Twitter Blue is dead, 'official' checkmarks resurrected

Posted:
in General Discussion
Twitter has now seemingly abandoned its $8 per month Twitter Blue subscription, and also revived the "official" tag that Elon Musk created, then killed within hours.

Elon Musk mulls deal


Neither Twitter nor Elon Musk have either announced the end of Twitter Blue, nor commented beyond a cryptic tweet about November 11, 2022, being "Quite the day!"

Twitter Blue was an existing subscription service that Musk expanded on November 10, 2022. During its apparently 24 hours of existence, anyone could get one of Twitter's "Verified" marks for the price of subscribing.

It inevitably and instantly led to spamming with fake accounts. Musk seemed to welcome the spammers, too, saying that Twitter would ban them -- after taking their $8.

Elon in a Twitter space right now: "If someone tries to impersonate a brand, we will get rid of them and we will keep their $8. And they can keep doing that and we will do it again."

-- Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__)


Most of the workers in teams that would be expected to take down fake accounts have been fired or have quit. Nonetheless, fake accounts purporting to be politicians were removed, as was one claiming to be the official support for Apple TV+.

At the same time, some users -- mostly advertisers -- are regaining the grey "Official" tag that was briefly brought out to replace the now tarnished "Verified." Elon Musk explicitly said after a few hours that he had killed off "Official" -- his words -- but it is now resurfacing.

As yet, "official" is only appearing on a few accounts. So the Pepsi Twitter account is marked as "official," but Apple is not.

This "official" tag did go some way toward replacing the original purpose of Twitter's verification. It couldn't be bought as part of a subscription, it was in some way ascribed to genuine accounts, although Twitter never explained how.

It meant that genuine companies and celebrities could get tagged as official without paying for it. However, that took away the legitimate market for a blue verification icon, leaving only spammers who would see value in paying the $8 fee.

Consequently, the only thing that was initially more surprising than Musk killing off the official tag was that it ever existed. Now it's back, while Twitter Blue can no longer be signed up for.

It's not known whether people who have paid their $8 for the first month will revert to the old-style Twitter blue for their next billing period. Also not clear is why Twitter didn't retain the blue checkmark for verified accounts, and implement a different color or shape for the paid subscriptions.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 30
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,723member
    I hope the popcorn supply chain can handle the massive demand that the new Twitter has placed on it. 
    muthuk_vanalingammikethemartianmike1king editor the grateretrogustoAnilu_777djames4242racerhomie3bloggerblogdarkvader
  • Reply 2 of 30
    This is all just so bizarre. I am all for taking risks and trying things out, but what is happening on that platform verges on the insane. Mind you, monetising the tick marks is a complex problem, no doubt, but this usually means one thinks about for longer than 5 minutes before changing the strategy. On the other hand, compared to SpaceX and Tesla, Twitter has a high risk tolerance, maybe Musk is trying to test it.
    9secondkox2watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 30
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 3,020member
    Management by Brownian Motion
    nadrielmikethemartianwonkothesaneAnilu_777darkvaderlarrya9secondkox2stompyroundaboutnowFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 4 of 30
    • Also not clear is why Twitter didn't retain the blue checkmark for verified accounts, and implement a different color or shape for the paid subscriptions.
    Right? Dead simple solution but Elon's crazed fever mind couldn't come up with it.
    Anilu_777darkvaderOfersflagelwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 30


