# Now that Musk bought Twitter -- Breaking News only **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** breaking-news, elon-musk\ **Created:** [November 29, 2022, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737 "2022-11-29T13:10:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/301 "2023-07-11T18:30:30Z")
Web tracking indicates that Twitter usage is down 5% since last week (after Threads launch) and 11% from same time last year. > **[Twitter traffic is 'tanking' as Meta's Threads hits 100 million users](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/10/twitter-traffic-is-nosediving-as-metas-threads-hits-100-million-users.html)** > > User traffic on Twitter has slowed since the launch of Threads, which has already surpassed 100 million sign-ups since its debut last week. I’m not sure that I’d quite yet use the word “tanking” but the more that people see headlines like this the more comfortable that I’d expect them to be in jumping ship. Any reasonable sense of a genuine transition will increase the rate of that transition. (Of course, Twitter traffic might be artificially inflated by robots and spam postings, so it’s possible that it has tanked when counting real humans and we just can’t see that effectively.) ---
**Author:** ![ColdBrew50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@ColdBrew50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdBrew50)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/302 "2023-07-12T00:26:48Z")
Well, I agree. One thing I like to do is to affix a small bit of carbon copy paper to the relevant fingertips, and measure the diameter of the (roughly) circular imprint each finger achieves. The results are then sent via registered mail to GoogleMusk, and in the next revision of each model, I find my results have been used to improve the previous defective design. It’s kind of a crowd-sourcing thing, but since I love all deviants, including corporations, I’m happy to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/303 "2023-07-12T00:33:57Z")
Moderating: > [@ColdBrew50](#): > > Well, I agree. > > One thing I like to do is to affix a small bit of carbon copy paper to the relevant fingertips, and measure the diameter of the (roughly) circular imprint each finger achieves. Please mind the mod notes in the threads you choose to post in. There’s one just 2 posts above yours: > [@Now that Musk bought Twitter -- Breaking News only](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/299): > > Moderating: Let’s please drop the hijack about typing styles/methods in this thread, as it is a breaking news only thread. Thanks. It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re paying attention to them. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![ColdBrew50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@ColdBrew50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdBrew50)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/304 "2023-07-12T00:44:22Z")
My apologies. I didn’t realize there were similar jokes above, nor that #breaking-news is not the place for frivolity. Won’t happen again, and I thank you for the heads-up. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/305 "2023-07-12T00:46:05Z")
It happens. 🙂 People sometimes miss the mod notes, especially when they’re fairly new. Welcome to the Dope, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/306 "2023-07-12T16:31:19Z")
> **[WSJ News Exclusive | A Glass House for Elon Musk Sparks Internal Tesla Probe](https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-glass-house-for-elon-musk-sparks-internal-tesla-probe-9a121db5)** > > Plans for Tesla’s secret “Project 42” called for an unusual-looking glass structure in the Austin, Texas, area. No further comment as this is breaking news only. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/307 "2023-07-12T16:50:00Z")
Paywalled. Got a short summary? What is the “unusual-looking glass structure”? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/308 "2023-07-12T16:58:38Z")
Found these articles (so, not very news exclusive) about millions in glass purchases that have been flagged as potential misuse, potentially for a residence for Musk and potentially spending Musk personally knew of and approved without board authorization. Reportedly, regulators are also looking into it. > **[Secret Glass House For Elon Musk? Tesla Reportedly Investigated Millions Of...](https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/07/11/secret-glass-house-for-elon-musk-tesla-reportedly-investigated-millions-of-dollars-of-company-funded-glass-purchases/?sh=2f94dfc220b5)** > > Musk has historically played down his personal living conditions, once vowing to “own no house.” > **[Tesla Working on Strange, Transparent Structure](https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-strange-transparent-structure)** > > Elon Musk may be building a massive glass house for himself nearby Tesla's Texas Gigafactory — and he might be using Tesla funds to do it. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/309 "2023-07-12T17:13:38Z")
Thanks! ---
**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:** [July 12, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/310 "2023-07-12T17:30:24Z")
_Le corporation c’est moi_. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/311 "2023-07-12T17:37:12Z")
