Why or why not, are you Excited about Twitter being freed?

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

I am excited that I will now be able to use the words Moron and Moronic again. Every time I have used them over the last year I have gotten blocked for about 10 days. Free speech does not mean you are protected from offence. 

[mirkwood]

I typed Ivermectin works this morning.  The tweet is still there and nobody has threatened me for my post or banned me etc etc.

[Vort]

21 minutes ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

Moron and Moronic

At first glance, I read this as "Mormon and Moroni", and wondered why those terms couldn't be used before.

[Carborendum]

I am not actually on Twitter.  I only saw various posts when someone shared a tweet.

But I am glad that there will be a widely used platform where people can state their sincere beliefs without being suspended or banned.

I am sad that, the price for being able to do so also means that people will also be able to say things that they are NOT sincere about.  But that's the price of free speech.

[LDSGator]

It’s nice to see the hard left go into breakdowns over this, but the moment anyone on right gets any kind of infraction, no matter how justified,  I’m assuring you that the same people celebrating today will lose it and claim Musk “sold out” or “became woke”. 

Edited October 29, 2022 by LDSGator

[mirkwood]

Some will, but the majority will not.  Conservatives as a whole are far more reasonable than liberals.

[The Folk Prophet]

I have, in the past, mentioned that I didn't care for Elon Musk. I would like to state, for the record, that I have changed my mind, and am a big fan now.

That being said, my fandom, as it is, is similar to how I like Trump. There are still things I dislike about Musk and wish he had a different attitude about. I still very much dislike that he lit up a joint on Joe Rogan, for example. But just as with Trump, I think there's just simply a reality to the fact that we have imperfect men fighting our battles. There was Christ, and there's everyone else. Everyone else is flawed. And those who live without the gospel light of truth are inclined to have even more flaws. But there is also fighting for the good of our country and fighting against the good of the country, which aligns in many ways with fighting for the good and fighting against the good. These men are flawed. But they are fighting for the good. I am, and can be, supportive of that without liking everything these men have done. And both did so without having the need, financially speaking, to do as they did.

There's also a side of me that really appreciates the master trolling both Musk and Trump engage in. Musk's trolling has the added benefit of being less nasty, and perhaps at the same time, even more trolly. I appreciate that. I accept that my pleasure in their trolling skills indicates a possible flaw in me. I, as they are, am flawed too.

Long live the Chief Twit.

Edited October 29, 2022 by The Folk Prophet

[mirkwood]

Very well described @The Folk Prophetas to why we can sometimes support certain people.

[Just_A_Guy]

It’s interesting how online communication has changed in the last 20 years.  We’ve evolved from sort of niche forums and individualized blogs (with aggregators to help us track our favorite sites), into consolidated formats like Twitter and Facebook where everyone can theoretically communicate with everyone.  The movement over the last 5 years has been to exile certain ideological groups from those mass communication platforms; but rather than leading to a renaissance of the blogs and special interest fora, conservatives seem to be trying to either set up competitors in the mass-social media market (which progressives will never join and which can be shut down or appropriated with relative ease) or to “take back” mass platforms that have increasingly been banning them (which I frankly think is unlikely to yield sustainable success).

I’m not sorry to see Twitter run into the ground, if that’s what Musk chooses to do with it.  And if Musk manages to restore some modicum of free speech on the platform for a couple of years, so much the better.  But conservatives need divorce themselves from the idea of centralized social media, of a single “public square” (or even a small handful of them) that of necessity is managed (and curated) by a single person or entity.  Such institutions will inevitably fall under the control of the people or groups who most want to control them; and the motives underlying such a desire for control are rarely good.

Edited October 29, 2022 by Just_A_Guy

[Ironhold]

Word is that Twitter will now be charging $20 a month for people to retain their "blue checkmark" verification, something that has a lot of people upset. 

...Particularly people who are "internet famous" or something to that effect but didn't successfully monetize that fame...

[Backroads]

I've never actually used Twitter. So to a very high degree, I couldn't care less about it or what is said or can't be said on it. 

