# 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:** 82
**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:** [November 27, 2022, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1621 "2022-11-27T14:07:41Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > But in the context of having to lay off half the coding work force in a fairly quick manner, this would be a reasonable way to go, given the difficulty of any method you chose. …just out of interest, what kind of review did the advertising team (which generated over 4 billion dollars last year) go through before many (if not most) of them were laid off in a fairly quick manner? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1622 "2022-11-27T14:09:39Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > How can they possibly be a fake if they paid him $8? He gets to KEEP that if he bans them, you know. Nobody involved in your linked thread was an $8 subscriber. Just take the L and do better going forward. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1623 "2022-11-27T14:31:55Z")
It was a doctored tweet. I’ve done this before, no big deal, it’s just the nature of the Internet nowadays: we’ll all get taken in, given time. On the other hand, I think the original tweet (which was deleted) was much worse: > Regardless, this entire kerfuffle is showing that Twitter is degrading as a reliable source of information. Which was _the point_. ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1624 "2022-11-27T15:14:26Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > It was a doctored tweet. The one where he’s shown responding to hitler-whatever is doctored, yes. But he _did_ actually make this reply: > Where he’s responding oddly to a random innocuous post about wildlife in Madagascar with what seems like a non sequitur about the future … unless you know that references to “88” are coded nods between neo-Nazis. For someone as terminally online as Musk is, there’s no way he doesn’t know this. _At best,_ he noticed the “88” in the wildlife tweet, and is making a weird and tacky joking reference to the number. Which invites a question about why he’s searching for “88” in people’s tweets. The fabricated replies are then taking off from Musk’s own bizarre specific example, not invented from nothing. ---
**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 27, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1625 "2022-11-27T15:21:16Z")
@JohnT. I know you know this, though Elon seems not to. There is nothing “conservative” about the reactionary right’s counter-narrative. Nothing at all. It’s a far more radical proposal than anything trotted out by the wokerati. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1626 "2022-11-27T15:44:18Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > _At best,_ he noticed the “88” in the wildlife tweet, and is making a weird and tacky joking reference to the number. Which invites a question about why he’s searching for “88” in people’s tweets. Because tweeting “Heil Hitler!” is a bit too on the nose even for a lickspittle like Musk. He does like his emergent fascism, though: > **[Elon Musk says he would support Ron DeSantis in 2024](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/26/elon-musk-ron-desantis-election/)** > > His comments come after he urged his Twitter followers to back Republicans in the midterms. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1627 "2022-11-27T15:50:53Z")
Are you saying he wasn’t? ---
**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 27, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1628 "2022-11-27T16:09:37Z")
Moderating > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > > Several of them on this very board, from what I’ve seen in the various Musk/Twitter threads here in recent weeks. > > [Exhibit A](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-someone-with-no-business-acumen-get-to-be-the-richest-person-in-the-world/974903/263) > > Stranger Please don’t make it personal. This is IMHO, not the pit. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1629 "2022-11-27T16:41:23Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > For someone as terminally online as Musk is, there’s no way he doesn’t know this. > > _At best,_ he noticed the “88” in the wildlife tweet, and is making a weird and tacky joking reference to the number. Which invites a question about why he’s searching for “88” in people’s tweets. We realize, he **is** trolling us all, don’t we? He _knows_ that people, _both_ pros and antis, will get hung up on “88”(\*) and satisfy his thirsts both for attention and for making others uncomfortable with impunity. (\* aside of that: is every instance of the number 88 for the rest of Internet history going to require a linked cite to prove that is in reference to an actual numerical value? or only if it’s an annoying putz posting it?) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1630 "2022-11-27T16:56:18Z")
Deciding to quickly form a loyal opposition, I am going on the record as saying this is more-likely-than-not a reference to the original tweet which was itself referencing the linked Wiki article which mentioned “88 million years”. Sometimes a cigar is just a smoke, ladies and gentlemen. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1631 "2022-11-27T17:05:20Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Sometimes a cigar is just a smoke, ladies and gentlemen. 😉 When it comes to this guy?: [![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/027/100/_103330503_musk3.jpg) ](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/027/100/_103330503_musk3.jpg) Stranget ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1632 "2022-11-27T18:50:03Z")
For the longest time, I wondered why discussions of Elon Musk were often illustrated with photos of Doug Benson ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1633 "2022-11-27T19:07:03Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > (\* aside of that: is every instance of the number 88 for the rest of Internet history going to require a linked cite to prove that is in reference to an actual numerical value? or only if it’s an annoying putz posting it?) Aside from discussions of pianos, most likely. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1634 "2022-11-27T19:49:53Z")
Well, [88rising](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/88rising) is an Asian record company, more specifically Asian-American (they also have a channel on SiriusXM radio) which has nothing to do with the other thing. In Asia the number 8 is a symbol of good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1635 "2022-11-27T20:12:46Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > In Asia the number 8 is a symbol of good luck. Well, in Chinese culture at least. However, I haven’t seen any indication that Musk has any interest in Chinese numerology, while he has definitely courted right-wing figures and clearly enjoys a good dogwhistle, whether it is making oh-so-clever references to drug use or flaming up “the Libs”, and it isn’t as if [the association of “88” with neo-Nazi movements is an unknown thing](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2008/10/14-and-88-why-white-supremacists-love-the-numbers.html). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1636 "2022-11-27T20:16:53Z")
Well, definitely. However I was answering the other question. “Does the number 88 on the internet have any other meaning?” ---
**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:** [November 27, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1637 "2022-11-27T21:41:22Z")
…an hour ago the New Zealand contingent of white supremacists had their accounts restored. :: sigh :: Including the guy who was jailed for sharing the livestream of the Christchurch shooting who is now trying to get people to subscribe to his political party. Thanks Elon. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1638 "2022-11-27T21:48:04Z")
I have never heard this usage of ‘88’ before as a code word for Nazis. Where does it comes from? As for other usages, maybe he was just trying to keep things straight: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LGIlWSey4pQ/hqdefault.jpg "Downchild Blues Band(ft.Jane Vasey)Tryin' To Keep Her 88's Straight") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGIlWSey4pQ) i.e. the obvious other ‘88’ is the number of keys on a piano. ---
**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 27, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1639 "2022-11-27T21:56:09Z")
> **[88 | Hate Symbols Database | ADL](https://www.adl.org/resources/hate-symbol/88)** > > 88 is a white supremacist numerical code for Heil Hitler. Read more about the meaning behind the numbers, as well as how it’s used in non-extremist forms. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442/1640 "2022-11-27T22:52:32Z")
How about using 820 for Heil Twitler? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=81) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-elon-musk-has-bought-twitter-now-the-pit-edition-part-1/963442.md?page=83)