I doubt the most important thing in life for the author is/was his Twitter account. He’s a comedy writer and this piece is very much tongue in cheek, although he makes some interesting points about Twitter.
It’s easy to make fun of Elon Musk, but I like him and he’s been consistently underestimated. Still, forty billion for Twitter… I hope he really is a business genius and the rebranded X is about to prove all his critics wrong yet again.
I believe since the latest news about Jojo, the massive and soon to be largest supercomputer in the world, that his real motive was to buy data to feed AI. As you said, never underestimate Elon.
I’m afraid you’ve been duped. He’s a really dangerous demagogue who wants to recreate the Chinese social credit system “WeChat”. He dreams of “X” the everything app… where everyone will be required to have a digital ID (preferably implanted into their body) so that we can be validated, counted and herded like cattle. “X” marks the spot… it is the mark of the beast. No one shall buy or sell without it. He got his blueprint from the book of Revelation.
Not sure why you’re getting the down ticks. Musk has been pretty open about X becoming an everything app. Twitter and Facebook show that the network effect means a large popular app quickly becomes the monopoly app. So if X achieves what Musks hopes for it, coupled with his less public AI development, X would become the primary way for buying and selling and everything else in the webverse. We can’t attribute motive to Musk but to be charitable we can say creators are often blind to the dangers of their creations. We can see the potential danger of what Musk wants X to become even if Musk is a nice guy. Musk won’t run X forever.
The quote from the Bible is relevant whether one is a Christian or not. It is a universal truth that anyone who controls money and trade controls the world. We must ensure at any cost that no person and no organisation ever takes or is given that opportunity for control.
For me it was the baseless claim that Musk wants to give us a social credit score – that is the antithesis of one of his primary beliefs – the importance of freedom of speech, which is incompatible with the idea of social credit score
Look up his quote on how much he admires “WeChat”, the Chinese social credit system. And if you think Musk cares about you, I’m sorry, you are very much mistaken. He’s quite clearly sociopathic… just watch an interview with him!
Look up his quote on how much he admires “WeChat”, the Chinese social credit system. And if you think Musk cares about you, I’m sorry, you are very much mistaken. He’s quite clearly sociopathic… just watch an interview with him!
Exactly! They-who-would-rule-the-world always tell us their plans quite openly. But people can’t engage because it’s too frightening. Like the “net zero” agenda. This is clearly defined in IPCC papers as a communist agenda to limit human freedom and enterprise, but if you try to engage with people and show them this, they get hysterical about the world ending due to “global warming” (sorry, the UN just announced the age of “global warming” is over, and now it’s “global boiling”!) It all ties together. People with huge wealth want absolute control and will use any means necessary to get it. Fear is the best tactic to control people. So keep the masses frightened of anything – viruses, AI, aliens, global warming, paedophiles, terrorists – so they will accept measures of control. The journalist Whitney Webb is a good source on a lot of this stuff. And James Corbett, of course.
Amy. I’m afraid you are now deeply in echo chamber territory. “Clearly defined in IPCC papers” – have you actually read any?
And trying to spatchcock Elon Musk with this is stretching this world view to breaking view.
The world is complicated, power isn’t distributed evenly, there are worrying trends Although, haven’t there always been? The UK was one prime minister away from becoming a German National Socialist vassal state in 1940).
Terrorism and people sexually predating on children are real threats. It’s not easy….m
Amy. I’m afraid you are now deeply in echo chamber territory. “Clearly defined in IPCC papers” – have you actually read any?
And trying to spatchcock Elon Musk with this is stretching this world view to breaking view.
The world is complicated, power isn’t distributed evenly, there are worrying trends Although, haven’t there always been? The UK was one prime minister away from becoming a German National Socialist vassal state in 1940).
Terrorism and people sexually predating on children are real threats. It’s not easy….m
The down ticks are because the post sounds completely delusional. Further Musk is for open source AI and he is fully aware of the dangers of AI – has warned the world for many years.
That attitude – because a rich and powerful man says something, it’s true – is just naïve! And ye shall know them by their fruits. Judge him on his actions. Research his relationship with Sam Altman and Larry Page. Look beyond the soundbites. My comment is not delusional, it’s based on a full picture of Elon over the years, and not just what he said last week!
That attitude – because a rich and powerful man says something, it’s true – is just naïve! And ye shall know them by their fruits. Judge him on his actions. Research his relationship with Sam Altman and Larry Page. Look beyond the soundbites. My comment is not delusional, it’s based on a full picture of Elon over the years, and not just what he said last week!
For me it was the baseless claim that Musk wants to give us a social credit score – that is the antithesis of one of his primary beliefs – the importance of freedom of speech, which is incompatible with the idea of social credit score
Exactly! They-who-would-rule-the-world always tell us their plans quite openly. But people can’t engage because it’s too frightening. Like the “net zero” agenda. This is clearly defined in IPCC papers as a communist agenda to limit human freedom and enterprise, but if you try to engage with people and show them this, they get hysterical about the world ending due to “global warming” (sorry, the UN just announced the age of “global warming” is over, and now it’s “global boiling”!) It all ties together. People with huge wealth want absolute control and will use any means necessary to get it. Fear is the best tactic to control people. So keep the masses frightened of anything – viruses, AI, aliens, global warming, paedophiles, terrorists – so they will accept measures of control. The journalist Whitney Webb is a good source on a lot of this stuff. And James Corbett, of course.
The down ticks are because the post sounds completely delusional. Further Musk is for open source AI and he is fully aware of the dangers of AI – has warned the world for many years.
Can you actually produce any evidence for any of this? So far as I can tell, Musk is a libertarian and free speech fundamentalist – which is why he is so hated by people like the author of this rather turgid piece who think that those who don’t share their views must therefore by definition be wicked and evil.
No, he’s following the Trump playbook, posing as the saviour of the libertarians in order to trap them in the next net. Look up his comments about, and admiration for, “WeChat”. He wants to create a global digital ID system under his control. Not your friend. Sorry!
Ah, the “Trump playbook”. Of course, who would want that, other than the 72 million who voted for him in the last election, many in part due to people like you OP whose TDS and bigotry run rampant.
Ah, the “Trump playbook”. Of course, who would want that, other than the 72 million who voted for him in the last election, many in part due to people like you OP whose TDS and bigotry run rampant.
Quite!
‘Liberals’ didn’t seem to care much when women were getting banned from twitter for stating the reality of biological sex; whilst they simultaneously received death threats and other threatening messages from ‘liberal’ activists whose accounts remained intact.
No, he’s following the Trump playbook, posing as the saviour of the libertarians in order to trap them in the next net. Look up his comments about, and admiration for, “WeChat”. He wants to create a global digital ID system under his control. Not your friend. Sorry!
Quite!
‘Liberals’ didn’t seem to care much when women were getting banned from twitter for stating the reality of biological sex; whilst they simultaneously received death threats and other threatening messages from ‘liberal’ activists whose accounts remained intact.
Not sure why you’re getting the down ticks. Musk has been pretty open about X becoming an everything app. Twitter and Facebook show that the network effect means a large popular app quickly becomes the monopoly app. So if X achieves what Musks hopes for it, coupled with his less public AI development, X would become the primary way for buying and selling and everything else in the webverse. We can’t attribute motive to Musk but to be charitable we can say creators are often blind to the dangers of their creations. We can see the potential danger of what Musk wants X to become even if Musk is a nice guy. Musk won’t run X forever.
The quote from the Bible is relevant whether one is a Christian or not. It is a universal truth that anyone who controls money and trade controls the world. We must ensure at any cost that no person and no organisation ever takes or is given that opportunity for control.
Can you actually produce any evidence for any of this? So far as I can tell, Musk is a libertarian and free speech fundamentalist – which is why he is so hated by people like the author of this rather turgid piece who think that those who don’t share their views must therefore by definition be wicked and evil.
Don’t know if my earlier comment will return (it disappeared along with a thread under it, an hour ago) but I never thought I’d get censored for criticising Musk… that’s pure dramatic irony – ha!
