# Now that Elon Musk has bought Twitter - now the Pit edition (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 25, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442 "2022-04-25T22:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 138
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2742 "2023-01-21T21:38:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Folks with formal training in automotive design also created the Aztec and the Juke. Horrors both by popular agreement. At least the Aztec was popularized by a certain Walter White. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2743 "2023-01-21T21:46:34Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > šŸ¤¦ā€ā™‚ļø Og dammitā€¦ itā€™s a DeLorean??? Just blot that thought out of your mind. Iā€™ve just been indicating there is a certain date-stamped stylistic method to the madness. Now feel free to drink that realization away. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2744 "2023-01-21T22:37:07Z")
Back in the before times, when I was not of the strong opinion that Musk is a giant dick and an idiotā€¦ I was awaiting the unveiling of Teslaā€™s truck, as I like EVā€™s, and will definitely be in the market for a truck for practical reasons like hauling stuff. When it was shown, I watched the video, and came away thinkingā€¦ "Oh. Thatā€™s notā€¦ good. At all. Do not want. Will not buy. " I was hoping for something useful. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2745 "2023-01-21T22:57:36Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I was hoping for something useful. As well as something that didnā€™t induce šŸ¤¢ at first sight. Iā€™m trying to imagine a current truck owner not being embarrased in owning that piece of unmitigated calfā€™s diarrhoea. Even if they somehow rolled out at something improbable like $30,000, Iā€™ll still stick with my '95 2500, thanks. Heaven forbid one of those things gets dirt on them. Ew. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2746 "2023-01-21T23:18:53Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I was hoping for something useful. The folks at Rivian must have been totally delighted when Elmo unveiled that pile of garbage ā€“ that is, after they stopped laughing. Ford almost certainly couldnā€™t care less as my understanding is that there is way more demand for the F-150 Lightning than they can possibly fill in the short term. But you do have decent options other than giving your money to Elmo even if he was producing a proper truck. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2747 "2023-01-21T23:20:32Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > But you do have decent options other than giving your money to Elmo even if he was producing a proper truck. Yes, if there was a F-150 at my local Ford dealership, theyā€™d likely have my money shortly. As it is, Iā€™m not keen on waiting and/or paying an extra premium above the List Price. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2748 "2023-01-21T23:27:10Z")
[![](https://i.redd.it/2qppifa8qfda1.png) ](https://i.redd.it/2qppifa8qfda1.png) Who in the world is going to pay more than $11/month for ad-free Twitter other than Muskrats? Ohā€¦ wait I see his plan. Although one wonders if this will annoy what advertisers are left? He should do a $100/month option where he ā€œpromisesā€ to answer at least one of your tweets ā€œsoonā€. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2023, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2749 "2023-01-21T23:53:20Z")
So his revised business plan is (a) ad revenue that has collapsed is still too high (b) since the numbers just donā€™t add up on replacing ad revenue by monetizing users, heā€™s going to test the demand curve by steadily increasing subscription prices and hoping that everyone pays up ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2750 "2023-01-22T00:13:51Z")
ā€¦as a person who always wanted a personal landram: [![](http://www.jbot.ca/images/sf/08-78.jpg) ](http://www.jbot.ca/images/sf/08-78.jpg) And who really wanted to live the Ark II: [![](https://i.imgur.com/BGtpPJT.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/BGtpPJT.jpg) Iā€™m gonna apologise in advance, and Iā€™m prepared for the waves of mockery, butā€¦ I donā€™t hate the Cybertruck. I completely acknowledge the design is impractical, and probably just flat-out-dangerous to drive, and I would never, ever, even think about buying the Cybertruck. But there is a small part of me, that when I look at it, thinks, very quietly, that ā€œit isnā€™t that bad.ā€ And every time I think that, another part of my soul just dies. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2751 "2023-01-22T00:18:49Z")
Itā€™s okay, weā€™ll start a support group for folks like ourselves and @Tamerlane, so we donā€™t have to hide in shame from civilized society. šŸ˜œ ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2752 "2023-01-22T00:25:50Z")
> **[Emails Show Elon Musk Was Directly Involved In Staged Self-Driving Video](https://news.yahoo.com/emails-show-elon-musk-directly-164929911.html)** > > Earlier this week, we reported that a Tesla engineer testified that the automaker faked its self-driving Model X video back in 2016. It wasnā€™t just a low-level employee making these claims, either. It was Teslaā€™s director of Autopilot software, Ashok... ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2753 "2023-01-22T00:29:01Z")