That said, a Facebook group I'm in is soon to archive itself as they switch to this style of forums. The group is fairly niche (parents of kids with various special/health needs) and does a lot of good. But, because of the nature of the group, it's not uncommon for "trigger words" to get flagged by Facebook. This is a group of parents asking for advice, not trying to be the bad guys.

So I certainly appreciate the free speech angle.

[NeuroTypical]

I am enjoying seeing President Biden's @POTUS account getting fact checked.  Twice, so far.

 

(TBH, I don't think this is a new thing, and it seems to be a crowdsourced thing.  But it's still nice to see.)

Edited October 31, 2022 by NeuroTypical

[Carborendum]

Regardless of Musk's declared intentions, actually making it work is another matter.

The main reason why the "woke" mentality is gaining steam is that corporations are financially afraid of the woke mob.  And they, in turn, force forums that they sponsor (Like Twitter) to bend to their will or else they will pull their sponsorship.

Lately, it is not just corporations being boycotted (which has only worked a few times in the last decade).  It is the actual MOB mentality of rioters who will target corporations with vandalism, looting, and worse.  The defund the police movement has been a big factor in making that work.

It is unfortunate that so many of the big name companies have either had their corporate boards taken over by the woke mob, or have their brick and mortar stores targeted by the woke mob.  They know that conservatives aren't going to vandalize their stores in nearly the same magnitude.  So, they bow to the mob in order to stay in business.

So, the sponsorships that Musk has to seek out are conservative sources that are not going to get most of their income from brick and mortar stores.  He has an uphill battle.

I have as much hope as the next guy.  But I'm "cautiously" optimistic.

Edited October 31, 2022 by Carborendum

[Guest Godless]

1 hour ago, Carborendum said:

Regardless of Musk's declared intentions, actually making it work is another matter.

The main reason why the "woke" mentality is gaining steam is that corporations are financially afraid of the woke mob.  And they, in turn, force forums that they sponsor (Like Twitter) to bend to their will or else they will pull their sponsorship.

Lately, it is not just corporations being boycotted (which has only worked a few times in the last decade).  It is the actual MOB mentality of rioters who will target corporations with vandalism, looting, and worse.  The defund the police movement has been a big factor in making that work.

It is unfortunate that so many of the big name companies have either had their corporate boards taken over by the woke mob, or have their brick and mortar stores targeted by the woke mob.  They know that conservatives aren't going to vandalize their stores in nearly the same magnitude.  So, they bow to the mob in order to stay in business.

So, the sponsorships that Musk has to seek out are conservative sources that are not going to get most of their income from brick and mortar stores.  He has an uphill battle.

I have as much hope as the next guy.  But I'm "cautiously" optimistic.

Cynical as always, Carb. But I don't think you're being cynical enough in this instance. Do you really think a company like Target cares if one or two stores (which are probably insured) out of 1,900+ gets trashed by rioters? No one in corporate America is scared of the so-called "woke mob". They don't care about black lives, trans lives, MAGA lives, or blue lives. They care about money and power, and generally speaking, the conservative GOP is more in line with that specific interest. Companies will roll out the black squares and rainbow flags as needed, but look at where their political contributions are going. A lot of them are still lining conservative pockets because they're the ones that will keep the corporate tax burden at a minimum. Politicians know this, so they usually won't make a big fuss about corporate virtue signaling so long as the checks keep coming. Off the top of my head, I can only think of three instances where public outcry was strong enough to force corporations to make a significant power move:

1. FedEx threatening to remove its name from the Washington Commanders' stadium (and the recurring fee to keep it there), and lets face it, that was a loooong time coming.

2. Apple and Google deplatforming Parler. The place was practically a crime scene after 1/6, can you blame them?

3. Twitter banning Trump. And it took him essentially cheerleading domestic terrorists for them to do it.

So no, I don't think Musk is going to have any trouble finding corporate sponsors, and I don't think those sponsors are going to make a huge fuss over how he runs things. I don't think the exodus from Twitter (Twexit?) is going to be as big as some people are making it out to be. I also don't think that Musk will let Twitter turn into Gab. Those are the only two things that could maybe get corporate sponsors nervous. They'll gladly turn a blind eye otherwise while publicly pretending to be "woke".

