Why changes to the block on Elon Musk’s X are driving users away

Elon Musk’s platform X is preparing to overhaul its block function, breaking away from traditional social media practices. Under the new policy, blocked users will still be able to view the posts of the person who blocked them, as long as the posts are public. However, they will be restricted from liking, reposting, or replying to these posts.

Musk has previously voiced his opinion on the issue, stating, “Blocking public posts makes no sense. It needs to be replaced by a stronger mute function.” Jack Dorsey, former Twitter co-founder and CEO, also supports this approach.

Elon Musk’s X are driving users away

While Musk and Dorsey argue that blocking public posts is redundant—since anyone can access them by simply logging out—others, like Tracy Chou, founder of the anti-harassment tool Block Party, believe the block function provides an essential layer of protection. Chou stated on X, “The friction matters! Making it easier for people to engage in harmful behavior isn’t a good thing.”

In response to the proposed changes, many X users are exploring alternatives, leading to a significant rise in activity on platforms like Bluesky. Over a two-day span, Bluesky saw 1.2 million new users and climbed to the second spot in the U.S. App Store’s Social Networking category, a dramatic jump from its previous ranking of 181.

Though user spikes don’t always translate into sustained engagement, this policy shift could have more lasting effects compared to X’s previous changes, such as its rebranding from Twitter. The adjustment focuses on the rights of blocked users, potentially putting those who rely on blocking for protection at greater risk.

X’s engineering team defended the update, stating, “Currently, block can be used to hide harmful or private information. With this change, users will gain more transparency and visibility into these behaviors.”

As X continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, these changes may lead to a shift in user behavior, with more people seeking alternatives, potentially reshaping the social media landscape.

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Social Tech

X Expands Community Notes to Video Content, but Experts Question its Effectiveness

by George Mensah 2023-09-24

X, formerly known as Twitter, has expanded its crowdsourced fact-checking system, Community Notes, to support video content. This means that approved members can now attach written notes to videos that contain misleading information. The notes will be visible to all users, providing them with additional context about the content they are viewing.

The expansion of Community Notes to video content is a welcome move, as it could help to reduce the spread of misinformation on the platform. However, some experts have questioned the effectiveness of the system, due to a few fundamental flaws.

One flaw is that, for a Community Note to become visible, it must first be approved by members on both sides of the discourse. This can create a situation where harmful or misleading content can go unchecked for a while before it gets tagged with the proper disclaimer, if at all.

Another flaw is X’s disproportionate implementation of its moderation, safety, and security features. For example, X has been repeatedly called out for censoring critical voices targeting the government in markets like India and the Middle East. This raises concerns about whether Community Notes will be applied fairly and consistently across all types of content.

Finally, some experts have criticized the fact that X is indirectly passing the onus of fact-checking to its most prolific users, rather than having a dedicated trust and safety team do the job. This is especially concerning given that Elon Musk famously gutted the company’s safety team soon after he took over.

Overall, the expansion of Community Notes to video content is a positive step, but it is important to be aware of its limitations. The system is still under development, and it remains to be seen how effective it will be in reducing the spread of misinformation on the platform.

In addition to the flaws mentioned above, here are some other concerns about the Community Notes system:

It is unclear how X will ensure that Community Notes are accurate and unbiased.
The system could be used to harass or silence certain users.
It could be used to spread misinformation itself, if it is not carefully monitored.

Overall, the Community Notes system is a promising experiment, but it is important to be aware of its limitations and potential risks. X should carefully monitor the system and make adjustments as needed to ensure that it is effective and fair.

Social Tech

Bluesky Hits Record High in Daily Active Users After Elon Musk Announces Subscription Fee for X

by George Mensah 2023-09-23

Bluesky, a decentralized social network that is still in its early stages of development, has seen a record surge in daily active users after Elon Musk announced that he would begin charging all X users a small monthly fee to use its services.

According to analytics firm Similarweb, Bluesky’s Android app saw half a million daily active users on the day of Musk’s announcement, September 18, and its web traffic surged even higher, with over 775,000 daily visitors. This represents a 20.6% increase in daily active users on Android and a 30% increase in daily visitors on the web from the day prior.

The surge in traffic was so great that Bluesky was forced to temporarily halt new user sign-ups as its website buckled under the influx.

This is not the first time that Bluesky has benefited from Musk’s missteps with X. In the past, Bluesky has seen similar surges in traffic after other X controversies, such as the imposition of temporary rate limits on the number of tweets users could view and the announcement of the end of blocks.

Despite Bluesky’s recent growth, it is still a very small platform compared to X. Bluesky currently has just over 1 million users, while X has over 550 million monthly active users.

However, the fact that Bluesky is able to consistently benefit from X’s blunders suggests that there is a growing appetite for alternatives to X. Bluesky’s decentralized architecture and commitment to free speech make it a particularly attractive option for users who are dissatisfied with X’s direction.

Here are some additional details and insights:

Bluesky is still invite-only, so the surge in usage this week could have been even higher if it had opened up its doors to anyone interested in joining.
Bluesky is the largest of the microblogging networks that are directly competing with X, but it is still very small compared to X.
Despite its small size, Bluesky is growing rapidly and is well-positioned to capitalize on X’s missteps.
Bluesky’s decentralized architecture and commitment to free speech make it a particularly attractive option for users who are dissatisfied with X’s direction.

Overall, the article provides a good overview of Bluesky’s recent growth and its potential as a competitor to X. The article also highlights the risks that X faces as it continues to alienate its users.

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