    One for each color. I like JL to be representing the blue one….
    OferramanpfaffStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 30
    The trolls are having a field day and it’s hilarious!
    darkvaderOferdoozydozenStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 30
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,389member
    What a fucking clown. If you actually have a vision, and have thought about something for more than 30 seconds, you will push through the initial criticism/rage/challenges/uproar and get your vision implemented. It's clearly Musk has neither the vision nor the capacity, and is simply throwing shit at the wall and changing his mind every day based on God knows what. I doubt at this point he even understands why he wanted to buy Twitter in the 1st place, apart from his laughable and superficial "freedom of speech" narrative. He's slowly understanding how complex and nuanced things are, and how probably everything he believed is false. Because he's a narcissist that always thinks he's the smartest person in the room even while he has zero insight or experience in the topic at hand. 
    darkvaderOferlarryaAlex_V9secondkox2williamlondonmikeybabesroundaboutnowJP234StrangeDays
  • Reply 8 of 30
    Let it ‘sink in’ that the web is a cruel market and does not respond well to sudden changes, especially when you keep shifting the goal post. 
    darkvaderOferAlex_V9secondkox2JP234watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 30
    tyler82tyler82 Posts: 1,111member
    Bad week for MAGA
    darkvaderOferAlex_V9secondkox2williamlondonjbtuckrmwhitedoozydozenJP234clemynx
  • Reply 10 of 30
    DAalseth said:
    Management by Brownian Motion
    Even Einstein couldn’t figure this one out.
    9secondkox2JP234watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 30
    OferOfer Posts: 268unconfirmed, member
    slurpy said:
    What a fucking clown. If you actually have a vision, and have thought about something for more than 30 seconds, you will push through the initial criticism/rage/challenges/uproar and get your vision implemented. It's clearly Musk has neither the vision nor the capacity, and is simply throwing shit at the wall and changing his mind every day based on God knows what. I doubt at this point he even understands why he wanted to buy Twitter in the 1st place, apart from his laughable and superficial "freedom of speech" narrative. He's slowly understanding how complex and nuanced things are, and how probably everything he believed is false. Because he's a narcissist that always thinks he's the smartest person in the room even while he has zero insight or experience in the topic at hand. 
    You hit the nail on the head. He’s a sociopathic narcissist who has an overblown opinion of his “genius” based on his previous history of buying other people’s ideas and claiming them as his own. He has no idea what he’s doing here.
    larryaAlex_V9secondkox2jbtuckrroundaboutnowJP234FileMakerFellerStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 30
    Comrade Muzk has lost it.. Though he was a men with visioen.. Ah well.. Headline for next week: "Twitter Blue is back" LOL
    Alex_V9secondkox2JaiOh81watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 30
    danoxdanox Posts: 3,379member
    slurpy said:
    What a fucking clown. If you actually have a vision, and have thought about something for more than 30 seconds, you will push through the initial criticism/rage/challenges/uproar and get your vision implemented. It's clearly Musk has neither the vision nor the capacity, and is simply throwing shit at the wall and changing his mind every day based on God knows what. I doubt at this point he even understands why he wanted to buy Twitter in the 1st place, apart from his laughable and superficial "freedom of speech" narrative. He's slowly understanding how complex and nuanced things are, and how probably everything he believed is false. Because he's a narcissist that always thinks he's the smartest person in the room even while he has zero insight or experience in the topic at hand. 
    A Narcissist can not make such change see Trump impossible…..
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 30
    Old twitter: didn't do much and still couldn't implement any changes over the course of forever.

    New Twitter: Pivots multiple times in a week from day 1 to verify what works and what doesn't.

    I'll take New Twitter every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

    Strange article though. Making official statements on things that have not been communicated is odd. Twitter was a mess and needs a LOT of overhaul. These feature tests aren't going away anytime soon. Twitter is coming up with great ideas and then reading the room.

    Instead of acting like an old, crusty telecom or Microsoft, it has trimmed the fat and acting like a startup - a lean, mean freedom of speech machine. Just because it made a decision doesn't mean it has to stick with it if it was the wrong one, no matter how right it seemed in the boardroom. They are reading the room and responding quickly - something universally recognized as a good thing. Some people are just mad because they wanted to bash the decision forever. and then get upset that their little target for hate has been removed. It's hilarious.

    Twitter is finally in the hands of someone who is not only a very capable and hugely successful businessman, but someone with vision, enthusiasm, and a drive to be a unifying factor for freedom over the draconian political hitmen of yesterday. 

    Looking forward to what is next.
    edited November 2022 JP234ad0niramentropysCalamander
  • Reply 15 of 30
    mystigo said:
    • Also not clear is why Twitter didn't retain the blue checkmark for verified accounts, and implement a different color or shape for the paid subscriptions.
    Right? Dead simple solution but Elon's crazed fever mind couldn't come up with it.
    He originally wanted to monetise the verification, he thought high profile people would pay to be have the blue tick mark. That back-fired - after all, these are the content creators most of us join Twitter for. These people provide valuable thought leadership, even if you disagree with them. That's why they have millions of followers, and everyone else has hundreds or thousands.

    Then he thought common folks would pay to be verified, but not that many common people are interested enough to have their account verified: no one besides friends and family and business acquaintances would care, and they already know! Not to mention that a purchased Blue Tick diminishes the value of the real, coveted, Blue Tick. But if he had left the Blue Tick as is, and just introduced a new, say, green tick that is available for purchase, no one would buy that green tick - would you?
    9secondkox2watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 30
    sflagel said:
    mystigo said:
    • Also not clear is why Twitter didn't retain the blue checkmark for verified accounts, and implement a different color or shape for the paid subscriptions.
    Right? Dead simple solution but Elon's crazed fever mind couldn't come up with it.
    He originally wanted to monetise the verification, he thought high profile people would pay to be have the blue tick mark. That back-fired - after all, these are the content creators most of us join Twitter for. These people provide valuable thought leadership, even if you disagree with them. That's why they have millions of followers, and everyone else has hundreds or thousands.

