Elon Musk is trying to make his subsequent massive change on the platform previously often known as Twitter, with Musk reiterating his plan to take away the reply, like and re-share buttons from X posts in-feed, leaving solely the overall view rely and time posted.
As you possibly can see in these examples, on the left is the present put up structure on X, with the engagement buttons alongside the underside of the put up. Quickly, in accordance with Musk, X will swap to the put up format on the fitting, with no motion buttons in-stream, and solely the view rely and put up time displayed on the high proper.
Musk says that this can make the feed “very clean”, whereas X may even implement new motion controls to answer posts:
- Swipe proper to answer
- Swipe left to Like
- Faucet and maintain for all different actions
Musk says that all the common put up metrics will nonetheless be viewable if a consumer faucets into a person put up. However in-feed, you’ll solely see the fitting instance.
Which can undoubtedly affect X’s engagement metrics, and we all know this, as a result of it’s already occurred throughout previous Twitter experiments.
Again in 2020, within the lead-up to the U.S. election, Twitter really removed the option to retweet a post solely for U.S. customers, referring folks to cite tweet as a substitute, as a part of a broader effort to fight the amplification of false experiences. Which labored, with Twitter later reporting that it helped to scale back the unfold of false claims, although it additionally caused a 20% reduction in tweet sharing general.
Primarily based on this, it might make really sense for X to take away the retweet button, or conceal it behind an additional click on, as a way to gradual the amplification of deceptive experiences. However it would additionally cut back X’s utilization metrics, which might affect general platform sentiment.
Possibly Elon Musk doesn’t care about that, and perhaps, the precise end result shall be higher in the long run. However both approach, it would have an effect,
For context, again in October, X reported that, of the five hundred million posts that the app facilitates each day, 300 million of them are quotes and reposts.
The vast majority of X engagement comes by way of interplay with different posts, quotes and re-posts, and eradicating these as up entrance choices on posts goes to scale back that engagement.
And if folks like posts much less typically consequently, that’ll additionally imply that X has much less interplay knowledge to go on, as a way to personalize feeds, whereas any discount in replies may even affect creators in X’s ad revenue sharing program.
I might guess that each one of those metrics are going to take a success on account of them being much less seen, whereas not with the ability to see a reply rely in-stream may even lower the chance that customers will faucet by way of to seek out out what individuals are saying.
So actually, it’ll doubtless be a two-pronged affect: For one, it’s going to cut back engagement within the app, however on the similar time, perhaps that’s a very good factor, by way of general engagement well being.
But it surely’s X that should promote that to those that’ll query why its utilization stats are declining.
Actually, like most of Musk’s adjustments, it looks like an pointless step, however then once more, Twitter by no means actually made cash, and issues want to vary as a way to re-align the platform in a unique course.
I’m undecided that this modification shall be for the higher, but it surely’s all a part of Elon’s grander imaginative and prescient for the app, which is able to ultimately see it change into his “everything app” that caters for every kind of use instances and capabilities.
However proper now not less than, progress on X just isn’t going properly.
Regardless of Elon and X CEO Linda Yaccarino making numerous claims about “record usage”, X additionally hasn’t added any new users in over a year. It’s attainable that these remaining within the app are spending extra time there, and X nonetheless stays the best choice for actual time dialogue in most niches. However I wouldn’t say that the platform is bettering, and as these numbers stagnate, X is unlikely to lure again its key advert companions.
If X engagement additionally declines, that’s one other not-so-positive sign, irrespective of how X tries to border it.
And with X advert income nonetheless down by 50% since Musk took over, the platform continues to be not making a living, even with drastic employees cuts.
At some stage, that may change into a extra vital concern, as a result of even with Elon being among the many richest folks on this planet, there shall be questions as to how lengthy you retain pouring cash right into a enterprise that gives no return.
On this context, altering X put up engagement buttons is one other dangerous transfer. But it surely’s additionally completely in keeping with Musk’s Icarian administration method.
