# 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:** 69
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1361 "2022-11-20T07:11:25Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > Only a problem if you insist on working in Mountain View. Google San Francisco is two miles away They did say Google HQ. I know the place well. Sun used to have facilities there, and the Computer History Museum is there. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1362 "2022-11-20T07:18:17Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > [The National Wireless Emergency Alert System](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea) already exists. However, you get those alerts only if your cellphone carrier chooses to participate (most do, but it still involves a private communications entity). I don’t know if I’m on this one, but I’m on something like it, and it is quite effective at warning of wildfire danger. (In my town, not close to me last summer.) And the police send out texts about major traffic incidents and missing people. Twitter would be useless for this. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1363 "2022-11-20T07:51:46Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > [The National Wireless Emergency Alert System](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea) already exists. However, you get those alerts only if your cellphone carrier chooses to participate (most do, but it still involves a private communications entity). Yep, that’s what I was thinking of. Specifically, I knew it from the system warning Hawaiians about “incoming missiles!” a few years back. > **[2018 Hawaii false missile alert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Hawaii_false_missile_alert)** > > On the morning of January 13, 2018, an alert was accidentally issued via the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert System over television, radio, and cellular networks in the U.S. state of Hawaii, instructing citizens to seek shelter due to an incoming ballistic missile. It concluded with "This is not a drill". The message was sent at 8:08 a.m. local time. The state had not authorized civil defense outdoor warning sirens. > 38 minutes and 13 seconds later, state officials blamed a ... Ironically, I knew about the false positive texts from the news at the time, but only just now did I learn that they _also_ sent out the same false warning via cable boxes. The cable box part seems superfluous to me. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1364 "2022-11-20T08:16:55Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Yep, that’s what I was thinking of. Specifically, I knew it from the system warning Hawaiians about “incoming missiles!” a few years back. Less dramatically, I remember being at work in Tacoma in 2012 on an overcast but dry and temperate autumn day when the EAS on my phone went off with an imminent blizzard warning. Turned out the warning was intended for Mt. Rainier and the vicinity, but was instead sent out to the entire population of Pierce County. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1365 "2022-11-20T09:56:03Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > in no way impedes any mobile phone user from using Twitter. As it currently works today, this is not true. You may view a tweet, and a few responses but you are urged to use the app after about 4 or 5, and are unable to view the full thread. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1366 "2022-11-20T10:40:56Z")
Trump, Peterson, others reinstated, but not Alex Jones. Why? Probably because Musk is scared off by the $1 billion judgment against Jones. See, civil judgments matter, even if they’re uncollectible. > **[These Are The Banned Twitter Accounts That Elon Musk Has Reinstated, Is...](https://apple.news/AiSYD7aQyTW6j4rrW1fXovQ)** > > An interesting crew of characters. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2022, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1367 "2022-11-20T12:13:40Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > As it currently works today, this is not true. It is in fact true. I have a twitter account for the purpose of sharing video game screen captures, and I use it exclusively via web browser on both desktop and mobile. I’ve never downloaded the client on any mobile device. Same for Facebook, back when I still used it. No app: web only. The site would occasionally nag about the app, but otherwise it was the same experience. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2022, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1368 "2022-11-20T13:34:51Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > in no way impedes any mobile phone user from using Twitter. > > As it currently works today, this is not true. You may view a tweet, and a few responses but you are urged to use the app after about 4 or 5, and are unable to view the full thread. This mostly surprises me; I don’t use Twitter so I’ll happily take your word for it. But in the event e.g. Google did kill the Android app, it would not be difficult (assuming Twitter still had a full team of developers) to move full functionality, not just their current teaser functionality, into the website. It might take a couple weeks to get everything moved over and would probably increase their bandwidth and total server horsepower needs and hence costs, but it certainly could be done. And on a commercially relevant timeline (given a still-functioning IT department). ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1369 "2022-11-20T13:54:04Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > More realistically the government would just send emergency texts. That’s good enough, nothing else needed. Link to a government page as needed for more information, done and done. My town does send emergency texts and makes emergency phone calls. I’m sure they have purchased some commercial system that allows them to do that. > [@scudsucker](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > in no way impedes any mobile phone user from using Twitter. > > As it currently works today, this is not true. You may view a tweet, and a few responses but you are urged to use the app after about 4 or 5, and are unable to view the full thread. Yeah. I actually installed the app because i was so frustrated trying to see what people were linking to. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1370 "2022-11-20T13:57:21Z")
