Losing a cultural icon
Twitter is important to society, losing it is devastating.
Most of us remember where we were when we found out bad news. Similarly, I wonder if we’ll remember this moment in time too. We’re all flocking to Twitter, watching it burn. As Elon Musk Tweeted, “we just hit another all-time high,” I found myself nodding along to Jane Manchun Wong, “When someone is dying, the brain activity surges too.”
Earlier this week, Musk gave remaining Twitter employees an ultimatum to commit to working “extremely hardcore” or leave. Branded as Twitter 2.0, employees had to click “yes” on a Google form to pledge their allegiance or be terminated with severance. The email came in the middle of the night, like several communications since Musk took the helm. Employees had till Thursday, 5 PM ET to decide.
Today my feed is full of goodbyes as Tweeps share their decision to leave. Some estimates I’ve read suggest that 75 to 80 per cent of the remaining employees are out. That could leave Twitter with an extreme skeleton crew of fewer than 1,000 people.
Big losses at Twitter
Alex Heath, an editor at The Verge, reported that several critical infra-engineering teams at Twitter have completely resigned and that you cannot run Twitter without them.
Zoë Schiffer also Tweeted, “The designers leading Elon Musk’s Blue verified project are out, along with the lead web engineer. Many Twitter employees who maintained critical infrastructure have resigned. This is going to look like a very different company tomorrow.”
I also read that the entire Android team resigned.
Furthermore, employees have since been told that they can’t come into the office, likely because the company doesn’t know who’s quit yet. Those who didn’t opt-in to the new Twitter haven’t lost access to systems yet, maybe because the entire payroll team and those that manage access are also gone.
Things are breaking
With so many critical contributors gone, things will inevitably break. I’ve already seen several issues, including broken notification count, missing images, and replies scrolling on their own. Furthermore, the Explore page is less useful as it’s no longer curated, SMS codes stopped working, and I lost customisations for my Legacy Blue.
When I scroll through my feed, many believe that Twitter is dying or may disappear soon. One article I read on The Verge suggested Twitter passed away on October 27th. This was the day Musk took ownership. I have to agree. Twitter is no longer the Twitter we knew and loved.
The company has lost its soul since so many of the kind, caring, and talented employees have departed. And to be clear, I don’t blame the employees for this. I blame the bully at the top who’s made it an extremely toxic workplace with constantly changing demands and a lack of empathy. I have heard that Twitter had a beautiful culture pre-Musk, where employees loved where they worked and genuinely cared about each other and making the platform better for everyone. That culture has all but been destroyed.
Lost connections and opportunities
I’ve been a Twitter user for 13 years, and in that time, I’ve made many friends and connections. I have shared my professional achievements and promoted my apps, leading to sales. I’m mourning that the next time I have an update, I may not have a place to share it. Sure, alternatives exist, but none really compare to the community I’ve built on Twitter, with over 7,000 followers. It’s not easy to recreate that. I will keep using the site for as long as possible, but I fear it will not be the same.
Twitter for society
Twitter is an essential tool for society. We use it to consume news, to learn “what’s happening” in real-time, and to post when there is an earthquake or other emergency. Without it, we lose access to critical information, which can cost lives. As Caroline Orr Bueno, PhD, shared, “Twitter is a crucial disaster comms tool, and we don’t have a replacement for it.”
We’re losing a cultural icon, something deeply ingrained in society. Governments use it to keep us updated. Many memes start on Twitter. Where will we go when it disappears?
I know many users are fleeing to Mastodon. I’m on there too at mastodon.social/@heidi_helen. It’s not really the same, though. I’ve also seen two projects of interest, including T2 and Post News. But for now, I want to concentrate on Twitter and hang out on the platform while it’s still here. Twitter is the place where you even Live Tweet the platform going down.
My heart breaks every day when I read about the latest scandals happening at Twitter. I can’t seem to look away or concentrate on much else. We’re losing something special because a billionaire doesn’t understand or respect the service and the people who made it.
How do you feel about everything that’s going on?
Let me know in the comments. I’ll still post on Twitter, albeit with a more grim outlook. I’ll also be writing here on my Substack. Thank you for reading 44 Pixels.
🐦 Noteworthy Tweets
🔗 Sources
Elon Musk demands Twitter employees commit to ‘extremely hardcore’ culture or leave · The Verge
Elon Musk Gives Twitter Employees a Deadline to Stay or Leave · NYTimes
Hundreds of employees say no to being part of Elon Musk’s ‘extremely hardcore’ Twitter · The Verge
So long, and thanks for all the fail whales · The Verge
Twitter loses payroll department, other financial employees as part of mass resignation under Elon Musk · Business Insider
Twitter employees head for the exits after Elon Musk’s ‘extremely hardcore’ work ultimatum · CNN
Why We Recall Where We Were When We Heard Shocking News · Psychology Today
I agree with your sentiment. Seeing it mishandled and gutted in public just breaks my heart.
Twitter is by far the best news(worthy) platform and an integral and important part of the tech and media. Plus it is the site for live sports, new tv shows and movies and all the many niche categories (especially like you mentioned academic)
The platform is unlike anything because it is made of users who provide value on the topics rather than getting attention about themselves or their lifestyles.
Losing it is will be just like losing a home. This nest is my only residence on the internet. This platform attracts individuals who want to know the pulse of the world all the time. It is the world's Townsquare.
When Elon took over I thought it won't have to rely on ads and tracking. Processes would be taken to limit the propaganda and the misinformation thanks to @birdwatch/@CommunityNotes. The bot and spam would be eliminated and strong actions would be taken to stop the harassment towards women and other minorities. I was so wrong about it. He is instead targeting them and his mindless followers are making it difficult who have enjoyed this platform all these years. The citizen journalism idea is one of the most stupid notion I've ever heard. Actually we need more experts and creditable individuals who can provide accurate information.
But, as I put on my optimistic hat on, Twitter is resilient and it will persevere. I did thought we'd lose it this weekend but it is surviving. It is holding on. We can still enjoy it by continuing to use it and support the individuals who are still providing value.
Thankfully the advertisers (twitter's main revenue source) align with us and for Twitter 2.0 it has to make its users, us, happy. Only then it would be feasible.
The 140-character SMS Townsquare still has a non-zero chance to succeed irrespective of who is at the helm... and there's no deadline to give up hope.