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"Threads" always seemed like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Part of the brilliance of Twitter was the name, and part of the insanity is that Musk gave that up for the most generic of generic names that might seem cool to a 5 year old.




This will be hilarious the day that the Twitter ip and trademarks are sold to meta for peanuts.


You think Threads is going to overtake Twitter?


I would be willing to put odds on that. Twitter seems hell bent on random acts of chaos. While I really dislike Facebook, they know to not rock the boat. Advertisers want to know they have a relatively safe and stable space for customers to engage.

Forcing users to pay to access the platform, daily usage limits, flagging companies the boss does not like as shrills, rate limiting paying advertisers, etc.


doesn't matter, it would be funny:

FacebookMeta's Threads get rebranded as twitter, while Musk(paypal)'s keeps using "x" as its name...


You got me wondering. What happens to trademarks that are no longer in active use?

Since Musk is obviously throwing away the Twitter trademark, does he eventually lose control over it and someone else just take it and start using it.


Exactly


Crazier things have happened in this industry.


Threads is pretty dang generic. Facebook also renamed itself to Meta and Google to Alphabet. There seems to be a competition among tech billionaires to try to come up with the blandest brand names possible.


Facebook and Google renaming were on the corporate side. I can still go to google.com or facebook.com and see the normal branding. And Facebook specially was part of an actual marketing strategy.


They renamed the Oculus VR to Meta. Oculus still a better brand name than the generic meta.


It's also not effective. Mainstream people are never going to talk about 'X' or 'Meta' but will just stick with the old names


Journalists seem to talk about "X, the service formerly known as Twitter" or similar - I guess they have to call the company by its official name but also want people to know what they're talking about


In the end, it has the same result as "the artist, formerly known as Prince".


Closest I could find in Unicode is Ƭ̵̬̊


You're just missing the correct font support https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/04/princes-legendary-fl...


If I were writing about it as a journalist I would just refer to it as Twitter.com.


The major media outlets have clearly missed the chance to just call it x-twitter!


Editors & style guides don't tend to give you that choice.


Some call it Xitter (/shiˈtter/).


> Some call it Xitter (/shiˈtter/).

Shouldn't that be pronounced Kitter or Chitter?


No?

The only official pronunciation of X in English is "ks", and there are many languages that use X for many different sounds. Shitter is appropriate, I think some Spanish dialects might read it that way.


I don't think X as "sh" in Spanish exists (but I could be wrong). But Mandarin as transcribed in pinyin has it.

Also in English x is pronounced as z at the beginning of some Greek-derived words like Xerox and xylophone.


Where you can xit x-crements


It helps preventing people from succeeding to search for negative affairs on Google. Try “scandal Facebook” vs “scandal Meta”. And it barely impacts the brand recognition if you do marketing right.

I wonder why politicians don’t all rename themselves “Joe Smith”.


Name recognition is basically the single most important factor on Election Day.


I kinda like Meta, but alphabet is awful (and I almost never hear it)


> and I almost never hear it

I honestly believe that the point. Alphabet is suppose to be faceless and unseen. It's free from the perception of it's subservient brands and can act freely to promote it's own interest regardless of public opinion.


Alphabet is used a lot in economic radio programs as the parent to Google, so it's definitely doing its job in non-tech fields.


what I dislike is that this may affect the generic prefix "meta-" from greek (I'm reasonably sure it's greek, not latin)

the prefix from "meta-physics" and other "meta-things"... in latin this prefix translated into "super-"


Which brand was more sticky: Meta Quest or Oculus Quest?


In about two years we’ll be able to see if that holds up by asking X Musk.

I feel like people don’t mention this as much as one would expect.


Taking over a generic and make it yours is a power flex (and gamble).


I can see it now: Ze Frank (of “The Show with Ze Frank” fame) asking him for his Power Move, and Musk being like, “X!”


Xing and rexing my xs on x to the Xtreme.


Xing is actually a big thing in Germany, akin to LinkedIn.