[Ironhold]

When it comes to "woke", the simple truth of the matter is that there have been some pretty spectacular flame-outs over the last few years.

The Disney-era "Star Wars" toys and merchandise being dismal flops for several years.

The 2016 "Ghostbusters" movie being functionally dead on arrival while the 2019 film was a hit. 

"Bros" being an instant financial disaster.

Widespread audience rejections for a number of recent streaming shows that heavily pushed "progressive" politics. 

The rise of Comicsgate as an indie movement pushing back against mainstream US publishers

Et cetra

Everyday people are starting to vote with their wallets when it comes to what they do and don't want to engage with in the media, and the elites who are pushing this "progressive" material are losing their minds about it because they can't understand why the proletariat aren't falling into ranks to obey their commands. Thus, they're doubling down on efforts to coerce people into doing what they, the elite, want. 

[LDSGator]

54 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

The Disney-era "Star Wars" toys and merchandise being dismal flops for several years.

Flops? Disney opened up a Star Wars world down here that’s been hugely popular with wait times over 80 minutes, even several years after it opened. They are, easily, the most sought after rides down here for Genie+.  Baby Yoda toys sold out there in minutes. You have to be on a waiting list to make a lightsaber. Oga’s Cantina (a really cool experience, btw) has a waiting list as well though to be fair, it’s cooled down substantially. The other wait times have not. 
 

Their Star Wars hotel is a bust but it’s not because it’s “woke”. It’s because it’s incredibly expensive. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by LDSGator

[The Folk Prophet]

37 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

When it comes to "woke", the simple truth of the matter is that there have been some pretty spectacular flame-outs over the last few years.

The Disney-era "Star Wars" toys and merchandise being dismal flops for several years.

The 2016 "Ghostbusters" movie being functionally dead on arrival while the 2019 film was a hit. 

"Bros" being an instant financial disaster.

Widespread audience rejections for a number of recent streaming shows that heavily pushed "progressive" politics. 

The rise of Comicsgate as an indie movement pushing back against mainstream US publishers

Et cetra

Everyday people are starting to vote with their wallets when it comes to what they do and don't want to engage with in the media, and the elites who are pushing this "progressive" material are losing their minds about it because they can't understand why the proletariat aren't falling into ranks to obey their commands. Thus, they're doubling down on efforts to coerce people into doing what they, the elite, want. 

I watched an interview with Bob Chapek. I've secretly been hoping that he had a long game to get the woke out of Disney. He doesn't. He's a spineless idiot who's sold his soul to his woke employees. He actually claimed that keeping his "cast members" happy was the key to keeping his customers happy, in that most people's love of Disney stems from great experiences with cast member.

It might be the most idiotic thing I've ever heard someone say.

I don't think voting with our wallets is going to make the difference. Build your own Disney isn't going to work out. (But bless The Daily Wire for trying). And companies are just writing off conservatives who actually vote with their wallets as a sunk cost. Moreover, as they stick to their woke guns, people will give in and come back little by little as they determine it's just the way it is. Very few will stick to their guns and never consume Disney again. Honestly the amount of people who still consume Disney with all the woke-ness in it even within church members is shocking to me. But they do.

I hate Disney for their betrayal so much.

[LDSGator]

HS closes at 9 and there’s still a 50 minute wait for ROTR, their latest Star Wars ride. On a Tuesday evening. 
 

When we went two weeks ago for our anniversary the wait times were so awful (well over 90 min) we didn't even bother going on. 
 

Not bad for a flop. 
 

You are, of course, free to believe what you want. But Star Wars, and yes, Disney, are doing just fine. In fact, they just finished up on two massive and expensive roller coasters-Tron (no, I don’t get it either. That movie was mediocre at best) and GOG. If Disney was really about to “go broke” they couldn’t have afforded one, much less two.
 

