Twitter likely to take idiots offer to buy them for $43 billion

[Derec]

"A wider population thinks Trump is a genius" and "The US electoral system gives people who believe Trump is a genius a significant and meaningful influence in elections" are two statements where the difference has no distinction. In the real world those two statements mean the exact same thing.

Voting for somebody != thinking he or she is a genius.

I voted for Biden, but I certainly do not think he is a genius. I voted for Obama twice, and while I think he was good at his job (even as I disagree with some of what he did), I would not quite classify him as a genius either.

Do you think people you vote for are all geniuses?

Wile E. Coyote 2024!

 

[Shadowy Man]

So maybe Harvard should end those too. But let's not pretend that a) plenty of black people are not legacies, athletes or children of faculty or that b) the effect is anywhere near as big as the racial preference.

Or else there would not be such a huge chasm in SAT scores between black and white admits to Hahvahd.

“Huge chasm”? 710 v 760 doesn’t sound like that big of a difference. And that’s just average, it’d be more interesting to see the distributions. And also maybe have it controlled for other factors.

Admittedly, it’s been a while since I took the SAT and I’m not even sure they score it anymore. Is 1600 still the highest score?

 

[Derec]

“Huge chasm”? 710 v 760 doesn’t sound like that big of a difference.

I would say it is a pretty big difference.

And that’s just average, it’d be more interesting to see the distributions.

More data is better, but this is what we have. Note that a large difference - even as the gap has decreased somewhat - persists over the entire chart, almost two decades. That means it's systemic, not a random variation.

And also maybe have it controlled for other factors.

You mean like parental income/wealth? That would be interesting, sure.
I would not be surprised if there was no meaningful difference, and most black admits end up being the offspring of doctors, lawyers, executives just like white ones.

Admittedly, it’s been a while since I took the SAT and I’m not even sure they score it anymore. Is 1600 still the highest score?

This chart averages the sections, each being scored on a scale of 200-800.

I would say we should continue this digression in the "Affirmative Action" thread, but that thread seems to be about Kavanaugh liking beer for some reason.

 

[Shadowy Man]

“Huge chasm”? 710 v 760 doesn’t sound like that big of a difference.

I would say it is a pretty big difference.

Still hard to say without a distribution. But since we know that they include other factors than just test scores it’s clear they are compensating with other characteristics, race being one admittedly so, hence the current case.

And that’s just average, it’d be more interesting to see the distributions.

More data is better, but this is what we have. Note that a large difference - even as the gap has decreased somewhat - persists over the entire chart, almost two decades. That means it's systemic, not a random variation.

And also maybe have it controlled for other factors.

You mean like parental income/wealth? That would be interesting, sure.
I would not be surprised if there was no meaningful difference, and most black admits end up being the offspring of doctors, lawyers, executives just like white ones.

Admittedly, it’s been a while since I took the SAT and I’m not even sure they score it anymore. Is 1600 still the highest score?

This chart averages the sections, each being scored on a scale of 200-800.

Ok. That makes more sense then for it to be in the 700s.

 

[Rhea]

You mean like parental income/wealth? That would be interesting, sure.
I would not be surprised if there was no meaningful difference, and most black admits end up being the offspring of doctors, lawyers, executives just like white ones.

So I think what I hear you saying is that the Black students admitted to Harvard have all the same socioeconomic advantages of the white and asian students admitted to Harvard, they just can’t compete on test scores. It’s just a racial … err … a racial…. You think it’s just race that causes scores to be systemically lower. They’re Black, they can’t score good. That’s your thesis?

And that you don’t have any evidence to suggest that this is true, but you feel like it probably is.

 

[blastula]

"As the Supreme Court considers affirmative action, Musk's antics show exactly how white privilege works"

Naw, it's simply green privilege.

 

[Oleg]

"As the Supreme Court considers affirmative action, Musk's antics show exactly how white privilege works"

Naw, it's simply green privilege.

What’s obvious about his White Privilege is that he was forced to buy Twitter when he tried to cancel the deal. That’s what privilege is all about.

