Elon Musk Says X May Stop Showing Number Of Likes & Retweets People Get

Elon Musk Says X May Stop Showing Number Of Likes & Retweets People Get

  • Elon Musk hinted at significant changes for X, suggesting the removal of likes and retweet counts from the platform's timeline
  • Musk sees this move as a means to declutter the platform, aiming for a cleaner user experience
  • The proposal aligns with Musk's ongoing efforts to overhaul X since acquiring it in October 2022

X, formerly known as Twitter, is considering a significant alteration to its user experience.

X could scrap like and retweet metrics, Elon Musk (r) says
A letter X displays on a mobile phone over a blank black screen. (R) SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk during day one of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. Photos: Mathisworks and Leon Nael.
Source: UGC

According to Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who acquired X in October 2022, the platform might cease displaying the number of likes and reposts on users' timelines.

Why would X hide likes and retweets?

According to Reuters, the billionaire made the remark while speaking at Morgan Stanley's technology, media, and telecom conference on Wednesday, March 6.

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Musk expressed his belief that showing these engagement metrics would clutter the platform’s interface.

"That is definitely happening. Just view count, as proxy for the other metrics, will show on the timeline," Musk wrote on X on the same day.

He views the display of likes and reposts as potentially making X appear untidy.

In essence, Musk aims to streamline the user experience by focusing on view counts as a proxy for other engagement metrics.

X strips headlines from news links

This isn’t the first time Musk has proposed drastic alterations to X.

In August 2023, he announced that the platform would remove all article headlines for links posted on X, with the intention of improving aesthetics.

The changes were eventually rolled out in October, only for Musk to backpedal on the decision less than two months later.

Musk said in an X post on November 22 that X would display article titles "in the upper portion of the image of a URL card."

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"No, the title will be in the image overlaid at the top, with URL overlaid at the bottom, as it is now – no extra vertical pixels used," Musk said when a user teased him for reversing his own decision. "I hate those giant, ugly URL cards."

Elon Musk sues OpenAI over "betrayal" of mission

YEN.com.gh reported that Elon Musk launched a legal case against OpenAI, the AI firm he helped to set up in 2015, accusing its leaders of a "betrayal" of its founding mission.

The tycoon, who left OpenAI in 2018, argued in documents filed in a San Francisco court that the firm was always intended as a non-profit entity.

He said recent boardroom changes meant OpenAI was now effectively a subsidiary of software giant Microsoft, arguing that this was a breach of contract.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
Berlinda Entsie avatar

Berlinda Entsie (Copy Editor) Berlinda Entsie is a Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh. She has worked as a proofreader and editor since 2016. Berlinda has over 5 years' experience editing and writing for leading publications in Ghana. She previously worked with Graphic Communications Group LTD, Business Insider SSA and Pulse.com.gh. She obtained a B.A in English Studies from the Methodist University College in 2016 and a Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the GH Media School in 2019. Reach out to her via berlinda.entsie@yen.com.gh

Augustine Fenuku avatar

Augustine Fenuku Augustine Fenuku has over 5 years of experience in SMM and journalism and serves as the Entertainment Assistant at YEN. His academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon. Augustine Fenuku has contributed his expertise to many brands. Email: augustine.fenuku@yen.com.gh

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