I wonder if any psychologist or mental health professional has done an analysis of Musk's `X` obsession... I wonder if its in reference to the variable x since it can be anything he assigns it? Its definitely a common narcissistic trait. Let it be so, lol


I realize this is probably just a joke that isn't intended to actually add much to the discussion, but thankfully actual mental health professionals without an agenda wouldn't dare interpret something so trivial and shallow as that as serious evidence of pathology.


Yes, and moreover it is in the APA's Principles of Medical Ethics to decline to comment on public figures they haven't seen personally:

> A physician shall recognize a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health.

> […]

> On occasion psychiatrists are asked for an opinion about an individual who is in the light of public attention or who has disclosed information about himself/herself through public media. In such circumstances, a psychiatrist may share with the public his or her expertise about psychiatric issues in general. However, it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater_rule


> Yess, and...

no, and...\n no


Honestly, I hate the notion of downvotes but this response is mighty tempting. You haven't answered the question in the way you think you have. Nobody is being solicited to legit provide a diagnosis of Mr. Musk. Imma call him that from now on like Mr. Trump. Also, I agree with the "comments in general" comment

I'm saying, behavior analysis people: behavioral analyze this public record of nuts happenings and have and where have you seen this before?


I don't think it is that shallow, but sure, no professional would judge on one incident alone. But otherwise there are plenty of other open examples of ... interesting behavior.


You can find many people with some credentials who volunteer a diagnosis

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=psychol...

though the "Asperger's" story is the most repeated. Personally I think he's a schizotype because I think the vast majority of people who think they have Asperger's (I don't) are really schizotypes. I had a hard midlife crisis with a breakout of situational narcissism too but I got my ass kicked quickly in a gentle way.


I honestly feel bad in a detached way that people are "allowed" to ever get to this point. Its like those people born without pain/heat sensors (nociceptors?) who are technically painless/can tolerate any temperature but all that means is they never have a natural feedback loops that keeps them alive and thst they don't need to actively manage 24/7/365/80 if they even make it that far.

We need to be told and hear things that are painful and force us to reevaluate. In the ab$ence of that, its financially/personally/socially ruinous. Suicidal even, some might infer


Can u briefly elaborate on the distinction as you view it?


I got evaled for autism.

My social perception is basically intact; there are certain things that autists are oblivious to that I perceive. However there is some kind of glitchiness that makes that perception seem to be a curse rather than a blessing. Maybe the glitchiness is not the social perception itself but the other cognitive processes that have to form a chain for it to work. Or maybe I am a bit inclined to be paranoid, or maybe it works too well and I see things people don't want me to see or maybe I find other people's emotions to be too overpowering. (Either way I didn't want to make eye contact as a kid)


Any like youtube level mainstream resources I can peruse to get a better idea of these things? I recently saw a psych and nothing like that came up?


What was the result diagnostically soeaking of all this?


What was the outcome, diagnostically speaking


This could theoretically easily be accommodated by literally just describing the exact facts and events etc without naming the individual and simply requesting a behavioral analysis which is populated by all the publicly known info and requesting the therapeutic equivalent of a directed verdict which is open to the inclusion of more facts if anyone disagrees with the product of the inquiry


Also, in what world is taking an established brand and renaming it a single alphabet letter based on a defunct previous investment trivial/shallow? Like, I get your point and obviously that act in and of itself is a shallow ridiculous thing but i feel like you're heavily underststing how truly asinine the whole saga is to the extent that calling it shallow is beyond incomprehensible. Thats pretty extreme.

He might as well have named it 42 since thats "the answer", no?


It just might be his age. In the 90s "X" was super cool in the culture that people his age may have been into. In particular comic books. X-Men, X-Factor, X-Force, Gen-X, etc... No clue though.


PayPal was called X.com when Musk was there. That's it.


Who named it that? Musk? Or is it like Tesla where he co-founded it after it had been founded?


Already


There was a Brazilian billionaire also obsessed with “X”, Eike Batista. “X” had a mystical significance for him, it meant a multiplier or whatever. He would name all of his companies with “X” too, before Musk I believe.

