To Following the acquisition of the network by the boss of Tesla, several changes were quickly linked, even giving many reasons to leave the application in recent weeks. Twitter last week witnessed an exodus of employees after Elon Musk issued an ultimatum asking them to stay and work ‘hardcore’ or leave and take severance pay. Many employees opted for the latter. This led to multiple trends on Twitter like #RIPTwitter, #GoodbyeTwitterand more.
For now, Twitter is rowing with 36% of the staff it had before Elon Musk took over the app and possibly even less given the latest layoffs in the sales department. Indeed, the bluebird is said to have fallen from 7,500 employees in September to around 2,700, and many former staff members have warned that the app could crash, potentially forever, due to increased pressure.
Elon Musk’s decision to purge Twitter employees who don’t share his vision has led to a wave of departures among policy and security staff around the world. Added to this is the reactivation of accounts banned from the platform, such as that of former United States President Donald Trump and rapper Kanye West, two personalities banned from the social network for the insulting or dangerous content of their tweets. .
As for the subscription system at 8 dollars per month, allowing to switch to an authenticated account, it was very quickly the target of identity theft. One of them made waves on the stock market with the American laboratory Eli Lilly, whose price plunged under false announcements. The function has for the moment disappeared from the application for fear of the absence of moderation which reigns there. Equally important, a number of advertisers suspended spending amid all the turmoil in the business, threatening its long-term financial stability.
In many ways, therefore, Musk’s acquisition raises interesting questions about where Twitter is headed and about alternative scenarios for the future. So, a new wave of social media apps are stepping forward to fill the void.
Counter Social
This social network dates from 2017 and was created by an anonymous American hacker who uses the pseudonym “the Jester”. With more than 63 million visitors per month, it presents itself as the next generation of social media. Its guideline is clear: no trolls, advertisements or influence operations. The platform provides access to news and offers the possibility of creating communities. However, CounterSocial is not present in certain countries such as China, North Korea, Pakistan or even Russia. Indeed, according to the company, these countries are “known to be the points of origin of an overwhelming majority of robots and trolls”. It is available on smartphones and computers.
Discord
Popular with gamers, Discord has over 150 million active monthly users. Considered more like chat rooms, there is no open public space on the social network. For example, it is possible to join dialogue groups on specific topics. It is also possible to listen to music with friends simultaneously via the Spotify application. The application is available on mobile and computers.
Hive Social
The platform has reached 1 million monthly active users, like Mastodon before it. The interface borrows elements from those of Instagram and Twitter. The platform thus makes it possible to publish messages, videos, surveys and other questions and answers. Its main strengths: its chronological flow and the possibility of modifying posts after they have been published. However, it is important to note that Hive Social is in its infancy and only has apps on iOS and Android (beta) at this time.
Mastodon
Launched in 2016 as an alternative to Twitter, it replaces “tweets” with “toots”. Like the little blue bird social network, it is accessible on mobile and computer. He is already experiencing a small success since the formalization of the arrival of Elon Musk at the head of his competitor. Indeed, the platform gained 10,801 users the day after the announcement and 22,139 since last week, reports the Washington Post.
It is an online forum more than a social media. Users use it to comment on the news. As with Discord, it is possible to discuss through “subreddits” specific topics which can range from celebrities to animals, including historical figures.