> **[Daily Cartoon: Friday, November 11th](https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/friday-november-11th-twitter-dogs)** > > “On Twitter, nobody verifies you’re a dog.” ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1371 "2022-11-20T14:01:00Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > You may view a tweet, and a few responses but you are urged to use the app after about 4 or 5, and are unable to view the full thread. If the apps were dropped from the various app stores, I would imagine that Twitter would remove the limitations on viewing it in a browser (assuming there’s any developers left who could make the change). ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1372 "2022-11-20T14:01:42Z")
Actually, I recently discovered how to get around this issue. When you’re asked to log in, use the app, whatever, click okay. It’ll take you to the log-in page, which you exit out of, then continue as you were. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1373 "2022-11-20T14:11:45Z")
IOW, it’s chicanery all the way down. I _hate_ that that approach to all things webby is both fully legal and socially acceptable. Just lie (often by omission) to the user and steer them like lambs to slaughter towards your desired goal. ---
**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, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1374 "2022-11-20T14:14:40Z")
I’ve not had any problems using Twitter on my phone as long as I am logged in. And, if I’m not logged in on my PC, I run into the same prompts requiring me to log in after viewing a few tweets. I did ultimately create a Twitter account because of the former, though I now use it more to reply to comments of people I follow, and occasionally to call out misinformation. (I let the latter become the bulk of my Twitter usage until I realized that’s what Twitter was funneling me towards, and that it was making me way too angry.) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1375 "2022-11-20T14:20:47Z")
Ah. I don’t like my browser to be logged into social media. So i don’t let it stay connected to Twitter, Facebook, etc. That’s presumably my problem with browser-version Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1376 "2022-11-20T15:03:27Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The shocking thing about Musk letting Trump back on Twitter isn’t that he did it – he had already hinted that he would – but the way he did it. The guy ran a goddam **poll** It wouldn’t surprise me if he re-instated Trump regardless of the actual results of the poll. Making up some numbers here - he could easily declare that for the purpose of free speech, if 40% of the people wanted to hear something, they should be able to, and that a mere 60% of the people stopping that would be classic censorship. I think this could have been theater, instead of meaningful decision making. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1377 "2022-11-20T15:15:25Z")
In the past Trump has said he’s all-in on Truth Social, and not interested in returning to Twitter. Given that Trump is affiliated with Truth Social, is it possible that Trump has agreed to use it exclusively for Tweet-like activities? ---
**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:** [November 20, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1378 "2022-11-20T15:29:06Z")
There are two funny/sad things about this Trump reinstatement debacle. First, Musk had promised to set up a “content moderation council”, essentially an ethics oversight committee, to make such decisions. He was apparently unaware the Twitter already had one, comprised of independent advisors capable of make impartial decisions in the best interest of the company and the public. Second, Musk not only failed to establish such a council, but apparently dismantled the existing one, probably in the course of his mass firings. It’s clear from his tweets that account bans and reinstatement decisions are being made entirely on his own whim. For instance, when some users asked him to reinstate Alex Jones, his response, rather than any sort of reference to an ethics decision by a moderation council, was just one word: “No”. In this case the right call, of course, but this is typical Musk authoritarianism. In his mind, he paid $44 billion for that right, and by golly, he was going to make the most of it. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1379 "2022-11-20T15:39:55Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > Given that Trump is affiliated with Truth Social, is it possible that Trump has agreed to use it exclusively for Tweet-like activities? There is an agreement: > **[Truth Social Is Donald Trump’s Self-made Prison](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/11/truth-social-trump-prison.html)** > > Elon Musk would let Trump back on Twitter, but Trump reportedly feels trapped on Truth Social because its failure would be bad for his brand. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1380 "2022-11-20T15:46:47Z")
He won’t be able to resist returning to Twitter. That level of attention is among his many Greek-tragedy-level fatal flaws… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=68) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=70)