Twitter's verification echo chamber
In I'm already experiencing Verification blindness, I explained how "Verification" marks had lost their value in identifying valuable people. I also explained how trolls had capitalised on the algorithmic benefits, and this has only become exacerbated lately.
Content creators are responsible for their audience. Are platform owners?
Twitch streamer MoonMoon discussed how streamers have a duty to create a healthy community - that toxic communities are the fault of the creator. Elon is running a large-scale experiment on whether it holds water on a platform level. As "chief Twit", he is actively cultivating the community on Twitter, and setting the boundaries on what is acceptable conduct.
As someone known for calling someone a pedo guy for criticising him, to being a source of misinformation on the platform itself, it is no surprise that the people on his platform follow his example - and that the people paying him are even more aligned to his values.
This is most visible with Twitter Blue users. The subscription service, and the associated blue checkmark, have become toxic to the left side of the political spectrum, ergo, the userbase from that side of the political landscape is smaller.
It was no wonder that Twitter had to walk back the mandatory payment for influential people. You need to have reasonable people in the system to balance out the insanity.
Check mark visibility
Having the check mark isn't just a visual symbol. Twitter's sorting algorithm puts verified users nearer the top1. As Twitter checkmarks have become increasingly toxic to the left-wing audience, they have started to create a right-wing echo chamber - one which is the visible entry point into the website.
NPR recently left Twitter, and looking at the tweet from their "@nprpolitics" account, what is evident is the volume of checkmarked users interacting with it. Given that NPR's leaving of Twitter is directly related to actions by the platform owner, it is no wonder that this specific audience converged on this post with such a passion.
https://twitter.com/nprpolitics/status/1646141896488632323
For the following screenshots, they were taken in an unsigned Twitter session using an incognito browser. It is important to note that the Twitter sorting algorithm differs based on your session status.
A political tweet by Stephen King is just bait for angry people. This one is rather positive compared to others.
But I'm not focusing on what people are replying, but rather what the Twitter algorithm is promoting. The third most promoted tweet is a checkmarked user spouting a conspiracy alleging that Stephen King was raping children.
That user has 900 followers, meanwhile the first reply has 2,700 and the fourth has 2,400. The views on that tweet are lower than everything surrounding it. None of these are particularly large numbers, but there is no reason for that user to be promoted so highly… other than the check mark.
This is a tweet made by Bob Lee. In 2023, he was stabbed to death in San Francisco. The social media narrative was that this was yet another San Francisco random mugging, and significant figures in both the San Francisco VC community, and Elon himself spread this narrative. It was later revealed that someone he knew stabbed him, after he left their car.
Look at the fucking replies. The top two tweets are reactionary replies by pricks with blue checkmarks. The 2nd reply is a despicable human being gloating over someone's death.
These are the replies Twitter thinks are most productive for me to read. Most of the replies here are grade A garbage, from right-wing nuts empowered by the platform letting them be outwardly racist and simultaneously make fun of someone who died - and yet somehow I hate the top two replies the most.
Bob Lee wasn't particularly influential in the political scene. This was a technical guy, expressing a mild anti-racist political point, and he is being "clowned" on for having the audacity to die?
Twitter has always had a mean streak. But the culture has shifted that mean people are more empowered than ever, and these people can purchase the visibility to make sure you have to read their thoughts. Unless you leave Twitter.