Substack's Rising Influence: Musk's Twitter Frustration
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Substack is making waves in the social media realm, and it seems that Elon Musk is not pleased. If you think you’re in Musk's good graces today, reconsider. His self-interest comes first.
Breaking News — Matt Taibbi bids farewell to Twitter.
Not long ago, he was a favored journalist in Musk's circle, alongside others who had access to what they termed the "Twitter Files." Yet, in Musk's world, loyalty can quickly change, especially when someone no longer fits his agenda.
Earlier today, I discovered that links to Substack were being blocked on Twitter. Given that sharing my articles is a key reason I use Twitter, I was concerned and sought clarification.
It appears Twitter is threatened by Substack's new Notes feature, which they perceive as competition. When I asked how I was supposed to promote my work, the suggestion was to post on Twitter instead of Substack.
Not surprisingly, I’ve decided to stick with Substack. The support I’ve received from the community and its management has been invaluable. Starting next week, I’ll be utilizing the new Substack Notes feature, which will come with consequences for my future contributions to the Twitter Files. Nonetheless, it was a worthwhile decision, and I’m thankful to those who allowed me to contribute to that story.
Enjoy your weekend! I’m taking a break with my kids next week, but I’ll stay connected. Best wishes, Matt — Full statement by Matt Taibbi on Substack
Substack Notes
What exactly is it? A mere imitation of Twitter? According to Substack, notes are for "posting short-form content and recommending anything."
Though it hasn't officially launched yet, Musk's irritation over this "Twitter clone" seems to stem from the failure of Twitter Blue.
No one wants to pay Musk $8 a month, not even the New York Times.
In retaliation, Musk stripped The New York Times of its blue verification badge.
If he can act so punitively over $8, imagine his reaction if someone were to abandon his platform for a rival after he granted exclusive access to profitable content as a journalist.
And then, you wonder why he doesn't return your calls.
The Conflict Intensifies
If you search for Substack on Twitter, you’ll be redirected to #newsletter.
When such a shift occurs on Twitter, it signals that Musk has summoned a developer for an urgent code change.
TechCrunch remarked:
“So much for ‘free speech absolutism.’”
Twitter is limiting interactions with Substack links, making it impossible to reply to, like, or retweet these posts. While quote-tweeting functions, pressing the retweet button leads to an error: “Some actions on this Tweet have been disabled by Twitter.”
The timing of this move is no coincidence. Just two days prior, Substack rolled out its Notes feature, which bears a striking resemblance to Twitter. Unlike other emerging alternatives to Twitter, Substack has a significant edge: a large user base and many established writers who already command extensive followings, including Taibbi and Bari Weiss, who collaborated with Musk to publish the Twitter Files.
Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter has also attempted to suppress content from Mastodon, an open-source social network that saw a surge in users after Musk’s takeover. In December, Twitter temporarily suspended Mastodon’s account and banned links to its servers. On its previously banned account, Mastodon remarked, “Not a good sign if you need to build a wall to keep people in.”
Over at Twitter,
Musk’s pettiness knows no bounds. Searching for “substack” now yields results for “newsletter.” Elon is as difficult to deal with as anyone I’ve encountered. And I’ve documented Trump.
Searching for Substack now leads to a newsletter search. This is an incredibly petty move that he hasn’t publicly addressed. Is Substack Notes genuinely that threatening to Musk?
Substack
Twitter previously shut down Revue, the newsletter platform it acquired before Musk's takeover.
This is a common occurrence in the tech industry.
Similar or replicated ideas are not new.
Substack remains the leading newsletter platform, with over 35 million subscribers and 2 million paying users, fostering a vibrant creator economy.
There are over 35 million active subscriptions on Substack, including more than 2 million paid ones. Readers have invested hundreds of millions into writers on the platform, leading to an explosion of exceptional content. Writers have expressed unprompted gratitude, stating that Substack has transformed their lives. Inspired by this progress, we’re eager to expand the subscription network further.
Twitter dwarfs Substack in scale. For Twitter to engage in such petty maneuvers only underscores the challenges Musk faces as he leads this beleaguered platform.
Twitter Files
The Twitter Files were expected to be a groundbreaking exposé, but they ultimately fell flat.
However, Musk and his supporters exploited the Twitter Files to undermine and intimidate former employees before his acquisition. One employee even had to leave his home after Musk targeted him on Twitter.
The Twitter Files revealed internal discussions among Twitter executives. When figures like Matt Taibbi and Bari Weiss chose to promote conspiracy theories that resonated with Musk's supporters, they became tools in Musk's campaign against anyone he viewed as an adversary, including former employees he dismissed.
Musk has consistently used Twitter, even prior to his ownership, to create drama or weaponize it against those he disapproved of, such as Bill Gates and former CEO Parag Agrawal.
Jack Dorsey, Twitter's founder, who once hailed Musk as the singular solution for the platform, has had to apologize multiple times to former employees impacted by Musk's changes. He even penned a lengthy essay expressing his thoughts on the Twitter Files.
In his post, Dorsey acknowledged that “mistakes were made” at Twitter, but he believes the company had “no ill intent or hidden agendas, and everyone acted according to the best information available at the time.”
Even the employees mentioned in the Twitter Files admitted that it was a mistake to suppress the Hunter Biden story, as did Facebook just days before the 2020 elections. Ultimately, the Hunter Biden story, first shared by The New York Post, was confirmed as “true.”
Final Thoughts
Musk's leadership, while celebrated by his supporters, is viewed by critics as a major flaw.
His new adversary is Substack.
We can only wait to see what unfolds if Facebook decides to launch a competing platform to Twitter.
Not even Mark Zuckerberg is beyond the reach of Musk's Twitter drama.
Thank you for reading.
Here are some of my complimentary stories: - Why Elon Musk Fired Twitter CEO Who Asked for A Hand Raise Emoji? — Free Reading. - Back the F*CK Off, Tom Hanks — Free Reading.
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