If he (Musk), is eventually forced to close down, I think he has a wonderful opportunity to sue every advertiser (and cancel culture twit), who were responsible the demise of his business – by withholding Ad-spend purely based on political ideologies and not because his product was “bad”.
I believe since the latest news about Jojo, the massive and soon to be largest supercomputer in the world, that his real motive was to buy data to feed AI. As you said, never underestimate Elon.
I’m afraid you’ve been duped. He’s a really dangerous demagogue who wants to recreate the Chinese social credit system “WeChat”. He dreams of “X” the everything app… where everyone will be required to have a digital ID (preferably implanted into their body) so that we can be validated, counted and herded like cattle. “X” marks the spot… it is the mark of the beast. No one shall buy or sell without it. He got his blueprint from the book of Revelation.
Don’t know if my earlier comment will return (it disappeared along with a thread under it, an hour ago) but I never thought I’d get censored for criticising Musk… that’s pure dramatic irony – ha!
If he (Musk), is eventually forced to close down, I think he has a wonderful opportunity to sue every advertiser (and cancel culture twit), who were responsible the demise of his business – by withholding Ad-spend purely based on political ideologies and not because his product was “bad”.
Liberals think they’re so nice, and so right – and just that little bit better than everyone else. But very humble about it. Honestly.
Even after all this time, when I am exposed to it at full wattage, the sheer transparency of their rather narcissistic self-regard, always catches me slightly by surprise.
Liberals are actually Conservatives in most places without a Monarchy. The People formerly known as Liberals now identify as Progressives in homage to their flawless foresight.
Everything they say and do is for your own good and as soon as everybody realizes this; magic rainbows will sprinkle down from the Sky.
Liberals are actually Conservatives in most places without a Monarchy. The People formerly known as Liberals now identify as Progressives in homage to their flawless foresight.
Everything they say and do is for your own good and as soon as everybody realizes this; magic rainbows will sprinkle down from the Sky.
I doubt the most important thing in life for the author is/was his Twitter account. He’s a comedy writer and this piece is very much tongue in cheek, although he makes some interesting points about Twitter.
It’s easy to make fun of Elon Musk, but I like him and he’s been consistently underestimated. Still, forty billion for Twitter… I hope he really is a business genius and the rebranded X is about to prove all his critics wrong yet again.
Liberals think they’re so nice, and so right – and just that little bit better than everyone else. But very humble about it. Honestly.
Even after all this time, when I am exposed to it at full wattage, the sheer transparency of their rather narcissistic self-regard, always catches me slightly by surprise.
i think it’s not good idea to change logo for X, Musk wanna have X-corp which do all things
polidori redux
9 months ago
I don’t know what to say, except that I genuinely pity a man for whom the most important thing in life appears to be a Twitter account.
R Wright
9 months ago
I like works the author has contributed to, but this was nothing more than the sad screed of a progressive who has lost his safe space to the hated ‘white guy’. People like the author are the very reason Twitter became such a snake pit, disguised as a hug box. No matter how much you despite it, like a crack addict you will keep going to it, because the modern cartel-style internet of a handful of powerful sites is the hell that you wrought.
R Wright
9 months ago
I like works the author has contributed to, but this was nothing more than the sad screed of a progressive who has lost his safe space to the hated ‘white guy’. People like the author are the very reason Twitter became such a snake pit, disguised as a hug box. No matter how much you despite it, like a crack addict you will keep going to it, because the modern cartel-style internet of a handful of powerful sites is the hell that you wrought.
Nell Clover
9 months ago
I can’t help but compare this article to the tiresome threats of columnists to leave Britain because referendums / elections don’t go how they wish and somehow Britain has already left them. And yet years later, they’re still living in Britain writing the same column and still threatening to leave because Britain has already left them.
If Twitter has “left” the author, why is he still logging in every day to scroll past tweets he’s not interested in and look at ads that aren’t relevant* to him? Is he a fool? Of course not. If the author was being honest, and not just having a rant, he would reluctantly admit he’s still logging on to Twitter because his public profile and therefore his livelihood benefits from it. Twitter hasn’t left him at all, it is a key part of his public profile that supports his career and getting gigs writing whines like the one above.
* What sort of adult is paying any attention to adverts on apps and websites?
Same reason many haven’t left Britain. Personal, professional and social ties.
But as to leaving the country – it’s actually quite difficult after leaving the EU. It’s taking me the best past of 2 years with visas, applications and language tests.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown… she is the first account to become a self parody account. She has categorically said she would leave if such and such happened at least 4 times.
She’s still here.
Same reason many haven’t left Britain. Personal, professional and social ties.
But as to leaving the country – it’s actually quite difficult after leaving the EU. It’s taking me the best past of 2 years with visas, applications and language tests.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown… she is the first account to become a self parody account. She has categorically said she would leave if such and such happened at least 4 times.
She’s still here.
Nell Clover
9 months ago
I can’t help but compare this article to the tiresome threats of columnists to leave Britain because referendums / elections don’t go how they wish and somehow Britain has already left them. And yet years later, they’re still living in Britain writing the same column and still threatening to leave because Britain has already left them.
If Twitter has “left” the author, why is he still logging in every day to scroll past tweets he’s not interested in and look at ads that aren’t relevant* to him? Is he a fool? Of course not. If the author was being honest, and not just having a rant, he would reluctantly admit he’s still logging on to Twitter because his public profile and therefore his livelihood benefits from it. Twitter hasn’t left him at all, it is a key part of his public profile that supports his career and getting gigs writing whines like the one above.
* What sort of adult is paying any attention to adverts on apps and websites?
Last edited 9 months ago by Nell Clover
Mike Michaels
9 months ago
“Islamophobes”? I’m sorry but when you use that word you may as well be holding those girls down.
“Islamophobes”? I’m sorry but when you use that word you may as well be holding those girls down.
Paddy Taylor
9 months ago
Seeing the ‘almost’ quote with which you began your article, jogged a memory.
On the morning after the Brexit referendum, surprised and elated that Leave had won, I was reading the Guardian and marvelling at the bedwetting catastrophism of some Remainers, not to mention the unhinged level of vitriol of others. My own little foray into the comments section on those glorious morning, was in response to a snarlingly unpleasant piece naming and shaming those writers and public figures that were “to blame” for “brainwashing” the country with their “Lies” – the writer of this screed was particularly incensed by Toby Young. Mr Young’s seemingly effortless ability to get under the skin of Guardianista metro-lefties is his most endearing quality.
In response I wrote of my joy at the Brexit result and waxed poetical with my own bastardised Wordsworth. “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive. But Toby Young was very heaven”,
The comment stayed up for several hours – before the moderation Stasi ‘disappeared’ it – and I can safely say that in my several years of posting on the Guardian no comment of mine induced more hateful criticism than that one. People were seemingly having apoplexy at the keyboard. Only HM Bateman could have done justice to such a picture of outrage.
Ahhh, Happy days. Not being on cif or Twitter has been good for the soul.
There’s a theme… Brexit Derangement Syndrome, Trump Derangement Syndrome, Twitter Derangement Syndrome. A pile on by all the people who cannot believe that their ’cause’ has been lost. Or perhaps that should be ‘their crusade has failed’.
Matched only by the spluttering belligerent denial of those on the other side that their cause has lost – be it DT’s MAGA/Stolen Election, BoJo, Brexit, Putinism…
Nope, just bored with those who fall foul of – ‘ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?’.
Nope, just bored with those who fall foul of – ‘ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?’.
Matched only by the spluttering belligerent denial of those on the other side that their cause has lost – be it DT’s MAGA/Stolen Election, BoJo, Brexit, Putinism…
There’s a theme… Brexit Derangement Syndrome, Trump Derangement Syndrome, Twitter Derangement Syndrome. A pile on by all the people who cannot believe that their ’cause’ has been lost. Or perhaps that should be ‘their crusade has failed’.
Seeing the ‘almost’ quote with which you began your article, jogged a memory.
