st. That doesn't sound promising.

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[Edward64]

Guess they won't show up in the Fortune's 2023 Best Companies to Work For

[GrantDawg]

The whole SRE team quit. According to one source the whole company only has 295 employees left. Total.

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[Ksyrup]

Tired: No more WFH, everyone get back to the Office or resign.
Wired: Sorry folks, Office’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya. https://t.co/PKuJ0plZl4

— Chris Krebs (@C_C_Krebs) November 18, 2022

[Edward64]

Wonder how bankruptcy (or Chapter 11) will play out

[Ksyrup]

So far the other options are not good, IMO. Mastodon makes no sense - join a server in one of these 20 topics you have no interest in, and oh, to see anyone else, you need to switch servers to meet people in another topic you have no interest in. And Counter.Social may just be too small - I've searched certain people and topics and found no one to follow to start compiling a timeline. And apparently for mobile access, you have to use the Mastodon app...?

I may just go back to FB, start a fresh profile, and only follow groups and musicians/celebs I am interested in. In other words, bring back MySpace, Tom!

[GrantDawg]

It really has a "last day of school" vibe on Twitter right now.

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[Ksyrup]

We’re finally going to see a Musk product in self-driving mode.

— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) November 18, 2022

[Ksyrup]

I hope this is true... but you know, parody/reality, it's all the same thing on Twitter right now.

I was laid off from Twitter this afternoon. I was in charge of managing badge access to Twitter offices.

Elon just called me and asked if I could come back to help them regain access to HQ as they shut off all badges and accidentally locked themselves out.

— Alex Cohen (@anothercohen) November 18, 2022

[Edward64]

Hah, that is great!

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

It really has a "last day of school" vibe on Twitter right now.

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I just saw a tweet that said - I wish we could sign each other's yearbooks.

[Ksyrup]

Someone is projecting multiple messages onto Twitter headquarters building in SF from a neighboring building. pic.twitter.com/VuFqLvDyxT

— Gia Vang (@Gia_Vang) November 18, 2022

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I hope this is true... but you know, parody/reality, it's all the same thing on Twitter right now.

Considering the guy says he works for another company in his profile, I'm guessing not true. But who knows these days

SI

[albionmoonlight]

I am in that group that really likes Twitter and the community I have there. I don't want it to go away, but if it does, I'll find something else online and/or in real life to replace it. I'm a middle-aged White American male who likes sports. There are lots of places for me to fit in in the world.

But I am struck/touched by how many people in the trans community, the disability community, etc. are really really upset about this. Apparently twitter really is/was a place for marginalized people to find community/support/belonging and there is not some ready-made substitute out there if it goes away.

[Ksyrup]

Ex-Twitter employees pitching investors next week. #RIPTwitter pic.twitter.com/aQe1Zpl2GT

— Pete Haas (@dimeford) November 18, 2022

[Edward64]

Great idea. Maybe a billionaire(s) will pick up the talent and create a viable competitor?

[Ksyrup]

What a tool!

As @dellcam discovered, Twitter seems to be stopping users from posting the URL for mastodon in tweets. I just tried it and got this message pic.twitter.com/xTa0zq9yCP

— David Gilbert (@daithaigilbert) November 18, 2022

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Great idea. Maybe a billionaire(s) will pick up the talent and create a viable competitor?

Employee Co-op initially funded by the public would be the only way to go. Provide a public good and tax the billionaires into millionaires to fund it.

[albionmoonlight]

If you were an ultra-rich celebrity and/or business mogul, you'd have such a leg up on the other ultra-rich if you just managed to keep a couple people close to you who were not yes men.

If you had someone who could talk you out of your stupidest ideas before you did them, you would just dominate the famous rich person sphere.

[QuikSand]

This wasn't just a hell site, it was a hell home

— heather (@lollyrots) November 18, 2022

[GrantDawg]

Another insider the email said if you to fly to SF, then do it...

NEW: Email from Elon to the engineering team: "Anyone who can actually write software, please report to the 10th floor at 2pm today. Before doing so, please email me a bullet point summary of what your code commits have achieved in the past 6 months" 1/

— Zoë Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) November 18, 2022

[Ksyrup]

From that thread, this seems to sum it up:

“We regret any inconvenience the sudden cabin movement might have caused, this is due to periodic air pockets we encountered, there’s no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your flight… By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?”

— Jolly (@jolly1766) November 18, 2022

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Another insider the email said if you to fly to SF, then do it...



My favorite is this one. Like if I worked for Twitter, I'm not sure what I'd be doing right now.

NEW: In an email for remote Twitter engineers, Elon Musk says he wants to speak to people on video ("only those who cannot physically get to Twitter HQ are excused") but "if possible, I would encourage you to fly to SF to present in person." He'll be at the office until midnight.

— Zoë Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) November 18, 2022

Like do you really want to work for this boss? And what if you don't just eat a $500+ plane ticket to try and woo for whatever crap "hardcore" job where you can just be laid off tomorrow anyway?

SI

[sterlingice]

This thread just warms my cold, black sysadmin heart

I've seen a lot of people asking "why does everyone think Twitter is doomed?"

As an SRE and sysadmin with 10+ years of industry experience, I wanted to write up a few scenarios that are real threats to the integrity of the bird site over the coming weeks.

— Mosquito Capital (@MosquitoCapital) November 18, 2022

SI

[albionmoonlight]

Saudi Arabia, an anti-democratic oil-dependent nation state, lent Musk money so that he could destroy Twitter as an engine for dissent and democratic engagement and, in the process, severely damage the reputation of a major electric car company.