 

[blastula]

Sure. Some random "friend" on a group chat is going to accuse Musk, who developed SpaceX and Tesla Motors, of DK. I think DK lies elsewhere.

^DK in DK.

It doesn't mean not ever being competent at anything, it's in reference to a specific field, and yes Musk does suffer from it in social media management, et al.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Author Amanda Marcotte then continues "This notion of Musk's intelligence clings to the discourse around him for one simple reason: He is very, very rich." and "You probably would have never heard of Elon Musk if he wasn't a white man from a wealthy family that literally owned an emerald mine in South Africa."

We know of Musk because of SpaceX.

I still can't understand how he could have accomplished that with the utter ineptitude he's displaying about Twitter.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

So maybe Harvard should end those too. But let's not pretend that a) plenty of black people are not legacies, athletes or children of faculty or that b) the effect is anywhere near as big as the racial preference.

Or else there would not be such a huge chasm in SAT scores between black and white admits to Hahvahd.

“Huge chasm”? 710 v 760 doesn’t sound like that big of a difference. And that’s just average, it’d be more interesting to see the distributions. And also maybe have it controlled for other factors.

Admittedly, it’s been a while since I took the SAT and I’m not even sure they score it anymore. Is 1600 still the highest score?

760 is about the 96th percentile, 710 is about the 92nd percentile. This graph is clearly on a max of 800--one segment of the test. Your 1600 is a combined score for both segments.

 

[Swammerdami]

Get rid of affirmative action and ALDC admits.

At least with that approach we may be able to respect the consistency of logic. Doubt that the Ivy League will get rid of the ALDC admits because financial reasons.

These derails are driving me nuts. I can't keep track what thread I'm in at the moment.

You're in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.

 

[lpetrich]

Elon Musk's plans for Twitter.

Elon Musk on Twitter: "Twitter’s current lords & peasants system ..." / Twitter

Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit.

Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.

Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity

You will also get:
- Priority in replies, mentions & search, which is essential to defeat spam/scam
- Ability to post long video & audio
- Half as many ads

And paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with us

This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators

There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians

[

 

[lpetrich]

What Twitter Got Wrong and How To Fix it
Then listing some problems. I'll quote from the article

• They don’t solve Twitter’s problem with bots and scammers
• Why we can’t assume malicious users won’t purchase verification
• Hijacking of verified accounts
• Pay-to-win, user suppression, and the death of quality content

Then what to do.

• The right way for Twitter to go -- paying content creators
• Donations / Gifting -- (me: online tip jars)
• Videos
• Content tuning & the need for algorithms
  • Why TikTok is king -- But more importantly, TikTok was the first platform to divorce itself from the follower/following model.
  • Not all algorithms are created equal
• Fixing the advertiser economy
  • Why the creator economy is superior -- What other platforms get right is integrating advertisers and content creators. This generated revenue for creators, awhile making ads that people might actually watch.
• Conclusion -- I think it’s clear that for a long time, Twitter has been on the right track but facing the wrong direction.

 

[lpetrich]

Marcus Hutchins on Twitter: "If you don’t pay $8/month for Twitter Blue, then the platform will suppress your replies and visibility in search results. Free speech indeed." / Twitter

Marcus Hutchins on Twitter: "My thoughts on a better business model than charging users (link)" / Twitter
Then linking the the article that I'd previously posted on.

One well-known writer objected to this change.
Stephen King on Twitter: "$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron." / Twitter
then
Elon Musk on Twitter: "@StephenKing We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?" / Twitter
then
Elon Musk on Twitter: "@StephenKing I will explain the rationale in longer form before this is implemented. It is the only way to defeat the bots & trolls." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Then a well-known Twitter user weighs in.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that “free speech” is actually a $8/mo subscription plan" / Twitter

Someone responded
David Sacks on Twitter: "@AOC Why aren’t @nytimes @washingtonpost @TheAtlantic free? Their billionaire owners should stop being greedy and give us those products for free." / Twitter

Which got response
Dr Audrey Glover on Twitter: "@DavidSacks Did those owners ever say “it’s not about money it’s about free speech”, were the “papers” free before they were purchased, are those papers asking for people to create content for the paper and also pay the paper for the privilege of doing that" / Twitter