On the morning after the Brexit referendum, surprised and elated that Leave had won, I was reading the Guardian and marvelling at the bedwetting catastrophism of some Remainers, not to mention the unhinged level of vitriol of others. My own little foray into the comments section on those glorious morning, was in response to a snarlingly unpleasant piece naming and shaming those writers and public figures that were “to blame” for “brainwashing” the country with their “Lies” – the writer of this screed was particularly incensed by Toby Young. Mr Young’s seemingly effortless ability to get under the skin of Guardianista metro-lefties is his most endearing quality.
In response I wrote of my joy at the Brexit result and waxed poetical with my own bastardised Wordsworth. “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive. But Toby Young was very heaven”,
The comment stayed up for several hours – before the moderation Stasi ‘disappeared’ it – and I can safely say that in my several years of posting on the Guardian no comment of mine induced more hateful criticism than that one. People were seemingly having apoplexy at the keyboard. Only HM Bateman could have done justice to such a picture of outrage.
Ahhh, Happy days. Not being on cif or Twitter has been good for the soul.
Daniel Lee
9 months ago
Liberals: “Twitter lost me when it let people I disagree with speak as freely as I can. I’m going over to Threads, where I’ll never have to hear their voices again.”
Liberals: “Twitter lost me when it let people I disagree with speak as freely as I can. I’m going over to Threads, where I’ll never have to hear their voices again.”
Richard Craven
9 months ago
“We’d meet occasionally in Soho pubs”
Of course you did.
Presumably Soho is now a satellite of Quislington?
I have always associated it with other, more physical activity.
Richard Craven
9 months ago
“We’d meet occasionally in Soho pubs”
Of course you did.
Richard Craven
9 months ago
“Phase 1: Sack all non-suck-ups and losers.
Phase 2: Wipe 70% off market value (totally cool, hold your nerve bro).
Phase 3: Invite back all the weird angry people previously banned.
Phase 4: Change name from Twitter (lame) to X (super-cool, mysterious).
Phase 5: Introduce frequent ad hurdles to acclimatise users to revenue grooming.
Phase 6: Introduce blue-tick charge to acclimatise users to subscription fracking.
Phase 7: Kick back. Wait for the world to deal with radical vibe shift.”
I think the whole point of that bit was to make a joke about the way Elon Musk probably thinks, i.e. like a teenager? It’s actually a well-written piece, if a bit pointless
I think the whole point of that bit was to make a joke about the way Elon Musk probably thinks, i.e. like a teenager? It’s actually a well-written piece, if a bit pointless
“Phase 1: Sack all non-suck-ups and losers.
Phase 2: Wipe 70% off market value (totally cool, hold your nerve bro).
Phase 3: Invite back all the weird angry people previously banned.
Phase 4: Change name from Twitter (lame) to X (super-cool, mysterious).
Phase 5: Introduce frequent ad hurdles to acclimatise users to revenue grooming.
Phase 6: Introduce blue-tick charge to acclimatise users to subscription fracking.
Phase 7: Kick back. Wait for the world to deal with radical vibe shift.”
Do you have to write like a bloody teenager?
Katharine Eyre
9 months ago
“Everyone seems sort of resigned now to ecstatic now about social media becoming less interesting and to us all spending less time on it.”
There, fixed it for you. Am very happy to have limited my consumption of these networks to Facebook and never went near Twitter, or Instagram, or TikTok. I would happily delete my FB account too, but would lose contact with too many people who I enjoy keeping up with and who I occasionally see in person, so it stays. Grudgingly.
I cheered Musk’s purchase of Twitter because my instinctive thought was that he was buying it in order to run it into the ground. Bring it on, I thought.
I swapped Facebook for Instagram around 2021 ish. Most of the people I wanted to know about had accounts on both and they were linked to each other. The other people I kept up with via the old ways (email, how quaint). On Instagram I get see peoples kid, pet, travel photos without the hefty monologues giving me their moralizing take on the news of the day. I occasionally dip into FB for local info and it isn’t long before I scurry back off again.
I swapped Facebook for Instagram around 2021 ish. Most of the people I wanted to know about had accounts on both and they were linked to each other. The other people I kept up with via the old ways (email, how quaint). On Instagram I get see peoples kid, pet, travel photos without the hefty monologues giving me their moralizing take on the news of the day. I occasionally dip into FB for local info and it isn’t long before I scurry back off again.
Katharine Eyre
9 months ago
“Everyone seems sort of resigned now to ecstatic now about social media becoming less interesting and to us all spending less time on it.”
There, fixed it for you. Am very happy to have limited my consumption of these networks to Facebook and never went near Twitter, or Instagram, or TikTok. I would happily delete my FB account too, but would lose contact with too many people who I enjoy keeping up with and who I occasionally see in person, so it stays. Grudgingly.
I cheered Musk’s purchase of Twitter because my instinctive thought was that he was buying it in order to run it into the ground. Bring it on, I thought.
Last edited 9 months ago by Katharine Eyre
Stephen Quilley
9 months ago
‘ I followed Westboro Baptist church members, Holocaust deniers, Islamophobes, homophobes, all the phobes, all personally wounded by the injustice of “these people” just being in their eyeline. Misogynists were everywhere, social media affirming the warning Germaine Greer had sounded half a century earlier — that women have very little idea of just how much men hate them’
It’s so revealing that you can’t see exactly the same level of extremism and hatred on your own side; that Twitter didn’t lose you when it was promoting far-leftist gender cultists and transhumanists exclusively. The people attacking Greer right now and threatening her with rape on a daily basis are the child mutilation/trans cultists who are now the establishment in every one of your beloved institutions.
Having said that, X is not the solution. Digital everything and transhumanism are simply another tack against the head wind of natural law towards hell.
I was wondering about that too. It would be hard to round up enough real “woman haters” to form a line in front of a food truck these days. But the trans-people – that’s a whole different story.
I was wondering about that too. It would be hard to round up enough real “woman haters” to form a line in front of a food truck these days. But the trans-people – that’s a whole different story.
Last edited 9 months ago by Jeff Cunningham
Stephen Quilley
9 months ago
‘ I followed Westboro Baptist church members, Holocaust deniers, Islamophobes, homophobes, all the phobes, all personally wounded by the injustice of “these people” just being in their eyeline. Misogynists were everywhere, social media affirming the warning Germaine Greer had sounded half a century earlier — that women have very little idea of just how much men hate them’
It’s so revealing that you can’t see exactly the same level of extremism and hatred on your own side; that Twitter didn’t lose you when it was promoting far-leftist gender cultists and transhumanists exclusively. The people attacking Greer right now and threatening her with rape on a daily basis are the child mutilation/trans cultists who are now the establishment in every one of your beloved institutions.
Having said that, X is not the solution. Digital everything and transhumanism are simply another tack against the head wind of natural law towards hell.
Andrew F
9 months ago
I like the guy movies, especially Death of Stalin.
But this article is a pathetic rant about supposed glory days of Twitter when everyone was civil blah, blah.
It was left, as usual, which created platforms “fact checkers”, shadow banning etc, to censor people with perfectly reasonable views.
It is left which is incapable of engaging in proper discourse because their pathetic, woke, gender, BLM supporting agenda can not survive discussions based on facts.
So like Communism, their only weapon is censorship.
Andrew F
9 months ago
I like the guy movies, especially Death of Stalin.
But this article is a pathetic rant about supposed glory days of Twitter when everyone was civil blah, blah.
It was left, as usual, which created platforms “fact checkers”, shadow banning etc, to censor people with perfectly reasonable views.
It is left which is incapable of engaging in proper discourse because their pathetic, woke, gender, BLM supporting agenda can not survive discussions based on facts.
So like Communism, their only weapon is censorship.
Jim Veenbaas
9 months ago
I didn’t realize Twitter was so awful – making fun of dead children.
Yeah, that stood out to me too, JV. If the death of a child helps your political cause then you are hopelessly trapped in some closed ideological loop.
Yeah, that stood out to me too, JV. If the death of a child helps your political cause then you are hopelessly trapped in some closed ideological loop.
I didn’t realize Twitter was so awful – making fun of dead children.