Has to be one of the smartest loans in modern times.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Saudi Arabia, an anti-democratic oil-dependent nation state, lent Musk money so that he could destroy Twitter as an engine for dissent and democratic engagement and, in the process, severely damage the reputation of a major electric car company.

Has to be one of the smartest loans in modern times.

Yup. They will gleefully write that off as money well spent.

[whomario]

Turns out acting like a high strung sociopathic asshole, firing and treating employees in humiliating ways and openly courting white nationalists and election deniers as well as posting memes straight out of a 13 year olds mind while furthering rape culture and bullying is not in fact seen as a guarantee for continued business success (especially if that product is in competition with one that the same people he is now courting prefer and is predominantly bought by people that increasingly think he's a dangerous lunatic).

Good morning.

Elno’s fringe right clown show ��continues to tank the Tesla stock price, the thing that gives him power.

I thought the bleeding would stop when the stock price was HALVED. Instead, it’s plummeting to $150.

Here’s what you need to know. pic.twitter.com/Mn3DTX1gws

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) November 23, 2022

[Ksyrup]

I have seriously considered getting an EV or at least a hybrid in a 2-3 years when I'll be ready for a new car, but Tesla is off the list for me, in any way. It's less political and more management. I am not trusting my life to the kind of asshole who fired entire groups of employees and requires people to show up at his office in hours notice to kow how to one person.

[Kodos]

Also, who wants to give this guy any money?

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

If you were an ultra-rich celebrity and/or business mogul, you'd have such a leg up on the other ultra-rich if you just managed to keep a couple people close to you who were not yes men.

If you had someone who could talk you out of your stupidest ideas before you did them, you would just dominate the famous rich person sphere.

The problem with this is, sometimes the ultra-rich get that way by doing something conventional wisdom thinks is stupid, but actually was brilliant. People who are particularly low in risk-aversion can occasionally accomplish fantastic things in between the usually not as well known and more common failures, but to do that they have to be willing to not listen to conventional wisdom. If they did, they would be talked out of not just their bad ideas, but also their great ones.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I have seriously considered getting an EV or at least a hybrid in a 2-3 years when I'll be ready for a new car, but Tesla is off the list for me, in any way. It's less political and more management. I am not trusting my life to the kind of asshole who fired entire groups of employees and requires people to show up at his office in hours notice to kow how to one person.

Same here - I'm leaning towards a hybrid though. I just saw a Rivian truck this morning and did a walk around it. It was really nice looking but I'm afraid to even look up the price.

I completely agree on the Tesla. I saw somewhere a comment that Tesla owners have to be pissed off because they accidentally bought a $50K MAGA hat and thought it was funny.

[Ksyrup]

The worst part is that I assume many of them are on the liberal side as early EV adopters, living in blue country.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

The worst part is that I assume many of them are on the liberal side as early EV adopters, living in blue country.

That would describe my brother. He is pretty liberal, and has a Model 3.

[cuervo72]

Elon does seem to have a lot of fanboys.

https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/1595574671457792000

[cuervo72]

Explains a lot of Trump's support though, I guess. I am amazed that so many people think that you have to be rich to be smart, and vice-versa.

[Ksyrup]

This is some pretty interesting insight.

This is *exactly* as I imagined, and provides the most straightforward explanation for anyone still trying to grasp at complicated theories on how the "SpaceX genius" could possibly be so bad at this. https://t.co/gRAgBgCPo7 pic.twitter.com/b2PGwhQmH7

— Rob Sheridan (Parody) (@rob_sheridan) November 23, 2022

[sterlingice]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1595869526469533701

Musk is now playing the role of William Atherton, shutting off the containment unit for Twitter, and letting all banned accounts back in (with a couple of exceptions).

Of course, he decided this using super scientific Twitter polls, months after he accused Twitter of having millions of bots in an effort to get out of buying it

SI

[Mota]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

This is some pretty interesting insight.

This is *exactly* as I imagined, and provides the most straightforward explanation for anyone still trying to grasp at complicated theories on how the "SpaceX genius" could possibly be so bad at this. https://t.co/gRAgBgCPo7 pic.twitter.com/b2PGwhQmH7

— Rob Sheridan (Parody) (@rob_sheridan) November 23, 2022

So eerily similar to Vince McMahon.

[sterlingice]

Or all the talk about people having to manage Trump in the White House

SI

[whomario]

Elon reinstated Brett Stevens who previously praised the mass murder of 77 people in Norway by Anders Breivik. Now he's advocating for genocidal policies and forced removal of ethnic groups. This is the free speech Elon wants. pic.twitter.com/IWoDzJOu1W

— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) November 29, 2022

[Ghost Econ]

I'm not sure what is worse:

Trying to scroll Facebook with 90% ads just to see what my cousins are up to; or

Trying to scroll Twitter to see sports updates but intead seeing 90% of posts being rando conservative celebrities talking about pedophilia.

Social media is dead.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Ghost Econ

I'm not sure what is worse:

Trying to scroll Facebook with 90% ads just to see what my cousins are up to; or

Trying to scroll Twitter to see sports updates but intead seeing 90% of posts being rando conservative celebrities talking about pedophilia.

Social media is dead.

This board is the last true social media site for me. Not even kidding.

[Ksyrup]

I made an account over at Post. It's in Beta so it's like a left-leaning, partially functional Twitter. I hope it grows and attracts more than just anti-Trump/Elon types but obviously at this moment, that's the impetus for people gravitating to it. I need more news/sports/music/comedy/randomness in my feed for it to feel like a truly well-rounded social media experience. But I'm going to stick around there for awhile and attempt to wean myself off Twitter (as best I can).