But he was a much more “on-paper” billionaire because his wealth was tied to some oil companies that had that valuation only on paper. It was tied to finding a lot of oil on some places. When that didn’t happen, all that “wealth” went to dust and he was back to being “only” a multimillionaire.


Interesting twist :)


D-Generation X

chop


...Continue...


X the Owl.


I was thinking Malcolm the Tenth


So me and my compatriot Sherlock have concurred that the problem here is nobody is responding to the actual prompt here. I said more or less that I wondered if there have been any analyses done on the specific concept of being obsessed with a letter of the alphabet as it relates to Musk's context and also I am being a bit reductive in my summary here but I feel like I'm not doing it injustice because there's a bit of a rhetorical fire that needs to lit to help get a proper response to this inquiry that so far has only yielded maybe like 2 passable responses

Behavior can be analysed and parsed. Nobody is asking for anyone to rediagnose or diagnose at all. I'm asking if people who make their livelihood analysing other's behavior can do exactly that using Mr Musk's Twitter-related behavior as input and can it be intelligibly explained , not that Mr Musk's and/or his behavior needs to show up and lay on a divan and pour its heart out and waive therapist-patient privilege so they can stream the session on YT like some cosmetic surgeons/dermatologists do.

Are we gonna respond to written things or should we skip that pesky part and just rave about all the misconceptions we want to righteously pursue for points?


FWIW, "Twitter" is 1000x better than "X" but...

>I wonder if any psychologist or mental health professional has done an analysis of Musk's `X` obsession

Only if said psychologist wants to look ridiculous.

>I wonder if its in reference to the variable x since it can be anything he assigns it

I mean, clearly? I don't even think that's a secret.

>Its definitely a common narcissistic trait

IMO its fine to dislike Musk but suggesting someone is a narcissist because they like the letter X is an insane stretch. Especially from an armchair.


I mean looking into his mental state is certainly not ridiculous. No matter for or against Musk's his politics, business ventures or 4chan edgelord shit. Being in his position must leave marks on your mental health.


>I mean looking into his mental state is certainly not ridiculous

I think trying to diagnose people with anything over the internet is a dangerous precedence.

I think people are free to speculate, I just don't think it is at all productive. I mean, I honestly think he has some form of bi-polar but trying to diagnose narcissism because he likes the letter X and what it implies is crazy. It would be like me saying OP has agoraphobia because he has "obscurity" in his name. I could be right on both accounts but making diagnoses over the internet never ends well.


I'd like to hear more about this `obscurity`-agoraphobia connection, to be frank... [raises glasses/pencil and rests notebook]

Seriously, I need this right now


? Imma be shocked if theres a basis to this, for real


The post is talking about professionals studying it not your or me... wtf.


There's a lot of people who are answering a question that doesn't exist at the expense of the question that does exist and is consequently the only relevant matter here on which to respond. The hallucination I'm seeing rivals nay overshadows that of ChatGPT. Maybe I should ask "them"


>professionals

No credible professional is going to diagnose someone over the internet based off of twitter comments.


No one can officially diagnose without the person being a patient. Professionals will give opinions based on information available.


Where is the word diagnosis or any semblance in my original question? Your response and the question it ostensibly satisfies are "simulacratic" it would seem

Edit: professionals will give opinions as [is appropriate and they are falled upon to do so]

No disagreement, lets do it here aha


>any semblance

You're asking a psychologist to do an analysis on someone based on their affinity for the letter X.

If someone asked if any psychologists have analyzed you because of your comment implying liking the letter X is narcissism, I would call them out all the same. It would look like someone searching for a psychologist to diagnose someone just to confirm their bias.

Hell, we don't even need hypothetical. Conservatives on twitter practically foam at the mouth to have a psychologist "analyze" Joe Biden and all but diagnose him with dementia.


I wouldn't be averse to that both because it should be standard practice for the most powerful nation in the world to ensure its leader is of sound mind on a legally non-partisan basis and that there should likely be an symmetric-level of comittment for both parties to do so with their current "front-runners" to the same extent as their citizenship and place of birth are relevant to their constitutional qualification for office.

