Musk explains Twitter's name change

Elon Musk said the name Twitter is only fun when 140-word messages are sent back and forth like birdsong, and now is the time to turn it into a super platform.

On the morning of July 24, the day after Elon Musk announced the change of Twitter's name to X , people walking past 1355 Market Square, San Francisco - the company's headquarters - began to see workers removing "blue birds" from building.

Workers remove the old sign after Musk announced to change the name of the social network to X. Photo: Reuters

The change to X made many people curious, some loyal users even got angry when familiar images like the blue bird logo were replaced with a monotonous X.

Responding to the community's response, Musk explained: "This is not simply a company's name change, but a mission to follow. The name Twitter only makes sense when it is a message line of up to 140 characters long. sent back and forth - like birdsong. But in the coming months, the app will become the center of users' personal finances. When the name Twitter no longer makes sense, it's time to say goodbye. bird".

Linda Yaccarino, the new CEO of Twitter, also said: "X is the future unlimited symbol. The platform will focus on audio, video, messaging, payments. This will be a global environment for ideas. create ideas, exchange services and goods, and find new opportunities. The new Twitter will be powered by AI, helping users connect with each other in ways we could only imagine."

Many analysts say Musk is looking to turn Twitter into a Western WeChat. This super app is backed by tech giant Tencent. Users can do nearly everything on WeChat, from messaging to making payments, using online services, even taking out consumer loans.

People who have been attached to Twitter for a long time expressed regret and opposition to Musk's actions. Esther Crawford, Twitter's former product manager, said the name change was tantamount to "dissecting the company", referring to the ritual suicide of Japanese samurai. She attributed such a sudden decision to a lack of understanding or a lack of respect for the client's feelings.

Vanitha Swaminathan, a marketing professor at the University of Pittsburgh (USA), warned the move could do further damage to Twitter. "Every time a company changes its name, customers usually don't like it for whatever reason. But in this case, if they really want to go in a different direction or want to cut down on PR costs, this is a good choice for them. a fresh start," she said.

Since Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion last October, the platform's ad business has plummeted. Many large customers left due to changes in content moderation policies, the company's mass layoffs, and Musk's erratic management.

Last week, the US billionaire said Twitter was drowning in debt because it had lost half of its advertising revenue since he took power. In return, he is looking to compensate by developing a paid subscription model with users. Twitter has about 200 million daily users, but the social network is said to have more technical problems since Musk drastically cut staff.