Elon Musk & Jack Dorsey debate Twitter’s algorithm and for a change, Musk makes complete sense

A lot of Elon Musk’s opinions around Twitter and the way the platform functions have been hot takes, which, to be honest, haven’t always landed that well with a lot of people, especially at Twitter. Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, usually agrees with the tech billionaire.

Elon Musk & Jack Dorsey debate Twitter’s algorithm

Well, it seems that Elon Musk’s recent tweet on Twitter’s algorithm hasn’t landed well with Dorsey, which positions them at loggerheads.

When Musk had announced that he would be acquiring Twitter for $44 Billion and will be making some sweeping changes to the platform, Dorsey publicly endorsed the changes that Musk was speaking of. 

Elon Musk & Jack Dorsey debate Twitter’s algorithm

Musk recently tweeted out that Twitter users ought to change the manner in which their Twitter feed is presented to them, stating that the algorithm manipulates users in ways they don’t realise. Ideally, the tweets that appear on your timeline should appeal in a reverse chronological manner, that is, the latest tweets should appear first, irrespective of the context, or the platform’s preference.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Very important to fix your Twitter feed:<br><br>1. Tap home button.<br>2. Tap stars on upper right of screen.<br>3. Select “Latest tweets”.<br><br>You are being manipulated by the algorithm in ways you don’t realize.<br><br>Easy to switch back &amp; forth to see the difference.</p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1525612988115320838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Musk also suggested a way to fix one’s Twitter feed, and how to see only the latest tweets, instead of a machine and algorithm curated feed. 

Former Twitter founder Jack Dorsey seemingly took little offence to the idea, saying the algorithmic feed was simply designed for people who don’t obsessively check Twitter. In a later reply to another user, Dorsey admitted the algorithm can have "unintended consequences," but maintained it wasn’t designed to manipulate users.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">no it wasn’t designed to manipulate. it was designed to catch you up and work off what you engage with. that can def have unintended consequences tho. <br><br>which is why one should be able to choose if they use an algo or not, and which one. simple solution to all this.</p>&mdash; jack⚡️ (@jack) <a href="https://twitter.com/jack/status/1525633876676136961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For a long time, Twitter has been rearranging tweets on a user’s feed, depending on their online activities. This has led to the formation of information silos or echo chambers. Over time, you see what you want to see, instead of various other sources of information that may not subscribe to your thought process. This, in turn, causes many users to form a myopic perspective on a number of important issues, further dividing people.

Earlier this month, Elon Musk had announced that he would buy Twitter, take control of the platform, and make it what it was supposed to be. Because of an investigation into the number of bots on the platform, vs. the number of real users, the $44 Billion deal has been put on hold. Twitter claims that about 5 per cent of its user base are bots, but several industry experts believe that the number is actually much higher. If this indeed is the case, Musk will be able to abandon the Twitter deal and walk away without having to pay the $1 Billion exit charge.



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