If there's one thing I learned about dealing with a folks who have nothing but accusations (this is directed at the perpetrators you gave as an example) it is that they are frequently worst-positioned to be examined on the exact same material they use as a sword sans shield. They have no shield because they lack a defense beyond just fighting with their target over the sword, when they are inevitably challenged and parried easily

Edit: also, I'm more asking what is a pattern of behavior with similar facts indicative of or what clinical observations or inferences can be derived on a facial level?

Edit: Julius Caesar had the falling sickness [epilepsy] Rome had a right to know that and take it into consideration as part of the populace's/Senate's delegation of all or most of State authority to this one impresdive and well-financed man

Edit: most importantly, your prose is a little bit like a prism with light being refracted into a house of mirrors that are being infinitely recursively reflected on a concave trajectory


We are not talking about a remote diagnosis we are talking about studying. Seemed rather simple to understand but I guess not.


What is the difference, in this context?


> What's the difference

Between a pattern or course of behavior and the person carrying out the behavior? I would say that someone's public actions and remarks are not subject to therapist-patient privilege and that it is completely acceptable and defensible to look at a pattern of behavior and its dicrete component actions and derive conclusions for that based on similar and previously observed behavior from other anonymized and representative patients via case studies and clinical observations.


[]



Best answer, Jesus. Quite the community debate we got running here.


Clearly it's because he is offering to bankroll a supra-national group of elite soldiers to fight the alien menace that threatens our species and way of life, and he is hoping that

"[Musk] has been chosen to lead this initiative. To oversee our first—and last—line of defense. His efforts will have considerable influence on this planet's future. We urge you to keep that in mind as he proceed. Good luck, Musk" - X-COM:Enemy Of Tesla


> generic names that might seem cool to a 5 year old

I love how selectively we apply this criterion to entities we wish to vilify. You could say the same about Google.


Google's name makes perfect sense, it's a derivative of the word "googol" which is 10^100.

For the first decade of its existence, Google would show the top 20 links for your search and at the bottom of the page say, "...of 2,000,000" or some other giant number, indicating to users how vast their index was.

"X" is just stupid. They could have at least waited until they added significant new functionality to differentiate it from Twitter with a new name.


Missed opportunity for Plex to have been a Google service.


> You could say the same about Google.

Can you though? Googol is word to describe a large number few people would ever have need, or want, to articulate. It's not generic at all.

X is super generic. So much so it's the defacto choice for the placeholder when discussing general things, or the first variable used in maths problems. It's among the most generic a name one could come up with.

When speaking about X, you really need context to determine if we're talking about things in general, or the service formerly known as Twitter.


Generic-ism is the goal with the name. The intention is for it to become a generic "everything" app, so a generic name makes sense. It signals a message too. The change from a community where everyone is chirping each other to one which values long-form discussion and balanced discourse. X also symbolizes strength and the crossing of paths.


But it has no useful function except to chirp at one another. It neither encourages nor possesses a body of long form writing or intelligent discussion and it's only more balanced insofar as it has more fascists and Nazis than it used to in addition to angry left wing folks.


> Can you though?

Yes, you can:

"The term was coined in 1920 by 9-year-old Milton Sirotta (1911–1981), nephew of U.S. mathematician Edward Kasner."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googol


As well you should, because it was coined by a child! (Googol, not Google.) Same with Hadoop; the toy elephant of the cofounder's son.


Which I understand was the toddler's pronunciation of the elephant Horton from Dr. Seuss which also this spawned another 2 billion dollar elephant logo company Hortonworks (now part of Cloudera) who started by developing and supporting open-source software primarily around Apache Hadoop.


Snake, Google, X, Spike, Twitter.

Some of these sound like things cool to 5 year olds. I wouldn't expect a 5 year old to know what a googol is.


I learned what Google was when I was 8, so not exactly 5, but still pretty young. My parents bought an encyclopedia set that came with a separate set of books aimed at kids. Early 80s for reference


I only know what googol is because Google exists.




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