Dick Illyes
9 months ago
Pathetic virtue signaling. Being totally unable to see how they are being manipulated by big pharma, engaging in heroic obedience, unable to find meaning in anything but hating the free minded and creative.
Dick Illyes
9 months ago
Pathetic virtue signaling. Being totally unable to see how they are being manipulated by big pharma, engaging in heroic obedience, unable to find meaning in anything but hating the free minded and creative.
Steven Carr
9 months ago
‘I had several conversations with a cheerful woman from Sarah Palin’s office ….’
All these horrible Twitter experiences must have been from the time when Jack Dorsey was setting out his vision of what Twitter should be like.
Steven Carr
9 months ago
‘I had several conversations with a cheerful woman from Sarah Palin’s office ….’
All these horrible Twitter experiences must have been from the time when Jack Dorsey was setting out his vision of what Twitter should be like.
Noel Chiappa
9 months ago
I love the un-spoken message that the only interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful people are on the left. What an arrogant moron.
Noel Chiappa
9 months ago
I love the un-spoken message that the only interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful people are on the left. What an arrogant moron.
Saul D
9 months ago
Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage! … tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk, .. pining for the Fjords.
‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! … This is an X-parrot!!
Saul D
9 months ago
Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage! … tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk, .. pining for the Fjords.
‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! … This is an X-parrot!!
James Kirk
9 months ago
Put liberals and twitter users to useful work picking up litter and digging up mangelwurzles. Something real to bang on about.
James Kirk
9 months ago
Put liberals and twitter users to useful work picking up litter and digging up mangelwurzles. Something real to bang on about.
Charles Stanhope
9 months ago
What was a Twitter account?
Presumably nothing to do with ornithology ?
Charles Stanhope
9 months ago
What was a Twitter account?
Presumably nothing to do with ornithology ?
Mark epperson
9 months ago
Pretentious BS. Let’s see, Twitter was colluding with the guvment to spin or stifle “free speech” and yet this “liberal” isn’t upset. That’s because his liberal journalists have sold their integrity and souls for a few shekels to become “propagandists” for their respective rag or online site to “monetize themselves. Pure rubbish, grow up dude.
Mark epperson
9 months ago
Pretentious BS. Let’s see, Twitter was colluding with the guvment to spin or stifle “free speech” and yet this “liberal” isn’t upset. That’s because his liberal journalists have sold their integrity and souls for a few shekels to become “propagandists” for their respective rag or online site to “monetize themselves. Pure rubbish, grow up dude.
Marsha D
9 months ago
Thanks for the timely reminder to delete my unused twix account.
Marsha D
9 months ago
Thanks for the timely reminder to delete my unused twix account.
Cho Jinn
9 months ago
…why were you on Twitter in the first place?
Cho Jinn
9 months ago
…why were you on Twitter in the first place?
Prashant Kotak
9 months ago
I get the strangest feeling of deja vu, not sure why. Is this piece a re-tread?
Prashant Kotak
9 months ago
I get the strangest feeling of deja vu, not sure why. Is this piece a re-tread?
Ray Andrews
9 months ago
Is there a word for this kind of article? It doesn’t really have anything to say, it’s just a sort of display of the author’s worldly wise superiority. He’s clearly tired of living on a planet infested with mere mortals, they don’t even amuse him anymore. They don’t amuse me anymore either but I’m not going to waste more than this paragraphs-worth of your time saying it. And I’m sorry for even that.
Ray Andrews
9 months ago
Is there a word for this kind of article? It doesn’t really have anything to say, it’s just a sort of display of the author’s worldly wise superiority. He’s clearly tired of living on a planet infested with mere mortals, they don’t even amuse him anymore. They don’t amuse me anymore either but I’m not going to waste more than this paragraphs-worth of your time saying it. And I’m sorry for even that.
tom j
9 months ago
What a strange piece. Twitter (or ‘X’) is fine, or at least as fine as it ever was. Just block accounts you don’t like, don’t follow them and complain. In his take-down summary he misses the one point relevant to his argument, which is the payments to people who crease 15 million impressions in a 3 month period. A good journalist ought to be able to achieve that. Musk is a libertarian, and one of the accounts he brought back (one of the reasons he bought Twitter) was the good old Babylon Bee. Maybe Ian misses the old censorship, but I don’t.
tom j
9 months ago
What a strange piece. Twitter (or ‘X’) is fine, or at least as fine as it ever was. Just block accounts you don’t like, don’t follow them and complain. In his take-down summary he misses the one point relevant to his argument, which is the payments to people who crease 15 million impressions in a 3 month period. A good journalist ought to be able to achieve that. Musk is a libertarian, and one of the accounts he brought back (one of the reasons he bought Twitter) was the good old Babylon Bee. Maybe Ian misses the old censorship, but I don’t.
Ralph Hanke
9 months ago
Hilarious. Thank you for the giggles.
Ralph Hanke
9 months ago
Hilarious. Thank you for the giggles.
Russell Sharpe
9 months ago
Not worth reading. Stupid cliché after stupid cliché.
Russell Sharpe
9 months ago
Not worth reading. Stupid cliché after stupid cliché.
Christopher Chantrill
9 months ago
Yes. These days, what with nerdly Elon Musk, Twitter / X is not really out of the top drawer. Old chap.
Christopher Chantrill
9 months ago
Yes. These days, what with nerdly Elon Musk, Twitter / X is not really out of the top drawer. Old chap.
Thanks for reposting this (where you posted it on my earlier comment, the whole thread disappeared). I’ve skimmed and there are some interesting points made.
Thanks for reposting this (where you posted it on my earlier comment, the whole thread disappeared). I’ve skimmed and there are some interesting points made.
You didn’t date the “colourised trench-warfare horror scene”.
Champagne Socialist
9 months ago
I left Twitter the day that Musk took over and haven’t missed it – although I do enjoy hearing what an enormous mess he has made of it!
I’m sure UnHerd readers just loving following their favourite neo-nazis and swivel eyed loons now that Musk has welcomed them all back. Lord knows you need another venue to share your idiocies!
I left Twitter the day that Musk took over and haven’t missed it – although I do enjoy hearing what an enormous mess he has made of it!
I’m sure UnHerd readers just loving following their favourite neo-nazis and swivel eyed loons now that Musk has welcomed them all back. Lord knows you need another venue to share your idiocies!
I don’t know what to say, except that I genuinely pity a man for whom the most important thing in life appears to be a Twitter account.
I doubt the most important thing in life for the author is/was his Twitter account. He’s a comedy writer and this piece is very much tongue in cheek, although he makes some interesting points about Twitter.
It’s easy to make fun of Elon Musk, but I like him and he’s been consistently underestimated. Still, forty billion for Twitter… I hope he really is a business genius and the rebranded X is about to prove all his critics wrong yet again.
Maybe. I have seen The Thick of It – crude.
Sometimes tongue in cheek hides a truth.
I believe since the latest news about Jojo, the massive and soon to be largest supercomputer in the world, that his real motive was to buy data to feed AI. As you said, never underestimate Elon.
AI educated by Twitter!!
The Horsemen cometh and their name is Jojo.
AI educated by Twitter!!
The Horsemen cometh and their name is Jojo.
I’m afraid you’ve been duped. He’s a really dangerous demagogue who wants to recreate the Chinese social credit system “WeChat”. He dreams of “X” the everything app… where everyone will be required to have a digital ID (preferably implanted into their body) so that we can be validated, counted and herded like cattle. “X” marks the spot… it is the mark of the beast. No one shall buy or sell without it. He got his blueprint from the book of Revelation.
Not sure why you’re getting the down ticks. Musk has been pretty open about X becoming an everything app. Twitter and Facebook show that the network effect means a large popular app quickly becomes the monopoly app. So if X achieves what Musks hopes for it, coupled with his less public AI development, X would become the primary way for buying and selling and everything else in the webverse. We can’t attribute motive to Musk but to be charitable we can say creators are often blind to the dangers of their creations. We can see the potential danger of what Musk wants X to become even if Musk is a nice guy. Musk won’t run X forever.
