# How long before journalists quit referring to: "formerly known as Twitter" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442 "2023-11-20T20:26:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/1 "2023-11-20T20:26:15Z")
Musk renamed Twitter to X 17 weeks or almost 120 days ago, or 1/3 of a year. Articles continue to be written in which they will say “was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter”. What’s the normal period after a name change when journalists just adopt the new name and quit referring to it’s former name? It may take longer than I originally thought, journalist continue to refer to “Meta, formerly known as Facebook” when that name change occured more than two years ago. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/2 "2023-11-20T20:28:53Z")
Isn’t ‘X, formerly known as Twitter’ the official name? I think went Elon sues them for using the ‘T’ word they will stop. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/3 "2023-11-20T20:30:42Z")
X is such a stupid name. It looks like a porn site or placeholder. “As he posted on X, this is a stupid name for a service” really looks like they meant to fill it in after they tracked down which site it was posted on. Anyway, maybe never, since the name is so stupid, or maybe the site formerly known as Twitter will dry up before the switch is made. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/4 "2023-11-20T20:55:12Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > X is such a stupid name. It looks like a porn site. Doesn’t Musk want it to be a dating site & something else, too. Are we gonna call it XXX then? > [@RitterSport](#): > > “As he posted on X, this is a stupid name for a service” really looks like they meant to fill it in after they tracked down which site it was posted on. > > Anyway, maybe never, since the name is so stupid, I think this is part of it. "Geez, that’s such a stoopit name,we’re not gonna tell you it’s name w/o reminding you what it used to be call; yanno, that name that _everyone_ knew. > [@RitterSport](#): > > or maybe the site formerly known as Twitter will dry up before the switch is made. No, the X name will go away & everyone will refer to it as, “Remember Twitter?” Just like Ask Jeeves, Myspace, & Netscape, except Twitter _will_ be remembered by future generations who weren’t even born when it existed. It’s gonna be a mandatory first-semester business school case study - _How to self-implode & totally destroy a business used by the majority of people when you don’t even have a good competitor_ He lost even more advertisers last week with his anti-Semetic (re-)posts? . . The real question is when will news sites decide to either share the text of a tweet, or an image of a tweet & that there’s no reason to do both? 😡 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/5 "2023-11-20T20:57:57Z")
If they say “X” I have no fucking idea of what they are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/6 "2023-11-20T20:58:58Z")
They should share the image, rather than linking to a tweet that might get deleted. Yeah, TSFKAT (the site formerly known as Twitter) lost a ton of advertisers recently. I don’t go there much anymore – I really wish The NY Times Pitchbot would move over to threads. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/7 "2023-11-20T21:01:08Z")
I don’t see it stopping any time soon. People just don’t know the site as X. They know it as Twitter. The URL still contains `twitter.com`, and `x.com` is only a redirect. Many places online haven’t replaced the Twitter logo with an X logo yet. Plus it’s not like journalists are on good terms with Musk or his social media website, so they aren’t really inclined to help him out in making the switch. They only care about making it clear to the reader what they are talking about. And Twitter still has much, much more brand cache. Do also note that companies still often say “Meta, the company that runs Facebook,” and also just refer to Google when they mean Alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/8 "2023-11-20T21:08:44Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > They should share the image, rather than linking to a tweet that might get deleted. I agree with @Spiderman that they should do both. You can’t copy and past text from an image, nor get more context and read replies. Heck, you can’t tell if the Tweet has been deleted or not. Much better to include the image and make it a link to the Tweet. What I don’t think are all that useful are the embedded tweets. Those actually leave a hole in the page if they are deleted. It really only makes sense to use if you are in control of the Tweet. The only advantage over an image is that you’ll be sure that the text size is the same as the page. But, if you can legally show an image of the tweet, you should also legally be able to simply quote the whole tweet. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/9 "2023-11-20T21:11:51Z")
