Social Media Discussion

[Alefroth]

Wouldn't it be Xeets?

[Alefroth]

Xeeeeeeeeeeeet!

[Smoove_B]

Ok, ok, let's see if THIS kills the platform:

Elon Musk’s latest tweak to Twitter, the former name of what he now calls X: Users will no longer be able to block other accounts — as Musk claims the feature “makes no sense.”

“Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs,” the tech mogul posted on X Friday. “Makes no sense.”

X/Twitter describes block as “a feature that helps you control how you interact with other accounts on Twitter. This feature helps people in restricting specific accounts from contacting them, seeing their Tweets, and following them.” Blocking other accounts is useful if someone is harassing, threatening or stalking you on the platform.

Instead of using the “block,” Musk suggested that X users can use the mute feature instead. However, the social network’s mute button simply removes an account’s posts from your timeline without unfollowing or blocking that account — whereas blocking an account prevents another account from viewing your public posts on X. When you “mute” X/Twitter accounts, they are still able to reply to your public posts (you just don’t get notification and they are hidden from your view by default).

[Alefroth]

Wow, one of my biggest pleasures of the platform is blocking shit heads. That change may do it for me. There's a certain type of person that would support not having this as an option

[Smoove_B]

With everyone sharing that news, I'm seeing this now appended to the news stories that are being Xeeted:

It is impossible for Elon Musk to disable blocking without getting the app removed from the Apple and Google Play stores, per their Terms of Services

[Carpet_pissr]

So his plan is executing right on target I guess.

[Exodor]

With everyone sharing that news, I'm seeing this now appended to the news stories that are being Xeeted:

It is impossible for Elon Musk to disable blocking without getting the app removed from the Apple and Google Play stores, per their Terms of Services

Before the name change Apple required Apps to have names at least two letters long. Rules change.

[Smoove_B]

Feels like there's a pretty big different between character sizes and basic security/protection for users.

[Zaxxon]

With everyone sharing that news, I'm seeing this now appended to the news stories that are being Xeeted:

It is impossible for Elon Musk to disable blocking without getting the app removed from the Apple and Google Play stores, per their Terms of Services

I don’t think this is true. The rules require there to be a way to block users. Not for there to be a way for users to block other users.

That’s the interpretation of Twitter’s old trust/safety head, at least, and seems to be borne out by the fact that new apps like BlueSky launched sans block functionality.

[Smoove_B]

I guess we'll see....and know that whatever the shittiest take is, that'll be enacted.

[GreenGoo]

Anything that drives people away from twitter is a good thing.

Yes, I realize it's also used as an information network. We'll just have to come up with something else, something less owned and controlled by single individuals who's whims are unfathomable. (edit: I mostly mean I'm not interested in trying to fathom).

[Zaxxon]

For those on BlueSky, the post I referred to earlier.

https://bsky.app/profile/yoyoel.com/post/3k5dedm46wy2v

[Zaxxon]

And for those not on there, I have a couple of invites. PM if you want out of the Bad Place.

[Carpet_pissr]

And for those not on there, I have a couple of invites. PM if you want out of the Bad Place.

Yes, please. Anything to support non-X platforms at this point.

I love how they have a post on X inviting people to sign up for the waitlist LOL. Surprised Musk hasn't suppressed that yet.

[Zaxxon]

YGPM.

[Carpet_pissr]

Thanks, already checked it out, and wow, looks JUST like Twitter! Hopefully it's not also run by an egomaniacal, meddling asshole billionaire who wants everyone to know where he stands on politics.

Now I need to find out how to invest in this thing, if possible! This definitely looks like it could be Twitter 2.0.

[Zaxxon]

It’s run by Jack Dorsey, in some fashion.

[Alefroth]

Is there a browser based version? If so, I'd give it a go if you still have an invite.

[Zaxxon]

Is there a browser based version? If so, I'd give it a go if you still have an invite.

I don’t think there is.

[Carpet_pissr]

Is there a browser based version? If so, I'd give it a go if you still have an invite.

I don’t think there is.

I only accessed it on my desktop, so has to be (unless we are just talking about semantics around the word "app" maybe?)

From the Bluesky page link, it shows APP. I click on that, and it opens in a new tab in my browser on Windows 11, as any other normal web page.

[Zaxxon]

Oh, sweet. Originally it launched with just mobile apps, I think.

[Exodor]

It’s run by Jack Dorsey, in some fashion.

He's on the board but I think it's as accurate to say he "runs" Bluesky as it is to say Linda Yaccarino "runs" Twitter.

[Zaxxon]

It’s run by Jack Dorsey, in some fashion.

He's on the board but I think it's as accurate to say he "runs" Bluesky as it is to say Linda Yaccarino "runs" Twitter.

Probably accurate.

[Smoove_B]

Up next - historical images and links are gone:

X, which was formerly known as Twitter until its recent rebranding, is having a problem displaying old posts that came with images attached or any hyperlinks converted through Twitter’s built-in URL shortener. It’s unclear when the problem started, but it was highlighted on Saturday afternoon in a post by Tom Coates, and a Brazilian vtuber, @DaniloTakagi, had pointed it out a couple of days earlier.

As it is, it appears to affect tweets published prior to December 2014, judging by posts visible on my own account. No videos are affected (Twitter only added native image support in 2011 and built-in videos in 2016), but links to YouTube, for example, are now just text with a t.co URL that doesn’t work.