> **[Twitter is down to fewer than 550 full-time engineers](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/20/twitter-is-down-to-fewer-than-550-full-time-engineers.html)** > > Before Musk led a $44 billion leveraged buyout of Twitter last year, Twitter's headcount stood at about 7,500 employees. Hardcore isnā€™t good enough. Time for some Xtreme Hardcore. Next will be Xtreme Hardcore to the Max! I feel awful for a lot of the people who are left, because you know a lot of them have to be on visas and have nowhere to go. I donā€™t feel bad at all for the ones not stuck there who have opted to remain of their own accord. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2754 "2023-01-22T00:30:03Z")
Well, you gave me a good laugh at least. And the Ark II is awesome. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2755 "2023-01-22T00:32:01Z")
This doesnā€™t really surprise me at all. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2756 "2023-01-22T00:50:10Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > [Emails Show Elon Musk Was Directly Involved In Staged Self-Driving Video](https://news.yahoo.com/emails-show-elon-musk-directly-164929911.html) Apparently Elmo is following the advice of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who famously espoused the mantra ā€œfake it till you make itā€. She was sentenced to 11 years for fraud. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2757 "2023-01-22T01:04:20Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > (b) since the numbers just donā€™t add up on replacing ad revenue by monetizing users, heā€™s going to test the demand curve by steadily increasing subscription prices and hoping that everyone pays up This. I have to believe that various other social-tech outfits, both established like Facebook and startups weā€™ve never heard of are actively whipping up their own min viable product version of a twitter-equivalent service. Once the stampede starts to whoever is next, itā€™ll be unstoppable. Twitter has been hard to make money with, but itā€™s also a darn handy product for mass notifications, mass (self-)promotion, etc. Somebody will square this circle, and I predict it wonā€™t be Elmo standing on the twisted wreckage of pre-buyout Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2758 "2023-01-22T01:04:41Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I also think the Cybertruck looks bad. It looks nothing like thisā€“it just looks like a low poly model for a car. Thank you! Iā€™ve been trying to put into words the look of that ā€œtruckā€. Closest I got was _ā€œComputer graphics from the era of the Money For Nothing music videoā€._ [(gif)](https://gfycat.com/sorrowfuldemandingaquaticleech) . eta: Oh my gosh, the cybertruck was inspired by that dog! [![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/86/20/cc/8620cc64da27b8e8390f3cf157d431de.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/86/20/cc/8620cc64da27b8e8390f3cf157d431de.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2759 "2023-01-22T01:24:45Z")
The aesthetic always reminded me of that late 80s Atari arcade game, Hard Drivinā€™: [![](https://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Screen-Shot-2014-03-13-at-2.00.31-PM.png) ](https://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Screen-Shot-2014-03-13-at-2.00.31-PM.png) (Though thatā€™s a Sega Genesis screenshot. The arcade graphics werenā€™t much less angular.) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2023, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2760 "2023-01-23T02:48:04Z")
I think the Cybertruck is ugly as hell, but truck buyers might go for it if it made up in utility what it lacks in prettiness. I mean, it has some interesting features. The stainless body should be better in environments where you get scratched and dinged up a lot. It has a few interesting features around the box and tailgate. However, that raked, flat windshield is going to be a wonderland of reflections. The angled high sides on the box will make it difficult to get material in and out of the truck. Rearward and rear 3/4 visibility is godawful, and working trucks often have to maneuver in tight spaces and move around where people are walking. Rear seat headroom looks terrible. So even in terms of function itā€™s a loser. Maybe the big delay for releasing the truck means they are going to surprise us with a redesign - I canā€™t imagine their internal research is turning up a lot of love for the design. It might have sold when it was going to be the only truck available. Now there are electric trucks from the big three plus Rivian, with Toyota and others on the way. I canā€™t see Cybertruck surviving that competition unless itā€™s really cheap or has some killer, must-have feature. The only thing I can think of is its supposed 500 mile range. Given what weā€™re finding out about real world range in EV pickups, that will be a selling point. But I donā€™t think itā€™s enough. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/2761 "2023-01-23T03:44:49Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I think the Cybertruck is ugly as hell, but truck buyers might go for it if it made up in utility what it lacks in prettiness. I mean, it has some interesting features. The stainless body should be better in environments where you get scratched and dinged up a lot. It has a few interesting features around the box and tailgate. As a guy that had a friend with a DeLorean, I suspect not. That was a _super high_ maintenance surface if you cared at all about it looking ok. I think the biggest problem with the Cybertruckā€™s styling is that when it was unveiled, it was shocking and strange enough that it probably could have been moderately successful. Now at this point itā€™s just **stale.** Itā€™s long past itā€™s shelf life even though itā€™s not out yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=137) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=139)