What you need to know
- We asked out readers if they were keen on the idea of Elon Musk owning Twitter.
- Of the votes, 60% said that Elon Musk should be able to purchase Twitter.
- Plenty of users agree that Twitter needs a change, while others think moderation is necessary.
Elon Musk has created quite a stir in his recent bid to purchase Twitter. The offer came not long after he bought a nearly 10% stake in the company and refused a seat on the board. In an interview, he outlined the reasoning behind his offer, saying he wants to make Twitter a more trustworthy platform that promotes free speech.
Over the weekend, we asked our readers whether they would want Elon Musk to own Twitter. This was just after the Twitter board adopted a "poison pill" to deter Musk from acquiring the company. Of more than 1800 votes, 60% think that Elon Musk should buy Twitter, while the remaining roughly 40% disagree.
Many readers had quite strong feelings on the subject of Twitter and moderation, which has ramped up over the past year. On Twitter, one reader, Vincent Maveric, agrees that there should be free speech and thinks there should be a ranking system.
"I think that it is a good idea to have free speech in social media," they comment. "There needs to by some sort of system so that the best quality and highest value content rises to the top. Like rating up the best comments. The lunatics fringe should sink to the bottom. The users can decide."
Another reader on Facebook, Mo Dane, says that platforms like Twitter, government forums, and even conservative forums have terms of service that set rules on how users can conduct themselves.
"Twitter is a corporation that provides a platform for discussions, but there has to be rules set for legal reasons. if you don't understand why, I can't help you. Elon wouldn't change this. If you're going to say something on a public forum, crazy or not, expect there to be consequences."
Gerry Murray on Facebook comments on the chaotic nature of the takeover attempt but also points out Musk's success, which they believe could improve things.
"Nobody who is reasonable or honest cares about Twitter in its current form. Mr. Musk could change that for the better, and if you need proof just look at the real life examples of the companies he’s created."
For now, even Musk doesn't know if he'll be able to acquire Twitter, but even if he fails, he says there is a "Plan B." It's not clear what that would be, but he could always go the route of Donald Trump and create his own social media platform.