The quote from the Bible is relevant whether one is a Christian or not. It is a universal truth that anyone who controls money and trade controls the world. We must ensure at any cost that no person and no organisation ever takes or is given that opportunity for control.
For me it was the baseless claim that Musk wants to give us a social credit score – that is the antithesis of one of his primary beliefs – the importance of freedom of speech, which is incompatible with the idea of social credit score
Look up his quote on how much he admires “WeChat”, the Chinese social credit system. And if you think Musk cares about you, I’m sorry, you are very much mistaken. He’s quite clearly sociopathic… just watch an interview with him!
Look up his quote on how much he admires “WeChat”, the Chinese social credit system. And if you think Musk cares about you, I’m sorry, you are very much mistaken. He’s quite clearly sociopathic… just watch an interview with him!
Exactly! They-who-would-rule-the-world always tell us their plans quite openly. But people can’t engage because it’s too frightening. Like the “net zero” agenda. This is clearly defined in IPCC papers as a communist agenda to limit human freedom and enterprise, but if you try to engage with people and show them this, they get hysterical about the world ending due to “global warming” (sorry, the UN just announced the age of “global warming” is over, and now it’s “global boiling”!) It all ties together. People with huge wealth want absolute control and will use any means necessary to get it. Fear is the best tactic to control people. So keep the masses frightened of anything – viruses, AI, aliens, global warming, paedophiles, terrorists – so they will accept measures of control. The journalist Whitney Webb is a good source on a lot of this stuff. And James Corbett, of course.
Amy. I’m afraid you are now deeply in echo chamber territory. “Clearly defined in IPCC papers” – have you actually read any?
And trying to spatchcock Elon Musk with this is stretching this world view to breaking view.
The world is complicated, power isn’t distributed evenly, there are worrying trends Although, haven’t there always been? The UK was one prime minister away from becoming a German National Socialist vassal state in 1940).
Terrorism and people sexually predating on children are real threats. It’s not easy….m
Amy. I’m afraid you are now deeply in echo chamber territory. “Clearly defined in IPCC papers” – have you actually read any?
And trying to spatchcock Elon Musk with this is stretching this world view to breaking view.
The world is complicated, power isn’t distributed evenly, there are worrying trends Although, haven’t there always been? The UK was one prime minister away from becoming a German National Socialist vassal state in 1940).
Terrorism and people sexually predating on children are real threats. It’s not easy….m
The down ticks are because the post sounds completely delusional. Further Musk is for open source AI and he is fully aware of the dangers of AI – has warned the world for many years.
That attitude – because a rich and powerful man says something, it’s true – is just naïve! And ye shall know them by their fruits. Judge him on his actions. Research his relationship with Sam Altman and Larry Page. Look beyond the soundbites. My comment is not delusional, it’s based on a full picture of Elon over the years, and not just what he said last week!
That attitude – because a rich and powerful man says something, it’s true – is just naïve! And ye shall know them by their fruits. Judge him on his actions. Research his relationship with Sam Altman and Larry Page. Look beyond the soundbites. My comment is not delusional, it’s based on a full picture of Elon over the years, and not just what he said last week!
For me it was the baseless claim that Musk wants to give us a social credit score – that is the antithesis of one of his primary beliefs – the importance of freedom of speech, which is incompatible with the idea of social credit score
Exactly! They-who-would-rule-the-world always tell us their plans quite openly. But people can’t engage because it’s too frightening. Like the “net zero” agenda. This is clearly defined in IPCC papers as a communist agenda to limit human freedom and enterprise, but if you try to engage with people and show them this, they get hysterical about the world ending due to “global warming” (sorry, the UN just announced the age of “global warming” is over, and now it’s “global boiling”!) It all ties together. People with huge wealth want absolute control and will use any means necessary to get it. Fear is the best tactic to control people. So keep the masses frightened of anything – viruses, AI, aliens, global warming, paedophiles, terrorists – so they will accept measures of control. The journalist Whitney Webb is a good source on a lot of this stuff. And James Corbett, of course.
The down ticks are because the post sounds completely delusional. Further Musk is for open source AI and he is fully aware of the dangers of AI – has warned the world for many years.
Can you actually produce any evidence for any of this? So far as I can tell, Musk is a libertarian and free speech fundamentalist – which is why he is so hated by people like the author of this rather turgid piece who think that those who don’t share their views must therefore by definition be wicked and evil.
No, he’s following the Trump playbook, posing as the saviour of the libertarians in order to trap them in the next net. Look up his comments about, and admiration for, “WeChat”. He wants to create a global digital ID system under his control. Not your friend. Sorry!
Ah, the “Trump playbook”. Of course, who would want that, other than the 72 million who voted for him in the last election, many in part due to people like you OP whose TDS and bigotry run rampant.
Aaaaaah! So we finally get it: the anti-Trump bigot!
Ah, the “Trump playbook”. Of course, who would want that, other than the 72 million who voted for him in the last election, many in part due to people like you OP whose TDS and bigotry run rampant.
Aaaaaah! So we finally get it: the anti-Trump bigot!
Quite!
‘Liberals’ didn’t seem to care much when women were getting banned from twitter for stating the reality of biological sex; whilst they simultaneously received death threats and other threatening messages from ‘liberal’ activists whose accounts remained intact.
No, he’s following the Trump playbook, posing as the saviour of the libertarians in order to trap them in the next net. Look up his comments about, and admiration for, “WeChat”. He wants to create a global digital ID system under his control. Not your friend. Sorry!
Quite!
‘Liberals’ didn’t seem to care much when women were getting banned from twitter for stating the reality of biological sex; whilst they simultaneously received death threats and other threatening messages from ‘liberal’ activists whose accounts remained intact.
Amy is right
That was wrong one sorry
Amy this is I think grist to your mill https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-china-convergence?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=330796&post_id=135685825&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0NjIzMjIyLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoxMzU2ODU4MjUsImlhdCI6MTY5MTA3MTU0NiwiZXhwIjoxNjkzNjYzNTQ2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzMwNzk2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.sxGY1Frv_fu5Gs_ZtmdqPpcZTnNbYondyHbH_9OfFWs&utm_medium=email
The mark of the beast lol.
Someone or a few are going to do that, so it might as well be someone smart, brave and with enough money to take a punt on future innovation.
Not sure why you’re getting the down ticks. Musk has been pretty open about X becoming an everything app. Twitter and Facebook show that the network effect means a large popular app quickly becomes the monopoly app. So if X achieves what Musks hopes for it, coupled with his less public AI development, X would become the primary way for buying and selling and everything else in the webverse. We can’t attribute motive to Musk but to be charitable we can say creators are often blind to the dangers of their creations. We can see the potential danger of what Musk wants X to become even if Musk is a nice guy. Musk won’t run X forever.
The quote from the Bible is relevant whether one is a Christian or not. It is a universal truth that anyone who controls money and trade controls the world. We must ensure at any cost that no person and no organisation ever takes or is given that opportunity for control.
Can you actually produce any evidence for any of this? So far as I can tell, Musk is a libertarian and free speech fundamentalist – which is why he is so hated by people like the author of this rather turgid piece who think that those who don’t share their views must therefore by definition be wicked and evil.
Amy is right
That was wrong one sorry
Amy this is I think grist to your mill https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-china-convergence?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=330796&post_id=135685825&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0NjIzMjIyLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoxMzU2ODU4MjUsImlhdCI6MTY5MTA3MTU0NiwiZXhwIjoxNjkzNjYzNTQ2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzMwNzk2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.sxGY1Frv_fu5Gs_ZtmdqPpcZTnNbYondyHbH_9OfFWs&utm_medium=email
The mark of the beast lol.
Someone or a few are going to do that, so it might as well be someone smart, brave and with enough money to take a punt on future innovation.
Don’t know if my earlier comment will return (it disappeared along with a thread under it, an hour ago) but I never thought I’d get censored for criticising Musk… that’s pure dramatic irony – ha!
Isnt comedy supposed to be funny?