...

The timing for the cutoff in pictures and links that are broken seems related to changes Twitter made in 2016, adding “enhanced URL enrichment” to show previews for linked websites and native attachments that didn’t count against Twitter’s 140-character limit. According to developer documentation, the metadata for these additions “began emerging” in December 2014.

[RunningMn9]

Logged in today, to be greeted with a feed that is suddenly and unexpectedly 98% pro-Tesla propaganda. I follow like five Buffalo Bills beat reporters. There are 10 TSLA posts for every Bills related post. I’m sure that’s an accident.

[LordMortis]

Logged in today, to be greeted with a feed that is suddenly and unexpectedly 98% pro-Tesla propaganda. I follow like five Buffalo Bills beat reporters. There are 10 TSLA posts for every Bills related post. I’m sure that’s an accident.

I'm sure it was a Yaccarnio decision and had nothing to do with Donald Musk making decisions behind the scenes.

[Smoove_B]

Next up, headlines:

Elon Musk says that he plans to make another move that will complicate news media outlets effort to draw traffic to their content on Twitter/X.

He confirmed a report in Fortune that the platform will strip out the headline from story links so that the links are only from the article’s lead image.

“This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics,” Musk wrote on Twitter/X on Monday.

[RunningMn9]

Maybe I’m too dumb to know what esthetics are, but I’m pretty confident that they aren’t at all important to news stories.

[Victoria Raverna]

What is to stop people from adding headline texts on the lead image to counter this? Is X going to use AI to remove text from the image?

[Jaymann]

What is to stop people from adding headline texts on the lead image to counter this? Is X going to use AI to remove text from the image?

Have you considered a career in marketing?

[stessier]

New Twitter privacy policy inbound!

X, the social network that you can access at twitter.com, is planning to collect users' biometric information, employment history, and educational history, according to an updated privacy policy. "Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes," the new policy says.

X posted the new version of its privacy policy yesterday, saying it will go into effect on September 29. The current privacy policy that doesn't include collecting biometric data and employment history will remain in effect until September 29.

The new policy says that X "may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job, to enable employers to find potential candidates, and to show you more relevant advertising."

The biometric data and employment history disclosures are listed in the section, "information you provide us." The policy does not say what kind of biometric data X would collect. We contacted X about the changes and will update this article if we get a response.

[Carpet_pissr]

“X, the social network that you can access at twitter.com“

LOL

[malchior]

It's so stupid.

By the way, not sure if this has been discussed but I've noticed they've stopped marking Ad content as "Promoted". It just looks like any other Xweet now. I'm also seeing some general fuckery in the feed but it's to be expected at this point.

[Zaxxon]

It's so stupid.

By the way, not sure if this has been discussed but I've noticed they've stopped marking Ad content as "Promoted". It just looks like any other Xweet now. I'm also seeing some general fuckery in the feed but it's to be expected at this point.

They moved it to the top right of the tweet. It annoyed me when I realized it’s harder to see since eyes naturally focus on the left side of the feed when scrolling.

[Unagi]

New Twitter privacy policy inbound!

X, the social network that you can access at twitter.com, is planning to collect users' biometric information, employment history, and educational history, according to an updated privacy policy. "Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes," the new policy says.

X posted the new version of its privacy policy yesterday, saying it will go into effect on September 29. The current privacy policy that doesn't include collecting biometric data and employment history will remain in effect until September 29.

The new policy says that X "may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job, to enable employers to find potential candidates, and to show you more relevant advertising."

The biometric data and employment history disclosures are listed in the section, "information you provide us." The policy does not say what kind of biometric data X would collect. We contacted X about the changes and will update this article if we get a response.

wow - that's quite intrusive.

Who on Earth wants Elon Musk to have access to that information?

[ImLawBoy]

Are people using biometrics to log into Twitter? I'm trying to figure out how they're getting biometrics.

I'm then wondering if their lawyers have familiarized themselves with the Illinois law regarding biometrics . . . .

[LordMortis]

Are people using biometrics to log into Twitter? I'm trying to figure out how they're getting biometrics.

I'm then wondering if their lawyers have familiarized themselves with the Illinois law regarding biometrics . . . .

Only two things I can think of are Musk is asking you to enter it or it will ask to link to data collected on your phone or biometric collector blue toothed to your phone. Your IPhone uses all kinds of data to make biometric compilations and there are tons of health devices to enhance its tracking. Fitbit started a thing

https://ouraring.com/

[ImLawBoy]

When I'm using biometrics on my phone, it's all kept on my phone. Even if I'm using biometrics to log into MyChart (health care system app), it's really just linking my thumbprint to the password stored on my phone, and it's not sending that biometric info to the hospital or MyChart. At least, that's how I think it works.

[stessier]

Are people using biometrics to log into Twitter? I'm trying to figure out how they're getting biometrics.

I'm then wondering if their lawyers have familiarized themselves with the Illinois law regarding biometrics . . . .

They might have an inkling.

in Newswire Published on July 18, 2023
Twitter Captured, Stored Illinois Users’ Biometric Data Without Consent, Class Action Says

[Zaxxon]

The question I have is how--I'm sure Apple doesn't expose any on-device biometric info to apps, and I'm doubtful that even Google does (though I'm less sure there).