Sorry.  

Edited November 2, 2022 by LDSGator

[LDSGator]

42 minutes ago, The Folk Prophet said:

I watched an interview with Bob Chapek. I've secretly been hoping that he had a long game to get the woke out of Disney. He doesn't. He's a spineless idiot who's sold his soul to his woke employees. He actually claimed that keeping his "cast members" happy was the key to keeping his customers happy, in that most people's love of Disney stems from great experiences with cast member.

It might be the most idiotic thing I've ever heard someone say.

I don't think voting with our wallets is going to make the difference. Build your own Disney isn't going to work out. (But bless The Daily Wire for trying). And companies are just writing off conservatives who actually vote with their wallets as a sunk cost. Moreover, as they stick to their woke guns, people will give in and come back little by little as they determine it's just the way it is. Very few will stick to their guns and never consume Disney again. Honestly the amount of people who still consume Disney with all the woke-ness in it even within church members is shocking to me. But they do.

I hate Disney for their betrayal so much.

Chapek is hated by many AP’s (not me) for taking away Minnie Vans, the disastrous roll out of Genie+, the park reservation system, and several other choices. The man is hated by everyone, it seems. 
 

We (AP’s) are a bunch of entitled jerks though. He could give us 50$ whenever we entered the park and well, haters gonna hate. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by LDSGator

[Carborendum]

On 10/31/2022 at 4:23 PM, Godless said:

Cynical as always, Carb. But I don't think you're being cynical enough in this instance. Do you really think a company like Target cares if one or two stores (which are probably insured) out of 1,900+ gets trashed by rioters? No one in corporate America is scared of the so-called "woke mob". They don't care about black lives, trans lives, MAGA lives, or blue lives. They care about money and power, and generally speaking, the conservative GOP is more in line with that specific interest. Companies will roll out the black squares and rainbow flags as needed, but look at where their political contributions are going. A lot of them are still lining conservative pockets because they're the ones that will keep the corporate tax burden at a minimum. Politicians know this, so they usually won't make a big fuss about corporate virtue signaling so long as the checks keep coming. Off the top of my head, I can only think of three instances where public outcry was strong enough to force corporations to make a significant power move:

1. FedEx threatening to remove its name from the Washington Commanders' stadium (and the recurring fee to keep it there), and lets face it, that was a loooong time coming.

2. Apple and Google deplatforming Parler. The place was practically a crime scene after 1/6, can you blame them?

3. Twitter banning Trump. And it took him essentially cheerleading domestic terrorists for them to do it.

So no, I don't think Musk is going to have any trouble finding corporate sponsors, and I don't think those sponsors are going to make a huge fuss over how he runs things. I don't think the exodus from Twitter (Twexit?) is going to be as big as some people are making it out to be. I also don't think that Musk will let Twitter turn into Gab. Those are the only two things that could maybe get corporate sponsors nervous. They'll gladly turn a blind eye otherwise while publicly pretending to be "woke".

Meh.  We'll see.

[Ironhold]

2 hours ago, LDSGator said:

Flops? Disney opened up a Star Wars world down here that’s been hugely popular with wait times over 80 minutes, even several years after it opened. They are, easily, the most sought after rides down here for Genie+.  Baby Yoda toys sold out there in minutes. You have to be on a waiting list to make a lightsaber. Oga’s Cantina (a really cool experience, btw) has a waiting list as well though to be fair, it’s cooled down substantially. The other wait times have not. 
 

Their Star Wars hotel is a bust but it’s not because it’s “woke”. It’s because it’s incredibly expensive. 

When Episode 7 came out, there was such a flood of merchandise that retailers were stuck with a large quantity of unsold material once the movie was over. 

Had Kathleen Kennedy kept to "every other year" like we had with the Prequels, the inventory would have worked its way out of the system. 