If he (Musk), is eventually forced to close down, I think he has a wonderful opportunity to sue every advertiser (and cancel culture twit), who were responsible the demise of his business – by withholding Ad-spend purely based on political ideologies and not because his product was “bad”.
Maybe. I have seen The Thick of It – crude.
Sometimes tongue in cheek hides a truth.
I believe since the latest news about Jojo, the massive and soon to be largest supercomputer in the world, that his real motive was to buy data to feed AI. As you said, never underestimate Elon.
I’m afraid you’ve been duped. He’s a really dangerous demagogue who wants to recreate the Chinese social credit system “WeChat”. He dreams of “X” the everything app… where everyone will be required to have a digital ID (preferably implanted into their body) so that we can be validated, counted and herded like cattle. “X” marks the spot… it is the mark of the beast. No one shall buy or sell without it. He got his blueprint from the book of Revelation.
Don’t know if my earlier comment will return (it disappeared along with a thread under it, an hour ago) but I never thought I’d get censored for criticising Musk… that’s pure dramatic irony – ha!
Isnt comedy supposed to be funny?
If he (Musk), is eventually forced to close down, I think he has a wonderful opportunity to sue every advertiser (and cancel culture twit), who were responsible the demise of his business – by withholding Ad-spend purely based on political ideologies and not because his product was “bad”.
And who was responsible for The Death of Stalin
You can still curate your Twitter account to get the sort of content that you enjoy. I don’t think he has a cooking clue. I love Twitter!
Liberals think they’re so nice, and so right – and just that little bit better than everyone else. But very humble about it. Honestly.
Even after all this time, when I am exposed to it at full wattage, the sheer transparency of their rather narcissistic self-regard, always catches me slightly by surprise.
Liberals are actually Conservatives in most places without a Monarchy. The People formerly known as Liberals now identify as Progressives in homage to their flawless foresight.
Everything they say and do is for your own good and as soon as everybody realizes this; magic rainbows will sprinkle down from the Sky.
Liberals are actually Conservatives in most places without a Monarchy. The People formerly known as Liberals now identify as Progressives in homage to their flawless foresight.
Everything they say and do is for your own good and as soon as everybody realizes this; magic rainbows will sprinkle down from the Sky.
i think it’s not good idea to change logo for X, Musk wanna have X-corp which do all things
I doubt the most important thing in life for the author is/was his Twitter account. He’s a comedy writer and this piece is very much tongue in cheek, although he makes some interesting points about Twitter.
It’s easy to make fun of Elon Musk, but I like him and he’s been consistently underestimated. Still, forty billion for Twitter… I hope he really is a business genius and the rebranded X is about to prove all his critics wrong yet again.
And who was responsible for The Death of Stalin
You can still curate your Twitter account to get the sort of content that you enjoy. I don’t think he has a cooking clue. I love Twitter!
Liberals think they’re so nice, and so right – and just that little bit better than everyone else. But very humble about it. Honestly.
Even after all this time, when I am exposed to it at full wattage, the sheer transparency of their rather narcissistic self-regard, always catches me slightly by surprise.
i think it’s not good idea to change logo for X, Musk wanna have X-corp which do all things
I don’t know what to say, except that I genuinely pity a man for whom the most important thing in life appears to be a Twitter account.
I like works the author has contributed to, but this was nothing more than the sad screed of a progressive who has lost his safe space to the hated ‘white guy’. People like the author are the very reason Twitter became such a snake pit, disguised as a hug box. No matter how much you despite it, like a crack addict you will keep going to it, because the modern cartel-style internet of a handful of powerful sites is the hell that you wrought.
I like works the author has contributed to, but this was nothing more than the sad screed of a progressive who has lost his safe space to the hated ‘white guy’. People like the author are the very reason Twitter became such a snake pit, disguised as a hug box. No matter how much you despite it, like a crack addict you will keep going to it, because the modern cartel-style internet of a handful of powerful sites is the hell that you wrought.
I can’t help but compare this article to the tiresome threats of columnists to leave Britain because referendums / elections don’t go how they wish and somehow Britain has already left them. And yet years later, they’re still living in Britain writing the same column and still threatening to leave because Britain has already left them.
If Twitter has “left” the author, why is he still logging in every day to scroll past tweets he’s not interested in and look at ads that aren’t relevant* to him? Is he a fool? Of course not. If the author was being honest, and not just having a rant, he would reluctantly admit he’s still logging on to Twitter because his public profile and therefore his livelihood benefits from it. Twitter hasn’t left him at all, it is a key part of his public profile that supports his career and getting gigs writing whines like the one above.
* What sort of adult is paying any attention to adverts on apps and websites?
Same reason many haven’t left Britain. Personal, professional and social ties.
But as to leaving the country – it’s actually quite difficult after leaving the EU. It’s taking me the best past of 2 years with visas, applications and language tests.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown… she is the first account to become a self parody account. She has categorically said she would leave if such and such happened at least 4 times.
She’s still here.
Same reason many haven’t left Britain. Personal, professional and social ties.
But as to leaving the country – it’s actually quite difficult after leaving the EU. It’s taking me the best past of 2 years with visas, applications and language tests.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown… she is the first account to become a self parody account. She has categorically said she would leave if such and such happened at least 4 times.
She’s still here.
I can’t help but compare this article to the tiresome threats of columnists to leave Britain because referendums / elections don’t go how they wish and somehow Britain has already left them. And yet years later, they’re still living in Britain writing the same column and still threatening to leave because Britain has already left them.
If Twitter has “left” the author, why is he still logging in every day to scroll past tweets he’s not interested in and look at ads that aren’t relevant* to him? Is he a fool? Of course not. If the author was being honest, and not just having a rant, he would reluctantly admit he’s still logging on to Twitter because his public profile and therefore his livelihood benefits from it. Twitter hasn’t left him at all, it is a key part of his public profile that supports his career and getting gigs writing whines like the one above.
* What sort of adult is paying any attention to adverts on apps and websites?
“Islamophobes”? I’m sorry but when you use that word you may as well be holding those girls down.
Thanks for dealing with the tuat.
Thank God it wasn’t just me.
Thanks for dealing with the tuat.
Thank God it wasn’t just me.
“Islamophobes”? I’m sorry but when you use that word you may as well be holding those girls down.
Seeing the ‘almost’ quote with which you began your article, jogged a memory.
On the morning after the Brexit referendum, surprised and elated that Leave had won, I was reading the Guardian and marvelling at the bedwetting catastrophism of some Remainers, not to mention the unhinged level of vitriol of others. My own little foray into the comments section on those glorious morning, was in response to a snarlingly unpleasant piece naming and shaming those writers and public figures that were “to blame” for “brainwashing” the country with their “Lies” – the writer of this screed was particularly incensed by Toby Young. Mr Young’s seemingly effortless ability to get under the skin of Guardianista metro-lefties is his most endearing quality.
In response I wrote of my joy at the Brexit result and waxed poetical with my own bastardised Wordsworth.
“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive. But Toby Young was very heaven”,
The comment stayed up for several hours – before the moderation Stasi ‘disappeared’ it – and I can safely say that in my several years of posting on the Guardian no comment of mine induced more hateful criticism than that one. People were seemingly having apoplexy at the keyboard. Only HM Bateman could have done justice to such a picture of outrage.
Ahhh, Happy days. Not being on cif or Twitter has been good for the soul.
There’s a theme… Brexit Derangement Syndrome, Trump Derangement Syndrome, Twitter Derangement Syndrome. A pile on by all the people who cannot believe that their ’cause’ has been lost. Or perhaps that should be ‘their crusade has failed’.
Matched only by the spluttering belligerent denial of those on the other side that their cause has lost – be it DT’s MAGA/Stolen Election, BoJo, Brexit, Putinism…
Another lost soul that think election denial began with Trump.
Nope, just bored with those who fall foul of – ‘ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?’.
Yes. I mean, how dare people have the temerity to vote their convictions!
This is getting painful – I’m talking about hypocrites, not how people vote.