AOC herself:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Are you seriously equating an app where people are torrenting racial slurs at an accelerated clip with the New York Times
Also fyi, legacy newspapers actually care about verifying newsworthy sources. And they don’t charge their journalists/creators for “priority” placement." / Twitter

Then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "As for billionaire ownership of our news sources, that is a legitimate problem! Market concentration of media is a huge issue.
Hope you’re using your power to stop private equity gutting of local newsrooms while supporting nonprofit and co-op modeled news outlets as well." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Elon Musk on Twitter: " (pic link)" / Twitter
About an AOC-merchandise sweatshirt(?) that cost $58.

She responded
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Proud of this and always will be. ..." / Twitter

Proud of this and always will be.

My workers are union, make a living wage, have full healthcare, and aren’t subject to racist treatment in their workplaces. Items are made in USA.

Team AOC honors and respects working people. You should try it sometime instead of union-busting.

Not to mention all proceeds go to community organizing like our Homework Helpers program which gives private tutoring to kids who’ve needed learning support since COVID:

Check out our shop!
Support our workers and our communities:
(link to her online store)

All Merch – Official AOC Shop

Some of the responders mentioned the prices at The Official Tesla Shop | Tesla - rather similar.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Author Amanda Marcotte then continues "This notion of Musk's intelligence clings to the discourse around him for one simple reason: He is very, very rich." and "You probably would have never heard of Elon Musk if he wasn't a white man from a wealthy family that literally owned an emerald mine in South Africa."

We know of Musk because of SpaceX.

I still can't understand how he could have accomplished that with the utter ineptitude he's displaying about Twitter.

Part of it is Twitter is nothing like Tesla. He is way outside his sphere.

 

[lpetrich]

AOC's merchandise has her 2018 campaign logo:
ALEXANDRIA
¡OCASIO!
CORTEZ
(upward-tilted letters)
and slogans "Housing is a Human Right", "There is Nothing Radical about Moral Clarity", "A Better World is Possible", "Unionize your Workplace", "Tax the Rich", "Better Climate = Better Jobs", "Team AOC", "You Don't Have to be Perfect, But You Have to be 100% Committed" - AOC, "Fight for my Future", "Drink Water & Don't Be Racist", "Medicare for All!", "Clean Water for All", "The Green New Deal", "Abolish ICE", "Student Debt", "¡AOC! 2020", "Social, Economic, & Racial Justice", "Change Takes Courage", "Union Members Standing with AOC", "Educators Standing with AOC".

She has some Green New Deal posters featuring Pelham Park Bay, Bronx, NYC; Flushing Meadows, Corona, Queens, NYC; The Public Garden, Boston, MA; Plaza del Totem, San Juan, PR; Hart Plaza, Detroit, MI; Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, CA.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Elon Musk's plans for Twitter.

Elon Musk on Twitter: "Twitter’s current lords & peasants system ..." / Twitter

Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit.

Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.

Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity

You will also get:
- Priority in replies, mentions & search, which is essential to defeat spam/scam
- Ability to post long video & audio
- Half as many ads

And paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with us

This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators

There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians

[

I think the best part of that is "half as many ads". Like the advertisers want to see that!

Someone asked about people having the checkmark and then impersonating someone else... and Musk's response was, 'Well, that already happens.' So much for the coding genius.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Also my twitter mentions/notifications conveniently aren’t working tonight, so I was informed via text that I seem to have gotten under a certain billionaire’s skin
Just a reminder that money will never by your way out of insecurity, folks." / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "One guy’s business plan for a $44 billion over-leveraged purchase is apparently to run around and individually ask people for $8.
Remember that next time you question yourself or your qualifications." / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Yo @elonmusk while I have your attention, why should people pay $8 just for their app to get bricked when they say something you don’t like?
This is what my app has looked like ever since my tweet upset you yesterday. What’s good? Doesn’t seem very free speechy to me (pic link)" / Twitter
A screenshot showing that her notifications stopped working.