Twitter users responded swiftly — maybe for the final time.
Hundreds of Twitter employees left the site Thursday night in response to Elon Musk’s ultimatum that they adhere to a “hardcore” work environment or be fired. During the “mass departure,” the hashtags #RIPTwitter and #GoodbyeTwitter began trending as Twitter users speculated in disbelief whether this indicated the death of the social media network.
The mayhem erupted Thursday evening when Elon, who had dismissed half of the company’s 7,500 employees following his $44 billion acquisition, demanded that the remaining employees adopt “Twitter 2.0” or leave by 5 p.m. According to a twitter thread by Fortune tech expert Kylie Robinson, a staggering 75% apparently picked the second option, resulting in a possible 88% decrease in the Twitter staff since Musk’s takeover.
The Verge stated that 80% of the technical workforce was terminated, including the team responsible for maintaining the platform’s core system libraries. As a result of the huge evacuation, Twitter stated that its offices would be shuttered until Monday and that employees’ credentials would be disabled until then.
On October 31, 2022, Elon Musk is spotted arriving to Heidi Klum’s 21st Annual Halloween Party at Sake No Hana at Moxy Lower East Side.
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Numerous Twitter users grieved what they considered to be the imminent collapse of the network and criticized Musk for purportedly triggering it.
“Within a month, Musk brought one of the largest websites on the Internet to its knees,” raged one pessimist. “I never want to hear anyone refer to him as anything other than a dips–t again.” Twitter HQ RIP Twitter.”
“I’ve enjoyed tweeting with you all for the past 13 years. #RIPTwitter,” another mourner posted in a preemptive Twitter homage. In addition, they incorporated the famed still from “Titanic” shows the musicians playing as the ship sinks.
“It’s been a nice run, Twitter,” said one Twitter wit. In addition, they shared an image of the infamous Disaster Girl meme with Elon Musk’s happy face overlaid over the girl and the Twitter logo superimposed on the burning home.
“Ugh, the end of an era,” mourned another beside the iconic image of the Twitter bird sipping coffee and proclaiming “this is fine” while its house burns to the ground.
One social media comic made a joke about former Twitter employees selling investors the next week. They then uploaded a photograph of Don Draper from “Mad Men” with the caption “Literally simply Twitter sans Elon.”
Even Twitter CEO Elon Musk joined in on the Twitastrophe on Thursday night, joking, “How does one earn a fortune via social media?” Begin with a huge one.”
He also shared the notorious Grant Justin image depicting the “Flash” actor flashing the peace sign next to a tombstone, but with the Twitter logo superimposed on the tomb.
“Help us Ligma Johnson, you’re our only chance,” the “Tesla Boss” said in a third tweet, referencing Princess Leia’s iconic words from “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.” He was referring to the April Fools’ Day pranksters Rahul Ligma and Daniel Johnson, who went viral earlier this month after masquerading as laid-off Twitter employees.
Musk remained positive about Twitter’s future despite the upheaval.
David Portnoy, the CEO of Barstool Sports, tweeted to the “SpaceX” executive, “What do people mean when they claim Twitter is going to go down?”
The Disaster Girl meme gets a Musk makeover amid the Twitter crisis.
“Doesn’t it sorta run itself?” he added. “I feel like engineers are for changes not to just keep things running? Likewise, I know nothing. Hey @elonmusk, would you want to create a Twitter place with me? I’m perplexed.”
The millionaire said, “The top talent is staying, so I’m not too concerned.”
In a previous Tweet, Musk stated that Twitter usage had “just reached another all-time high.” As he attempts to create income for the financially troubled corporation, Musk’s takeover has been marked by instability.
The launch and subsequent cancellation of the Blue Verified scheme, in which Twitter users were asked to pay $7.99 per month for a blue check icon next to their handles, was an example of foolishness. After Twitter users impersonated celebrities, businesses, and other prominent individuals, the service was discontinued.
Musk announced on Wednesday that he expects to devote less time to the social media platform and to hire a new CEO to steer the firm while it undergoes a major organizational change.