[Editor’s note: This story was written on Monday, October 31; it’s now Friday, November 4, and Elon Musk is at this very moment laying off half of the entire Twitter workforce.]
After months of positioning and posturing, Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has now been finalized. The world’s richest man acquired the social media company for $44 billion, making it quite the investment. But what exactly does an Elon Musk Twitter takeover mean? Musk has certainly been quite vocal about his criticisms of the company in the past. But many believe the potential future Twitter changes that may soon occur will extend well beyond Musk’s current issues. In fact, some predict that Musk may use Twitter as a launching pad for something much grander. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess.
Regardless of whether these predictions will become reality, it is certain that change is coming for the company. Already, the Elon Musk Twitter takeover resulted in the immediate release of the company’s executive staff. This is likely just the first of many shakeups to come as Musk considers options for potential future Twitter changes. With this in mind, it’s worth exploring what some of these new alterations might be. Some are quite likely based on Musk’s comments already. Others are more far-fetched and hopeful in nature based on longstanding frustrations with the platform. In any case, the following represents a wishlist for change we hope might be considered.
“It is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square. There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far-right wing and far-left-wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.” – Elon Musk
- Reorganize and Reimage
First things first. It’s time that Twitter gets an upgrade on its platform’s appearance. Recently, the company restricted users from customizing their backgrounds, limiting it to a few preapproved versions. The alternative is to have a bland, off-white background that does little to promote the brand or stimulate excitement. Plus, Twitter’s timeline is chaotic and messy, further contributing to a less-than-desirable appearance. The hope is therefore that an Elon Musk Twitter takeover will infuse a little more customization and design savvy. Anything would be an improvement, which makes this one of the simple future potential Twitter changes. Given that Twitter only boasts 238 million daily users compared to Facebook’s two billion, a facelift couldn’t hurt.
- Censorship vs. Abuses
It’s been a rocky road for Twitter as of late when it comes to policing abuses, hate tweets, and malicious trolls. Policy changes have occurred that resulted in banning some users, including former President Donald Trump. But one thing is clear when it comes to an Elon Musk Twitter takeover. Censorship is destined to be relaxed based on Musk’s perspectives on free speech and open forums. Many suspect he will reverse prior policies to an extent that he believes are over-reaching. But at the same time, he is forming a board to discuss how best to handle true abuses of the platform before making any decisions. Without question, this is a difficult tightrope to walk, and one that defines democracy in many ways. And while the exact potential future Twitter changes in this area are not known, change will undoubtedly come.
- Spam and Filter Improvements
Like all social media platforms, algorithms determine what users see and read in their feeds. But one way in which they often vary is the extent to which users can filter out unwanted content. For Twitter, the opportunity to block Twitter feeds or mute them does exist. But what isn’t allowed is the ability to avoid hashtag subjects, which would be a great improvement. Understanding this, potential future Twitter changes should certainly consider giving users greater leeway in filtering content. At the same time, spam account and spambot detection is desperately needed. This might be done through improved account security and verifications. Or a system where spam is better reported by users to evoke progressive improvements. These have been long-term gripes of Musk regarding Twitter. In any case, these should be part of an Elon Musk Twitter takeover so user experiences are enhanced.
- A Revamped Advertising Approach
When it comes to advertising, Elon Musk is not a huge fan. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate its value, especially when done well. In this regard, he has suggested that major changes will occur in a Elon Musk Twitter takeover in advertising. One of the potential future Twitter changes, for example, could be greater ad revenue sharing with advertisers. As an incentive, this could grow overall revenues for the company. But in order for this to work, Twitter must construct a better timeline within accounts to reduce clutter and confusion. They should also explore paid subscriptions to eliminate ads from view. In a climate of inflation and economic downturns, this might be a hard sale. But as it stands now, neither Twitter nor users are winning via current advertising policies.
- Expanding Twitter’s Purpose
Of all the potential future Twitter changes anticipated is one that leverages Twitter’s current platform for much more. Musk has suggested that he wishes to create an “everything” app, much like WeChat. This means expanding Twitter to include much more than news, forums, tweets, and social engagement. An Elon Musk Twitter takeover could mean opportunities for shopping, tipping, food delivery, gaming and much more. Many suspect it will also eventually include some type of payment platform, delving into the fintech arena. Musk has said that he is targeting a growth to 1 billion daily users in the near term. Without question, competing today as an everything app would be incredibly challenging. But in order to reach this target user goal, it might be exactly what he has in store for Twitter.
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