“That’s incredibly disappointing,” said a user.
Recently, billionaire Elon Musk made headlines once again as he renamed the popular social media platform Twitter to X. Along with the rebranding, Musk unveiled a new logo – a stylized black-and-white version of the letter X. As part of the transition, Twitter changed its official handle to @X, while the original @Twitter handle is now inactive. However, it has been reported that Musk took over the @X account without compensating its original owner.
This incident has sparked outrage among users, as it is not the first time such a situation has occurred. Jeremy Vaught, a Twitter user, recently shared his experience of having his account handle taken away from him. Vaught claimed that he had been running the handle @Music for the past 16 years, only to have Twitter/X “just rip it away” from him. In a tweet, he expressed his frustration, stating, “16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since. Just now, Twitter/X just ripped it away. Super pissed.”
Vaught also shared a screenshot of the email he received from the company, which stated, “The user handle associated with account @Music will be affiliated with X Corp. Accordingly, your user handle will be changed to a new user handle.” The email went on to offer Vaught alternative handles such as @musicfan, @musicmusic, @music123, or @musiclover. It assured him that his account’s followers and following information would be transferred to his new user handle.
Since sharing his experience, Vaught’s post has gained significant attention online, garnering over 4.9 million views and 28,000 likes. Many users expressed their disappointment and frustration with the situation. One user commented, “That’s incredibly disappointing,” while another added, “If it’s any consolation, this platform is getting destroyed so quickly that it won’t be here in another five years, let alone sixteen.”
The incident also sparked comparisons to other platforms and services. One person remarked, “This is crazy. Imagine Gmail coming back to you after 16 years to say they are now taking back that email ID you’ve been using all this while?” Another user criticized Musk’s platform, stating, “Welcome to Musk’s platform – where he can just steal your handle and rip apart 16 years of work. And then he’ll offer you alternative handles that others already own, and so steal from them too. Who would ever build a following on here anymore?!”
This incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with building a following on someone else’s platform. As one user wisely advised, “A reminder that when you build on someone else’s platform, you don’t own anything. Do whatever you can to get people onto your own platform that you do own.”
As the controversy surrounding Twitter/X’s rebranding continues, users and observers are left questioning the ethics and practices of the social media giant. The incident with Jeremy Vaught highlights the potential consequences for users who invest years of time and effort into building their online presence, only to have it taken away without compensation. It remains to be seen how Twitter/X will address these concerns and whether any changes will be made to prevent similar incidents in the future.
How does the incident involving Elon Musk and Twitter/X reflect a lack of fairness towards original handle owners on social media platforms?
“That’s incredibly disappointing,” said a user.
A recent incident involving billionaire Elon Musk has left users feeling disappointed. Musk made headlines by renaming the popular social media platform Twitter to X and unveiling a new logo. As part of this transition, Twitter changed its official handle to @X, making the original @Twitter handle inactive. However, reports have revealed that Musk took over the @X account without compensating its original owner.
This situation has sparked outrage among users, as it is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Jeremy Vaught, a Twitter user, shared his own experience of having his account handle taken away from him. Vaught had been running the handle @Music for the past 16 years, only to have it “ripped away” from him by Twitter/X. Frustrated, he expressed his feelings in a tweet stating, ”16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since. Just now, Twitter/X just ripped it away. Super pissed.”
Vaught also shared a screenshot of the email he received from the company, which informed him that the user handle associated with his account would now be affiliated with X Corp. The email offered alternative handles such as @musicfan, @musicmusic, @music123, or @musiclover. It also assured him that his account’s followers and data would be retained.
The incident has raised concerns among users about the fairness and treatment of original handle owners on social media platforms. Many feel that such actions by prominent individuals or companies undermine the efforts and contributions of users who have built their handles over time. The disappointment and frustration expressed by users like Jeremy Vaught reflect a growing sentiment towards protecting the rights and efforts of original handle owners on social media platforms.
“Elon Musk never fails to stir up controversy and grab headlines!”