If it’s popular it’s true
Good to know Musk is careful with information at least.
As false information about the rapidly changing war between Gaza Strip militants and Israel proliferated on the social media platform X over the weekend, owner Elon Musk personally recommended that users follow accounts notorious for promoting lies.
“For following the war in real-time, @WarMonitors & @sentdefender are good,” Musk posted on the platform formerly called Twitter on Sunday morning to 150 million follower accounts. That post was viewed 11 million times in three hours, drawing thanks from those two accounts, before Musk deleted it.
Both were among the most important early spreaders of a false claim in May that there had been an explosion near the White House. The Dow Jones Industrial Average stock index briefly dropped 85 points before that story was debunked.
Thanks, Eelz. Impressive. Good subject to get wrong; very helpful.
Information researchers said that the new conflict was an early test of how the revamped X conveys accurate data during a major crisis, and that the immediate impression was
poor[bad].
Well at least the subject isn’t all that important.
X and other real-time sources of information are especially subject to rumors, false claims and propaganda during major events.
Researchers have said that X has gotten much less reliable since Musk took control nearly a year ago. He ended the practice of awarding “verified” checks to established media accounts, stopped labeling some accounts as government-affiliated and began sending money to accounts drawing heavy engagement, rewarding views instead of accuracy.
Hey now. Have some respect. That’s capitalism at its finest – whatever sells the most is the best.
Last week, Musk said he would change the way articles are shared by removing the headlines and promoting only pictures, which experts said would decrease traffic to news sites.
But pictures are more fun, and faster.
Musk also has been contributing to a broader legal and political campaign that has succeeded in quieting some academics and research groups who track misinformation by accusing them of fostering unconstitutional censorship. He has threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League over its reports showing a rise in antisemitic posts on X since Musk bought it last October.
Oh ffs. Abandoning the sarcasm now. Misinformation and disinformation are not “free speech.” I bet he knows that when people tell damaging lies about him.
And even if they were, the government is covered by the Constitution, not private individuals or other entities. Just like when my brother told me he had a right to smoke in my house. I told him I had the right to never invite him over. I never did.
I’ve been on and off of Twitter over the years. I’ve recently been on, but making an effort to just read the few people that I follow and not get sucked into the morass.
Now those people are leaving the platform, citing 1. less useful content, 2. unpleasant user experience, and 3. an active aversion to Musk. When they’re gone, there will be nothing left for me, either.
It looks to me like the whole thing is circling the drain.
It’s easier to re-post than it is to fact-check. Elon has been making several suggestions that people become the citizen journalists we all need. See something, post something. The MSM will ignore it because blah blah blah.
Some people have taken leaving or staying on Twitter as an indication of rejection or acceptance of tyranny, and are mad at those who stay. They seem similar to (and in some cases are) people who are boycotting businesses, and who cannot fathom why some other person, who they otherwise respect, might not choose to join the boycott.
I’ll stay there until he starts requiring a subscription. I have used the exodus alternatives and their main feature is “We think alike so you’re right at home here.” It’s kind of boring, honestly.
Mike, I’m struggling along with Nitter, which is essentially a mirror for Twitter. Has it’s limitations and sometimes servers go down.