Twitter Announces Paid Super Follows To Let You Charge For Tweets (theverge.com) 72
Twitter announced a pair of big upcoming features today: the ability for users to charge their followers for access to additional content, and the ability to create and join groups based around specific interests. From a report: They're two of the more substantial changes to Twitter in a while, but they also fit snugly into models that have been popular and successful on other social platforms. The payment feature, called Super Follows, will allow Twitter users to charge followers and give them access to extra content. That could be bonus tweets, access to a community group, subscription to a newsletter, or a badge indicating your support. In a mockup screenshot, Twitter showed an example where a user charges $4.99 per month to receive a series of perks. Twitter sees it as a way to let creators and publishers get paid directly by their fans.
[...] Twitter also announced a new feature called Communities, which appear to be its take on something like Facebook Groups. People can create and join groups around specific interests -- like cats or plants, Twitter suggests -- allowing them to see more tweets focused on those topics. Groups have been a huge success for Facebook (and a huge moderation problem, too), and they could be a particularly helpful tool on Twitter, since the service's open-ended nature can make it difficult for new users to get started on the platform.
[...] Twitter also announced a new feature called Communities, which appear to be its take on something like Facebook Groups. People can create and join groups around specific interests -- like cats or plants, Twitter suggests -- allowing them to see more tweets focused on those topics. Groups have been a huge success for Facebook (and a huge moderation problem, too), and they could be a particularly helpful tool on Twitter, since the service's open-ended nature can make it difficult for new users to get started on the platform.
Twitter's feces doesn't stink? (Score:2)
I can't believe it. This doesn't sound terrible. But it's Twitter!
Somebody please tell me what's wrong with this. My initial impression is that it actually makes sense of some sort. Yeah, it's also a kind of prostitution, but if you have a valuable reputation and want to sell the eyeballs, then why not?
Re:Twitter's feces doesn't stink? (Score:5, Informative)
This already exists. It's called Patreon.
It's actually a really good social network to directly engage with people you enjoy enough to pay for their content.
Re:Twitter's feces doesn't stink? (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Twitter's feces doesn't stink? (Score:3)
That is when you enjoy *being* their content! ;)
Re:Twitter's feces doesn't stink? (Score:4, Interesting)
Fun fact, OnlyFans was supposed to be a general Patreon type service for content creators... but they just didn't block sex workers. And the rest as they say... is history.
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I'm just disappointed I didn't get a single Funny mod. Reading Laughter by Robert Provine obviously didn't work.
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Re:Twitter's feces doesn't stink? (Score:4, Insightful)
several politicians just got a new business model...
Patreon's pie (Score:5, Insightful)
Trying to take bite out of Patreon's pie I guess. Still thought I can't imagine paying to read someones tweets. Twitter is a cesspool and there is a limitless pit free crap out there to compete with.
Re:Patreon's pie (Score:5, Insightful)
Think OnlyFans...
Re:Patreon's pie (Score:5, Funny)
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Mwah ha ha. I actually FPed ahead of you with a similar reaction.
I think you're insightful to compare it to Patreon, which may be an entry point towards answering the question version I posted. I don't feel like Patreon is driving the authors and creators in negative directions. If so, and if this business model works in a similar way on Twitter, then it may be harmless?
I do feel like Patreon is something like a lottery and I can think of a particular winner... I don't want to criticize the cartoonist becau
Re:Patreon's pie (Score:5, Insightful)
Trying to take bite out of Patreon's pie I guess. Still thought I can't imagine paying to read someones tweets. Twitter is a cesspool and there is a limitless pit free crap out there to compete with.
Totally don't disagree. But imagine how much graft Trump could've made with this.
He could've made mega-bucks with "become a Super Follower to hear about my latest policies first." His audience would've paid in droves to be part of that elite.
So, take his example and turn it down, applied to some of the people who haven't been banned yet. There'll be plenty who pay for this.
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Trying to take bite out of Patreon's pie I guess. Still thought I can't imagine paying to read someones tweets. Twitter is a cesspool and there is a limitless pit free crap out there to compete with.
Totally don't disagree. But imagine how much graft Trump could've made with this.
He could've made mega-bucks with "become a Super Follower to hear about my latest policies first." His audience would've paid in droves to be part of that elite.
So, take his example and turn it down, applied to some of the people who haven't been banned yet. There'll be plenty who pay for this.
Now I'm seriously confused... Oh, wait, I get it. The trolls failed to censor you, but my comment was just collateral damage. However it still seems you should be quoted against censor moderation in case they came back with fresh sock puppets...
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But imagine how much graft Trump could've made with this.
He could've made mega-bucks with "become a Super Follower to hear about my latest policies first." His audience would've paid in droves to be part of that elite.
Horrifying but true. Mod parent up.
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Still thought I can't imagine paying to read someones tweets.
I can think of millions willing to pay to read the word of the gospel, if only their savior weren't banned from Twitter.
Can be good (Score:3, Interesting)
Twitter is a cesspool
That depends own who you follow, you have full control on Twitter of who you see so you can make it nice... I have a curated programming Twitter feed I really enjoy, along with some other topics.
Communities though as I said in my other post, has a high chance of being a cesspool because suddenly you are not in full control of who you are seeing posts from... I already have the equivalent of "Communities" with subject related twitter accounts.