Which most of those who voted for Biden were and are!
Which most of those who voted for Biden were and are!
This is getting painful – I’m talking about hypocrites, not how people vote.
Yes. I mean, how dare people have the temerity to vote their convictions!
Nope, just bored with those who fall foul of – ‘ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?’.
Another lost soul that think election denial began with Trump.
Matched only by the spluttering belligerent denial of those on the other side that their cause has lost – be it DT’s MAGA/Stolen Election, BoJo, Brexit, Putinism…
Wordsworth would have been proud
There’s a theme… Brexit Derangement Syndrome, Trump Derangement Syndrome, Twitter Derangement Syndrome. A pile on by all the people who cannot believe that their ’cause’ has been lost. Or perhaps that should be ‘their crusade has failed’.
Wordsworth would have been proud
Seeing the ‘almost’ quote with which you began your article, jogged a memory.
On the morning after the Brexit referendum, surprised and elated that Leave had won, I was reading the Guardian and marvelling at the bedwetting catastrophism of some Remainers, not to mention the unhinged level of vitriol of others. My own little foray into the comments section on those glorious morning, was in response to a snarlingly unpleasant piece naming and shaming those writers and public figures that were “to blame” for “brainwashing” the country with their “Lies” – the writer of this screed was particularly incensed by Toby Young. Mr Young’s seemingly effortless ability to get under the skin of Guardianista metro-lefties is his most endearing quality.
In response I wrote of my joy at the Brexit result and waxed poetical with my own bastardised Wordsworth.
“Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive. But Toby Young was very heaven”,
The comment stayed up for several hours – before the moderation Stasi ‘disappeared’ it – and I can safely say that in my several years of posting on the Guardian no comment of mine induced more hateful criticism than that one. People were seemingly having apoplexy at the keyboard. Only HM Bateman could have done justice to such a picture of outrage.
Ahhh, Happy days. Not being on cif or Twitter has been good for the soul.
Liberals: “Twitter lost me when it let people I disagree with speak as freely as I can. I’m going over to Threads, where I’ll never have to hear their voices again.”
Or be heard from again.
Or be heard from again.
Liberals: “Twitter lost me when it let people I disagree with speak as freely as I can. I’m going over to Threads, where I’ll never have to hear their voices again.”
“We’d meet occasionally in Soho pubs”
Of course you did.
Presumably Soho is now a satellite of Quislington?
I have always associated it with other, more physical activity.
Quislington – Love it.
Courtesy of Fraser Bailey Esq, an early and very amusing commentator on UnHerd.
Oh yes, I miss his briliant comments, too…
Oh yes, I miss his briliant comments, too…
Courtesy of Fraser Bailey Esq, an early and very amusing commentator on UnHerd.
Quislington – Love it.
Presumably Soho is now a satellite of Quislington?
I have always associated it with other, more physical activity.
“We’d meet occasionally in Soho pubs”
Of course you did.
“Phase 1: Sack all non-suck-ups and losers.
Phase 2: Wipe 70% off market value (totally cool, hold your nerve bro).
Phase 3: Invite back all the weird angry people previously banned.
Phase 4: Change name from Twitter (lame) to X (super-cool, mysterious).
Phase 5: Introduce frequent ad hurdles to acclimatise users to revenue grooming.
Phase 6: Introduce blue-tick charge to acclimatise users to subscription fracking.
Phase 7: Kick back. Wait for the world to deal with radical vibe shift.”
Do you have to write like a bloody teenager?
Must be a friend of ‘rubber’ Holland, aka ‘Thorax’.
I think the whole point of that bit was to make a joke about the way Elon Musk probably thinks, i.e. like a teenager? It’s actually a well-written piece, if a bit pointless
To quote Craig Ferguson: “it’s a joke, eh.”
Must be a friend of ‘rubber’ Holland, aka ‘Thorax’.
I think the whole point of that bit was to make a joke about the way Elon Musk probably thinks, i.e. like a teenager? It’s actually a well-written piece, if a bit pointless
To quote Craig Ferguson: “it’s a joke, eh.”
“Phase 1: Sack all non-suck-ups and losers.
Phase 2: Wipe 70% off market value (totally cool, hold your nerve bro).
Phase 3: Invite back all the weird angry people previously banned.
Phase 4: Change name from Twitter (lame) to X (super-cool, mysterious).
Phase 5: Introduce frequent ad hurdles to acclimatise users to revenue grooming.
Phase 6: Introduce blue-tick charge to acclimatise users to subscription fracking.
Phase 7: Kick back. Wait for the world to deal with radical vibe shift.”
Do you have to write like a bloody teenager?
“Everyone seems sort of
resigned now toecstatic now about social media becoming less interesting and to us all spending less time on it.”There, fixed it for you. Am very happy to have limited my consumption of these networks to Facebook and never went near Twitter, or Instagram, or TikTok. I would happily delete my FB account too, but would lose contact with too many people who I enjoy keeping up with and who I occasionally see in person, so it stays. Grudgingly.
I cheered Musk’s purchase of Twitter because my instinctive thought was that he was buying it in order to run it into the ground. Bring it on, I thought.
I swapped Facebook for Instagram around 2021 ish. Most of the people I wanted to know about had accounts on both and they were linked to each other. The other people I kept up with via the old ways (email, how quaint). On Instagram I get see peoples kid, pet, travel photos without the hefty monologues giving me their moralizing take on the news of the day. I occasionally dip into FB for local info and it isn’t long before I scurry back off again.
I no more want to see my friend’s shitty videos and pics on Instagram than I wanted to see their shitty pics in their wallets and purses.
They always look much better—and provide more joy—in person.
I no more want to see my friend’s shitty videos and pics on Instagram than I wanted to see their shitty pics in their wallets and purses.
They always look much better—and provide more joy—in person.
I swapped Facebook for Instagram around 2021 ish. Most of the people I wanted to know about had accounts on both and they were linked to each other. The other people I kept up with via the old ways (email, how quaint). On Instagram I get see peoples kid, pet, travel photos without the hefty monologues giving me their moralizing take on the news of the day. I occasionally dip into FB for local info and it isn’t long before I scurry back off again.
“Everyone seems sort of
resigned now toecstatic now about social media becoming less interesting and to us all spending less time on it.”There, fixed it for you. Am very happy to have limited my consumption of these networks to Facebook and never went near Twitter, or Instagram, or TikTok. I would happily delete my FB account too, but would lose contact with too many people who I enjoy keeping up with and who I occasionally see in person, so it stays. Grudgingly.
I cheered Musk’s purchase of Twitter because my instinctive thought was that he was buying it in order to run it into the ground. Bring it on, I thought.
‘ I followed Westboro Baptist church members, Holocaust deniers, Islamophobes, homophobes, all the phobes, all personally wounded by the injustice of “these people” just being in their eyeline. Misogynists were everywhere, social media affirming the warning Germaine Greer had sounded half a century earlier — that women have very little idea of just how much men hate them’
It’s so revealing that you can’t see exactly the same level of extremism and hatred on your own side; that Twitter didn’t lose you when it was promoting far-leftist gender cultists and transhumanists exclusively. The people attacking Greer right now and threatening her with rape on a daily basis are the child mutilation/trans cultists who are now the establishment in every one of your beloved institutions.
Having said that, X is not the solution. Digital everything and transhumanism are simply another tack against the head wind of natural law towards hell.
I was wondering about that too. It would be hard to round up enough real “woman haters” to form a line in front of a food truck these days. But the trans-people – that’s a whole different story.
I was wondering about that too. It would be hard to round up enough real “woman haters” to form a line in front of a food truck these days. But the trans-people – that’s a whole different story.
‘ I followed Westboro Baptist church members, Holocaust deniers, Islamophobes, homophobes, all the phobes, all personally wounded by the injustice of “these people” just being in their eyeline. Misogynists were everywhere, social media affirming the warning Germaine Greer had sounded half a century earlier — that women have very little idea of just how much men hate them’
It’s so revealing that you can’t see exactly the same level of extremism and hatred on your own side; that Twitter didn’t lose you when it was promoting far-leftist gender cultists and transhumanists exclusively. The people attacking Greer right now and threatening her with rape on a daily basis are the child mutilation/trans cultists who are now the establishment in every one of your beloved institutions.