❌ _Le corporation, c’est moi._ ✅ « _La corporation, c’est moi._ » (One of the few French gender rules that has no exception, as far as I can tell: words ending in -tion are always feminine.) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/312 "2023-07-12T17:39:22Z")
Goog Translate says _L’entreprise c’est moi_ ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/313 "2023-07-12T18:07:33Z")
« Entreprise » means the business carried on. « corporation » is the corporate structure, but in French has a more restricted meaning than in English, to mean a professional regulatory body. In Canada, the usual name for the corporate structure is « société par actions » (« shares »). I’ll stop now. / Je vais terminer dès-maintenant. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2023, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/314 "2023-07-12T19:32:45Z")
Thanks for all the corrections. My actual knowledge of actual French is about the same as most people’s actual knowledge of Icelandic. IOW all but indistinguishable from zero. I chose the “Le corporation” construction to parallel the original _L 'État c’est moi_ construction; nothing more was meant. Although _L’enterprise_ would have been even better as fractured Franglish. But even in US English corporations have shareholders, and enterprises don’t necessarily. Musk’s crime, if it be that, is defrauding shareholders by confusing _their_ corporation with _his_ corporation. As a certain _Roi_ probably didn’t actually say. Sometimes jokes don’t improve after you’ve analyzed them 3 or 4 layers deep. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2023, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/315 "2023-07-12T19:44:54Z")
> **[Elon Musk takes aim at OpenAI with xAI launch](https://www.reuters.com/technology/elon-musks-ai-firm-xai-launches-website-2023-07-12/)** > > Elon Musk launched his long-teased artificial intelligence startup xAI on Wednesday with a team of engineers from the very U.S. technology firms he hopes to challenge in his bid to build an alternative to ChatGPT. If you recall, Musk was one of the founders of OpenAI, which was supposed to a non-profit and produce only open source products. He had to resign because of a conflict woth Tesla’s AI, at which point the other owners took the company private and for-profit. So now Musk is apparently trying again. He’s hired a lot of engineers involved with DeepMind, AlphaGo, GPT 3.5 and GPT 4.0, and other AI firms. And that’s about all we know, other than a throwaway line that Musk has already acquired ‘thousands’ of Nvidia H100 cards. They are about $40,000 per, so that’s already a hefy investment. He says he’s doing this not to advance AI necessarily, but to use AI to ‘understand the world’. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2023, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/316 "2023-07-16T09:21:18Z")
Twitter is still losing money, as advertised continue to leave. > **[Elon Musk says Twitter's cash flow still negative as ad revenue drops 50%](https://www.reuters.com/technology/elon-musk-says-twitters-cash-flow-still-negative-ad-revenue-drops-2023-07-15/)** > > Twitter's cash flow remains negative because of a nearly 50% drop in advertising revenue and a heavy debt load, Elon Musk said on Saturday, falling short of his expectation in March that Twitter could reach cash flow positive by June. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/317 "2023-07-16T16:05:04Z")
Elon is a very competitive personality. He’s now in a race between his white half that is trying to crash revenue and his black half that’s trying to crash costs. Somebody gonna win that race Go Elon!! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/318 "2023-07-17T04:51:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > He’s now in a race between his white half that is trying to crash revenue and his black half that’s trying to crash costs. Yes, but the _important_ thing is that he’s white on the _right_ side… ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/319 "2023-07-17T04:57:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > He’s now in a race between his white half that is trying to crash revenue and his black half that’s trying to crash costs. What? ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737/320 "2023-07-17T05:49:28Z")
I assume it’s an allusion to: > **[Let That Be Your Last Battlefield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_That_Be_Your_Last_Battlefield)** > > “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the original American science fiction television show Star Trek. Written by Oliver Crawford (based on a story by Gene L. Coon, writing under his pen name "Lee Cronin") and directed by Jud Taylor, it was first broadcast January 10, 1969. > In the episode, the Enterprise encounters two survivors of a war-torn planet, each half black and half white (though on opposite sides from each other), each committed to destro... and given **Steve\_MB** ’s followup, I think he agrees with me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-that-musk-bought-twitter-breaking-news-only/975737.md?page=17)