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I can imagine people paying for early access to tweets whose content is going to make them money in some way. Pay to see Elon Musk's next mention of a cryptocurrency before the other people see it and cause a price spike.
Not Patreon (Score:2)
This is, IIRC, Parler's exact business model. They want to prevent anyone* from going there, which seems reasonable.
*Some people are pushed there - good let parler be a cesspool of the dregs from other services with a 5-10% FBI presence.
I think this sounds great (Score:2)
Pay membership to create clubs of like minded people to engage with.
It's like facebook groups, except ... I'm paying... wait a minute.
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> It's like facebook groups, except ... I'm paying... wait a minute.
Sounds more like Locals.com - which isn't Big Tech and is run by a free-speech liberal, so gotta snuff that out.
Better name than Communities... (Score:3)
Communities really should be named "Battle Cage" because you know any subject about anything is also going to be filled with griefers that hate that thing with a passion, and spend all their time trying to annoy people who actually like it...
So far I can't even see that Communities has moderators, the way Facebook groups do which keeps them usable.
Re:Better name than Communities... (Score:4, Interesting)
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Yeah, I am under the condition that this actually becomes an important revenue stream for Twitter. But when you describe it the way several of the previous comments have, then I feel strong doubts.
As it applies to Twitter, then perhaps the key question is "Can good content with a cost actually compete with free shite?" In that form, I think the answer is negative mostly because so much of the free shite is just disguised propaganda. Someone is actually paying to push that propaganda for various reasons, eve
Re: Better name than Communities... (Score:2)
Sometimes it's just employees justifying their jobs with new feature ideas. Let's be honest, without the censorship and with the servers being some "cloud", Twitter could be run ba y single person.
s/ba y/by/ (Score:2)
Just so everyone cwho got a heart attack because he thought people would really write "bay" for "by" ... can relax. :)
Why do you want everything to be like China? (Score:2)
YOU are the "moderator". Just freaking skip over the crap.
Stop arguing for centralized totalitarian censorship every time you face the real world with real people. The world is not yur bubble.
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YOU are the "moderator"
My point is, in fact you are not. If I join a "community" I don't have any control over who else joins.
I don't want it to be like China; simply at least as civil as a kindergarten class.
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Communities really should be named "Battle Cage"
Please, that's a "Battle Overflow Facility". Stop being hateful.
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Limit Reach (Score:2)
Are there really tweeters who see themselves as "content producers" like those on Patreon and Subscribe Star, and expect followers to pay for their tweets?
Only one (Score:3, Funny)
I can only think of one prolific tweeter with millions of follower stupid enough to pay for his tweets, but thankfully his Twitter account was blocked shortly after the election.
Re:Limit Reach (Score:5, Insightful)
Who is this for?
This is for everyone on twitter who already has a patreon and/or onlyfans.
Millions of dollars flows to those two companies by way of twitter, currently. Jack wants his cut.
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It's expensive to look that much like a hobo
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Who is this for?
Two groups of people.
1) Millennials, who will no doubt spend this money to make the Kardashian/Jenner family even richer than they already are.
2) Sports fans, who can't live without hearing the latest rumors. Smart "content providers" (rumor mongers) will make their rumors and lies available quicker for a fee.
Twitter copies Gab (Score:2)
Looks like Twitter took notice of Gab's groups feature
yeah...right. that will never happen (Score:1)
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if the internet wants to commit suicide
I guess people should just provide you with their stuff for free. God knows the ISP isn't paying them. What next, you already pay Amazon for Prime so you should automatically get all products for free too?
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That isn't a troll. It's a reality. You aren't paying for content. You're paying for a connection. People provide content to you and expect something in return, be it the ability to harvest your data for profit, or direct profit.
The fact that you find paying for something someone else put effort into preparing for you lame likely means that no one will be sorry to see you leave when you cancel your internet.
Re: I applaud this (Score:2)
Ans require all the money going into education.
Good education for everyone is the best long term way to prevent both evil and stupid. No matter what "side* you are on, everyone agrees there, I think.
That's great! (Score:2)
Yes, stupidity *should* hurt! :)
The only disadvantage here, is that evil benefits.
Groups vs Hashtags? (Score:2)
Err..I thought the purpose of hashtags was to 'group' tweets together on a topic.. So we're moving 'forward' by not using hashtags and joining groups? Okay then. What's the next step, letting us change the text colour of our tweets?
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Just changing the hashtag to a dollar sign.
fencing conduit for ill-gotten goods? (Score:2)
I do think $4.99 is a high subscription price for twitter content alone.
Twitter == OnlyFans??? (Score:2)
Who the HELL would pay for this? (Score:2)
"Hey, I'm in line at starbucks" $0.05.
(Retweeted someone else's funny comment) $0.10
Why?
Now you sheeple (Score:2)
It's time for the shearing.
Twitter 2021 (Score:1)
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Coming soon! (Score:2)
"If you do not superfollow me I will just assume that you're a racist sexist misogynist transphobic homophobic fatphobic cis white male!"
Hmm I don't Twitter (Score:1)
More leverage (Score:1)
Now, if you say things that are not approved by the Ministry of Truth, Twitter can take away your livelihood.