Elon Musk caused a stir among X (formerly Twitter) users after announcing his plans to make the social network a subscription-based platform. As expected, many share their reactions to this surprising claim, making the other social media platforms, like Threads and Bluesky, trend online. So, does this mean people will start moving to these alternatives?
What is the Alleged Twitter Fee All About?
In a talk about AI with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bloomberg’s Dave Lee revealed in a post that Musk revisited an idea to charge “everyone” to use Twitter. “[We’re] moving to a small monthly payment for use of the X system,” the Tesla Motors CEO said.
So, why would Musk do that? According to Lee, the business magnate told Netanyahu that it was the only way to “stamp out bots.”
Elon Musk revisiting an idea apparently floated privately in the past — charging *everyone* to use Twitter. A lower tier than premium. "We’ve moving to a small monthly payment for use of the X system," he just told Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it's only way to stamp out bots.
— Dave Lee (@DaveLeeBBG) September 18, 2023
However, the richest man in the world didn’t reveal when he was about to fulfill his plan to charge the X users or how much it would cost. But considering the site has 550 million monthly active users, making 100-200 million posts every day, it will be a lot of money.
Back in November 2022, Platformer reported that Musk previously mulled the idea of putting X entirely behind a paywall. He earlier said that X’s ad sales had plummeted 50% after he bought the company, revealing they were still seeing negative cash flow due to the drop in advertising revenue and heavy debt load.
So far, the only subscription X features is the X Blue (formerly Twitter Bue), which sees the verified check-mark status. It’s priced at $8 a month.
Why are Threads and Bluesky Trending?
After Musk acquired X in October 2022, it has seen significant changes, from its name to its logo and more. With its new recommendation algorithm, content moderation, complete commodification of its verification system, and the possible monthly fee, it will not be a surprise that even its most loyal users will try to look for the best alternatives and jump ship. And so far, two names top the list: Threads and Bluesky.
Bluesky and Threads are trending which can only mean Elon did something unspeakably stupid…again. pic.twitter.com/qSRCdR7dyZ
— Robbie 🎮 (@DumbNerdBoy) September 18, 2023
These two even trend on Musk’s platform, with someone saying the controversial chairman might have done something “s****d” again. Let’s might as well take a look at these two potential options.
What is Threads?
So, what is Threads? If a possible cage-fight between Musk and Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, isn’t enough, these two platforms may also go head-to-head.
- Threads is a social media platform that Zuckerberg launched in July 2023 to compete against X. It’s described as “Instagram’s text-based conversational app.” Just like its competitor, its users can share text-based posts, images, and videos.
- They can also send messages to other accounts privately. With its resemblance to X, users who like to move will find the transition smooth. It’s also good to note that since Instagram runs it, users can still connect with their existing followers.
https://twitter.com/JAFOOFAJ/status/1703937057947615471
What is Bluesky?
Aside from Threads, online users also consider jump shipping to Bluesky, especially since it has much in common with X. Its interface seems like the old Twitter, while its features, like posts, feeds, and mute buttons, look the same. That said, it’s seen as the best bet for everyone looking for an X dupe.
- Bluesky has a decentralized structure that lets the users create their own individual communities. They can even place it between X and other platforms, like Mastodon and Discord. However, despite its growing fame, the app is still in its beta phase. With millions of users still on the waiting list, it may take a little while before you can secure an account on this platform founded by Jack Dorsey.
Our Plan for a Sustainably Open Social Networkhttps://t.co/AKFXiLrMz5
— bluesky (@bluesky) July 5, 2023
“Our current focus is on preparing to open up and getting the network to a state that can support many more users,” the company wrote in a blog post.
With the number of social media platforms emerging today, netizens have a lot of options in case they want to move and leave X behind. With their similarities, they may get easily used to using them.
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