    Then he thought common folks would pay to be verified, but not that many common people are interested enough to have their account verified: no one besides friends and family and business acquaintances would care, and they already know! Not to mention that a purchased Blue Tick diminishes the value of the real, coveted, Blue Tick. But if he had left the Blue Tick as is, and just introduced a new, say, green tick that is available for purchase, no one would buy that green tick - would you?
    I don’t use Facebook, no account, Facebook blocked with NextDSN, etc.

    For years I’ve wondered if people would pay to use Facebook if it eliminated all the ads and tracking. Some friends of mine, a couple, claim they would pay to use Facebook. I’m not sure I believe that. Your “green tick” example likely falls into the same category as paying for Facebook. I really can’t see there’s enough value to individuals that they would pay to use Twitter or get a green tick. I certainly wouldn’t. 
    sflagelJP234FileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 30
    Nothing says stability like capricious and polemic shifts in decisions. The advertisers must be kicking themselves for holding back on this new and lawless wild frontier.

    Not chief twit, chief twat.
    9secondkox2JP234FileMakerFellerJaiOh81watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 30
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,159member
    I'm beginning to think that Mr. Musk is more Gavin Belson than Steve Jobs.

    I wonder what sort of liability Musk has assumed by admitting he's fine with collecting $8 from "verified" fake accounts before getting rid of them, and then an $8 "verified" fake account immediately causes Eli Lilly stock to shed $20B before Musk got a chance to 'get rid of it?' I have to think that this little tidbit is probably of central note in the lawsuit Eli Lilly's house counsel is drawing up just about now.
    9secondkox2wonkothesaneFileMakerFellerwilliamlondonJaiOh81watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 30
    The verification monetization was a muystery if it could work. It may still, but not like this. No one likes free stuff all of a sudden costing the price of a monthly streaming subscription. 

    Twitter has the potential to be the one-stop social media shop. but it needs more features. I imagine that's what Tesla, Spacex, and Starlink engineers were doing there. long form video library feature would be amazing as would short and long form live stream capabilities. Tik Tok would be toast and so would Facebook. Twitter has used so many resources for so long without doing hardly anything. Hosting a tiny amount of text and some light video/images. Can leverage those resources to do real work now. People pay for services like Vimeo Pro. They'd gladly pay for. full service shop, which is what Twitter Blue should be - free twitter should stay very similar to now - Twitter Blue should enable instant verification, long form text posts and short form video libraries, a la tik tok/Vine - from there, a separate tier would be. Twitter Blue Plus or something like that would extend features to include long form video libraries and live streaming. Small businesses, churches, etc. would go crazy for something like that. Build web APIs to make it a no brainer for news networks, etc. to embed, utilize, web developers to integrate, plugins, etc. It would e huge. 

    We will see how this goes. 
  • Reply 20 of 30
    Old twitter: didn't do much and still couldn't implement any changes over the course of forever.

    New Twitter: Pivots multiple times in a week from day 1 to verify what works and what doesn't.

    I'll take New Twitter every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

    Strange article though. Making official statements on things that have not been communicated is odd. Twitter was a mess and needs a LOT of overhaul. These feature tests aren't going away anytime soon. Twitter is coming up with great ideas and then reading the room.

    Instead of acting like an old, crusty telecom or Microsoft, it has trimmed the fat and acting like a startup - a lean, mean freedom of speech machine. Just because it made a decision doesn't mean it has to stick with it if it was the wrong one, no matter how right it seemed in the boardroom. They are reading the room and responding quickly - something universally recognized as a good thing. Some people are just mad because they wanted to bash the decision forever. and then get upset that their little target for hate has been removed. It's hilarious.

    Twitter is finally in the hands of someone who is not only a very capable and hugely successful businessman, but someone with vision, enthusiasm, and a drive to be a unifying factor for freedom over the draconian political hitmen of yesterday. 

    Looking forward to what is next.
    Cultists - Doing something is better than doing nothing.
    Sane people - Doing nothing is better than doing nonsensical things. 
    DAalsethFileMakerFellerwilliamlondonJaiOh81watto_cobraurashid
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