Instead, she rammed Rogue One through, meaning that licensees and retailers had to shift to carrying that as well. I say "had" as licensees have to pay money to get those licenses, and so they're going to milk them as much as possible to pay for them.

Thus, we had Episode 7 and Rogue One product on the shelves together.

Well, Rogue One's ending nuked merchandise and toy sales, causing those items to start rotting on shelves as well. 

Then Episode 8 came out, and you had *all three toy lines* on the shelves together at the same time, something that is a very horrific thing from a trade perspective. 

Not only did Episode 8 prove to be a flop in regards to merchandise sales, the Rey and Rose figures infamously lingered on shelves long after the rest of the figures from their cases sold out. It was depressingly common for dozens of these figures to be left on the shelves, and it's become a punch line how these are often the only two Star Wars figures left at close-out and discount retailers. 

Then the Solo movie came out, which was yet another disaster. Cue 3 or even 4 lines' worth of merchandise on the shelves next to each other. 

By the time Episode 9 came out, licensees were surrendering their licenses because there was no longer any money to be made for all of the unsold product already on shelves. Even major companies like Hasbro only produced the bare minimum of Episode 9 material, instead focusing on Prequel, Original Trilogy, and Expanded Universe. 

Star Wars merchandise was *not viable* for over a year after this as retailers struggled to get rid of what they already had and licensees surveyed the damage done by all of the unsold overstock product. 

It took Baby Yoda for people to demand Star Wars product again, and once he was written out and Gina Carano fired merch sales slipped again.  

[LDSGator]

10 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

Gina Carano fired merch sales slipped again

Doubtful the two are correlated. In fact, they aren't. Maybe 2% of 2% of 2% of Disney fans had a temper tantrum, but they had already left Disney long before this, and we’re just looking for the final shove out the door. 

And even if the Gina/merch thing was real, it did absolutely nothing to impact Disney in the long run.

This is a classic case of an small amount of people thinking they have far more influence then they really do. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by LDSGator

[LDSGator]

And, there’s another reason why the Star Wars movies are disliked by my generation:  You get to a certain age and you just stop liking new things. Then, you get to an age where you stop liking things at all. It’s all true of course, and seeing my generation fall into that cliche is so depressing. It’s why so many good new bands and authors out there fail 😞. Why read a Ronald Malfi book when you can read the same Stephen King novel for the 5000th time? Why listen to Visigoth (From Utah everyone!) when I can listen to Rust in Peace? And why enjoy Rise of Skywalker when I can watch ROTJ and read my EU books? 
 

If we were all decades younger I’m assuring you we’d think totally differently about the Disney Star Wars movies. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by LDSGator

[Ironhold]

18 hours ago, LDSGator said:

Doubtful the two are correlated. In fact, they aren't. Maybe 2% of 2% of 2% of Disney fans had a temper tantrum, but they had already left Disney long before this, and we’re just looking for the final shove out the door. 

And even if the Gina/merch thing was real, it did absolutely nothing to impact Disney in the long run.

This is a classic case of an small amount of people thinking they have far more influence then they really do. 

Carano's firing was under such dodgy circumstances that there were questions as to whether or not she had grounds for a "wrongful termination" lawsuit. 

When someone asked about that during a public meeting of investors, the Disney representative got a rather unmistakable look of shock that seemed to indicate they knew they had to answer very, very carefully or else bad things would happen to them. 

So yes, her firing did have an impact on Disney that extended for months beyond what happened, this above people losing interest in Disney Star Wars again once she and Baby Yoda were written off. 

[LDSGator]

3 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

Carano's firing was under such dodgy circumstances that there were questions as to whether or not she had grounds for a "wrongful termination" lawsuit. 

When someone asked about that during a public meeting of investors, the Disney representative got a rather unmistakable look of shock that seemed to indicate they knew they had to answer very, very carefully or else bad things would happen to them. 

So yes, her firing did have an impact on Disney that extended for months beyond what happened, this above people losing interest in Disney Star Wars again once she and Baby Yoda were written off. 

Okay. You are free to believe what you wish. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by LDSGator