Even Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey Thinks It’s Time To Abandon The App
Twitter has been part of an unrelenting media circus since Elon Musk assumed control of the social media platform a month ago. There has not been a dull moment—from the firing of a substantial section of its personnel to getting rid of, and then reintroducing, the blue check mark and Twitter Blue, and even building bleak “hotel rooms” for employees working overtime. And of course the latest “Twitter Files” saga.
In light of this, its co-founder Jack Dorsey says it’s time to move on from the platform. In a 1,200-word article, the former CEO laments his failure to turn around the business.
There's a lot of conversation around the #TwitterFiles. Here's my take, and thoughts on how to fix the issues identified. I'II start with the principles I've come to believe based on everything l've learned and experienced through my past actions as a Twitter co-founder and lead:
— jack (@jack) December 13, 2022
Within his letter, he mentions three principles an ideal social media platform should adhere to. The first is that it should be resilient to corporate and government control. Secondly, he believes that only the original author may remove the content they produce. And lastly, moderation works at its best when implemented through algorithmic choice.
Ultimately, he envisions a place that revolves around the user and their choices regarding content moderation.
He gives the example of web and email services where any entity can build a website or email server based on open technology standards. Dorsey has been working on such tech to bring to a project called BlueSky.
He also admits that today’s Twitter does not meet any of the principles he has laid out in his letter. The ex-co-founder takes full blame after stating that he gave up pushing for these ideals after an activist entered the company’s stock in 2020.
Of course, Dorsey touches on the site’s latest scandal, Twitter Files, where Musk had sold certain sensitive files to select journalists about the company’s content moderation decisions. This includes the move to ban former President Donald Trump after his role in the Jan 6 riots in Washington, D.C.
He stated that he wished the files were released “Wikileaks-style” so that more people could access them and the truth.
To round off the letter, Dorsey touches on how he plans to make real change within the social media sphere. He pledged to donate to different organizations focused on creating open internet protocols. The first site to receive his donation is Signal, the encrypted messaging system, which will receive a US$1 million grant annually.
[via PC Mag and Rolling Stones, Photo 263718737 © Pavel Muravev | Dreamstime.com]