Having said that, X is not the solution. Digital everything and transhumanism are simply another tack against the head wind of natural law towards hell.
I like the guy movies, especially Death of Stalin.
But this article is a pathetic rant about supposed glory days of Twitter when everyone was civil blah, blah.
It was left, as usual, which created platforms “fact checkers”, shadow banning etc, to censor people with perfectly reasonable views.
It is left which is incapable of engaging in proper discourse because their pathetic, woke, gender, BLM supporting agenda can not survive discussions based on facts.
So like Communism, their only weapon is censorship.
I like the guy movies, especially Death of Stalin.
But this article is a pathetic rant about supposed glory days of Twitter when everyone was civil blah, blah.
It was left, as usual, which created platforms “fact checkers”, shadow banning etc, to censor people with perfectly reasonable views.
It is left which is incapable of engaging in proper discourse because their pathetic, woke, gender, BLM supporting agenda can not survive discussions based on facts.
So like Communism, their only weapon is censorship.
I didn’t realize Twitter was so awful – making fun of dead children.
Yeah, that stood out to me too, JV. If the death of a child helps your political cause then you are hopelessly trapped in some closed ideological loop.
Not Twitter, “liberals”
Yeah, that stood out to me too, JV. If the death of a child helps your political cause then you are hopelessly trapped in some closed ideological loop.
Not Twitter, “liberals”
I didn’t realize Twitter was so awful – making fun of dead children.
Pathetic virtue signaling. Being totally unable to see how they are being manipulated by big pharma, engaging in heroic obedience, unable to find meaning in anything but hating the free minded and creative.
Pathetic virtue signaling. Being totally unable to see how they are being manipulated by big pharma, engaging in heroic obedience, unable to find meaning in anything but hating the free minded and creative.
‘I had several conversations with a cheerful woman from Sarah Palin’s office ….’
All these horrible Twitter experiences must have been from the time when Jack Dorsey was setting out his vision of what Twitter should be like.
‘I had several conversations with a cheerful woman from Sarah Palin’s office ….’
All these horrible Twitter experiences must have been from the time when Jack Dorsey was setting out his vision of what Twitter should be like.
I love the un-spoken message that the only interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful people are on the left. What an arrogant moron.
I love the un-spoken message that the only interesting, knowledgeable, thoughtful people are on the left. What an arrogant moron.
Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage! … tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk, .. pining for the Fjords.
‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! … This is an X-parrot!!
Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage! … tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk, .. pining for the Fjords.
‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! … This is an X-parrot!!
Put liberals and twitter users to useful work picking up litter and digging up mangelwurzles. Something real to bang on about.
Put liberals and twitter users to useful work picking up litter and digging up mangelwurzles. Something real to bang on about.
What was a Twitter account?
Presumably nothing to do with ornithology ?
What was a Twitter account?
Presumably nothing to do with ornithology ?
Pretentious BS. Let’s see, Twitter was colluding with the guvment to spin or stifle “free speech” and yet this “liberal” isn’t upset. That’s because his liberal journalists have sold their integrity and souls for a few shekels to become “propagandists” for their respective rag or online site to “monetize themselves. Pure rubbish, grow up dude.
Pretentious BS. Let’s see, Twitter was colluding with the guvment to spin or stifle “free speech” and yet this “liberal” isn’t upset. That’s because his liberal journalists have sold their integrity and souls for a few shekels to become “propagandists” for their respective rag or online site to “monetize themselves. Pure rubbish, grow up dude.
Thanks for the timely reminder to delete my unused twix account.
Thanks for the timely reminder to delete my unused twix account.
…why were you on Twitter in the first place?
…why were you on Twitter in the first place?
I get the strangest feeling of deja vu, not sure why. Is this piece a re-tread?
I get the strangest feeling of deja vu, not sure why. Is this piece a re-tread?
Is there a word for this kind of article? It doesn’t really have anything to say, it’s just a sort of display of the author’s worldly wise superiority. He’s clearly tired of living on a planet infested with mere mortals, they don’t even amuse him anymore. They don’t amuse me anymore either but I’m not going to waste more than this paragraphs-worth of your time saying it. And I’m sorry for even that.
Is there a word for this kind of article? It doesn’t really have anything to say, it’s just a sort of display of the author’s worldly wise superiority. He’s clearly tired of living on a planet infested with mere mortals, they don’t even amuse him anymore. They don’t amuse me anymore either but I’m not going to waste more than this paragraphs-worth of your time saying it. And I’m sorry for even that.
What a strange piece. Twitter (or ‘X’) is fine, or at least as fine as it ever was. Just block accounts you don’t like, don’t follow them and complain. In his take-down summary he misses the one point relevant to his argument, which is the payments to people who crease 15 million impressions in a 3 month period. A good journalist ought to be able to achieve that. Musk is a libertarian, and one of the accounts he brought back (one of the reasons he bought Twitter) was the good old Babylon Bee. Maybe Ian misses the old censorship, but I don’t.
What a strange piece. Twitter (or ‘X’) is fine, or at least as fine as it ever was. Just block accounts you don’t like, don’t follow them and complain. In his take-down summary he misses the one point relevant to his argument, which is the payments to people who crease 15 million impressions in a 3 month period. A good journalist ought to be able to achieve that. Musk is a libertarian, and one of the accounts he brought back (one of the reasons he bought Twitter) was the good old Babylon Bee. Maybe Ian misses the old censorship, but I don’t.
Hilarious. Thank you for the giggles.
Hilarious. Thank you for the giggles.
Not worth reading. Stupid cliché after stupid cliché.
Not worth reading. Stupid cliché after stupid cliché.
Yes. These days, what with nerdly Elon Musk, Twitter / X is not really out of the top drawer. Old chap.
Yes. These days, what with nerdly Elon Musk, Twitter / X is not really out of the top drawer. Old chap.
This is where X is going
https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-china-convergence?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=330796&post_id=135685825&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0NjIzMjIyLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoxMzU2ODU4MjUsImlhdCI6MTY5MTA3MTU0NiwiZXhwIjoxNjkzNjYzNTQ2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzMwNzk2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.sxGY1Frv_fu5Gs_ZtmdqPpcZTnNbYondyHbH_9OfFWs&utm_medium=email
Trying to shut Pandora’s box is a fools errand. Lyons is a sharp guy, but so misplaced in his directions.
Thanks for reposting this (where you posted it on my earlier comment, the whole thread disappeared). I’ve skimmed and there are some interesting points made.
Trying to shut Pandora’s box is a fools errand. Lyons is a sharp guy, but so misplaced in his directions.
Thanks for reposting this (where you posted it on my earlier comment, the whole thread disappeared). I’ve skimmed and there are some interesting points made.
This is where X is going
https://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-china-convergence?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=330796&post_id=135685825&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0NjIzMjIyLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoxMzU2ODU4MjUsImlhdCI6MTY5MTA3MTU0NiwiZXhwIjoxNjkzNjYzNTQ2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzMwNzk2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.sxGY1Frv_fu5Gs_ZtmdqPpcZTnNbYondyHbH_9OfFWs&utm_medium=email
..
You didn’t date the “colourised trench-warfare horror scene”.
I left Twitter the day that Musk took over and haven’t missed it – although I do enjoy hearing what an enormous mess he has made of it!
I’m sure UnHerd readers just loving following their favourite neo-nazis and swivel eyed loons now that Musk has welcomed them all back. Lord knows you need another venue to share your idiocies!
And your sobriquet succinctly says it all!?
And your sobriquet succinctly says it all!?
I left Twitter the day that Musk took over and haven’t missed it – although I do enjoy hearing what an enormous mess he has made of it!
I’m sure UnHerd readers just loving following their favourite neo-nazis and swivel eyed loons now that Musk has welcomed them all back. Lord knows you need another venue to share your idiocies!