Sure, Musk is an idiot. and X is a stupid name …but tweeting is a significant part of our society now. So how can tweeting just disappear? Is there any other site that can replace the social function which is so vital now for politicians, celebrities, etc to get their message out? My guess is that eventually people will tire of saying “formerly known as twitter”, and just start saying “the social media site X”. It sounds more natural: " the senator announced today on social media site X that he will vote against the proposed law." ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/10 "2023-11-20T21:17:05Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Is there any other site that can replace the social function which is so vital now for politicians, celebrities, etc to get their message out? Threads is run by Meta and seems to be gaining steam. Bluesky is privately owned, I think – had some momentum, but took too long to get people on board and will probably be overtaken by Threads Mastodon is more of a protocol, with tons of privately-run servers that connect together. I hoped this would be a thing, but again, I think Threads will end up replacing X-Formerly-Known-As-Twitter if XFKAT gets replaced. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/11 "2023-11-20T21:21:19Z")
I’ve started to use Threads because a few of the accounts I follow have switched over to there from Twitter. But I have to say, I really dislike the Threads app. The user interface is pretty bad. The Twitter app interface is far better. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/12 "2023-11-20T21:23:07Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > The Twitter app interface is far better. Agreed. I’m hoping more people move over and the interface improves. Musk has gone off the deep end. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/13 "2023-11-20T21:24:12Z")
At one time the Post Office here rebranded itself as ‘Consignia’. Everybody ridiculed this stupid name, which tells nothing about the company does, and after a few years they dropped it. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/14 "2023-11-20T21:38:25Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Just like Ask Jeeves, Myspace, & Netscape, except Twitter _will_ be remembered by future generations My wife said to me the other day that she had to **Mapquest** directions to some location. I looked at her like she had two heads and asked her “what the hell did you just say?” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/15 "2023-11-20T22:34:21Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > My guess is that eventually people will tire of saying “formerly known as twitter”, and just start saying “the social media site X”. > > It sounds more natural: " the senator announced today on social media site X that he will vote against the proposed law." I’m afraid it will be more like: “The senator announced today on _ **anti** _-social media X how he will vote, draw your own conclusions” ---
**Author:** ![Mnemnosyne](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mnemnosyne/32/3347_2.png) [@Mnemnosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemnosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/16 "2023-11-21T06:50:31Z")
I’m frankly disappointed in everyone even acknowledging the change and even mentioning the new name. Twitter isn’t a person, there’s no reason to be sensitive and respect their preferences. I’d respect journalists far more if they went: “On Twitter\*” and then had the asterisk at the bottom: “\* The new owner of Twitter has decided to rename it, but given that it is a stupid-ass name, we’ve elected to ignore it.” ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/17 "2023-11-21T07:20:44Z")
Agreed. F\*ck Elon. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/18 "2023-11-21T07:30:04Z")
Sending a “Tweet” and “Tweeting” are part of a worldwide lexicon. Like Googling. Google made Alphabet their parent company but no one says they are “Alphabetting” something (nor has Google tried to make that change). No one wants to say they are “Xing” something or they sent an “X”. The whole thing is stupid. I suspect Tweeting will remain in our vocabulary for a long time. Heck, in 2013 [“Tweet” was added to the Oxford English dictionary](https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-tweet-oxford-dictionary-20130617-story.html). ---
**Author:** ![ColdBrew50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@ColdBrew50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdBrew50)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/19 "2023-11-21T09:18:05Z")
No, I forbid it. “Tweeting” and all the idiotic related terms spawned from the former website’s name remain as idiotic as ever. No need to encourage a renaissance of that age. I say “X.” And for the conscientious copy editor if he or she exists, he or she may add an explanatory note if he or she chooses. Turn it off! Turn it off! After all, what would George C. Scott say about “X”? It’s pretty hardcore and metal, after all. Pretty sure that’s at least partly the intent of the owner. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442/20 "2023-11-21T10:00:26Z")
> [@ColdBrew50](#): > > After all, what would George C. Scott say about “X”? _“Well, I, uh, don’t think it’s quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up, sir.”_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-before-journalists-quit-referring-to-formerly-known-as-twitter/993442.md?page=2)