Elon Musk changes ‘Twitter’ to ‘Titter’, paints over 'W' on logo
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Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and current owner of Twitter, posted a photo on his personal Twitter account showing the signboard outside Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters with the letter “w” removed.
The white “w” had been painted over to blend in with the background of the sign, leaving the company name as “Titter”. Musk had previously proposed changing Twitter’s name to “Titter” and had even launched an online survey about it. This recent move seems to be his response to his own proposal.
'Our landlord at SF HQ says we're legally required to keep [the] sign as Twitter & cannot remove 'w,' so we painted it ['the] background colour. Problem solved,' Musk tweeted.
Our landlord at SF HQ says we’re legally required to keep sign as Twitter & cannot remove “w”, so we painted it background color. Problem solved! pic.twitter.com/1iFjccTbUq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2023
Musk is also known for his off-colour humor - he joked about starting a new university called the 'Texas Institute of Technology & Science' or TITS. And he had planned on having 'epic merch.'
Many users are laughing along with the billionaire, while others call the move childish and sexist, reported Daily Mail.
However, it seems Musk has been hoping to change the name for over a year. Days before offering to buy Twitter for $44 billion in April, he tweeted: 'Delete the w in Twitter?'
Now at the helm of the platform, Musk finally got what he wanted.
The billionaire's plan seems to have been in the works for days. William LeGate, an entrepreneur and programmer, tweeted a picture on Thursday that shows the w covered by some type of white material.
To abide by the law, Musk solved the problem by painting over the 'w,' which some argue is not entirely removed from the sign.
'They tried to muffle our titter,' Musk tweeted in response to his tweet revealing the new sign.
They tried to muffle our titter 🤭
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 10, 2023
The word 'titter' means a short laugh, but many assume Musk sees it as a joke.
Many users are laughing along with the billionaire and some are being creative with jokes about the sign change.
New logo: pic.twitter.com/Gn3YxSmGQt
— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) April 10, 2023
Titter is the 5th most visited website in the world with an average of 6.6 billion visits per month.
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) April 10, 2023
Cheers to Team Titter & @elonmusk 🙌 pic.twitter.com/E771rk3IF8
https://twitter.com/EmmaDownUnder1/status/1645285899670900737
However, there are some users who are not happy with the change and are calling the move childish and sexist.
https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1645417589584318464
https://twitter.com/jellowaves/status/1643854407547904000
Twitter is now Titter!
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) April 5, 2023
Only @elonmusk can do this 🤣 pic.twitter.com/jjS9WZGTR7
While the fake university never turned into a real-world establishment, Musk is using his power to make small changes at Twitter.
Earlier this month, the blue bird icon was replaced by an image of a Shiba Inu, a nod to Dogecoin, the mock cryptocurrency that CEO is being sued over.
The new icon, which has since been removed, appeared on the site shortly after Musk asked a judge to throw out a $258 billion racketeering lawsuit accusing him of running a pyramid scheme to support the dogecoin.
Musk has made many abrupt changes since his takeover in October, from laying off thousands of employees and top executives to reinstating controversial accounts and using Twitter Blue.
While much of the chaos has calmed surrounding many of his 'unhinged' decisions, users are confused by the monthly subscription.
Last month, Musk announced the coveted verification checkmark would only be available to those paying $8 a month. And users would lose their checks if they did not agree to pay.
However, the rule was set to hit April 1 and people who previously had the 'legacy' mark appear to still have it.
Another change is planned for April 15, when users who do not pay for Twitter Blue will no longer be able to vote in polls, Musk has said.
They also will no longer have their tweets appear in the 'For You' tab, which shows popular tweets that are boosted by an algorithm.
Ousted execs sue Twitter for job-related legal bills
Three top Twitter executives who were sacked by Elon Musk last year when he took over the social media company filed suit on Monday, seeking to be reimbursed for costs of litigation, investigations and congressional inquiries related to their former jobs.
Ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, along with the company's former chief legal and financial officers, claim in the suit that they are owed a total of more than $1 million, and that Twitter is legally bound to pay them.
Twitter responded to an AFP request for comment with a poop emoji, as has become its practice.
The court filing outlined numerous expenses related to inquiries by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), but does not include details on the nature of the investigations or whether they are still ongoing.
Agrawal and then-chief financial officer Ned Segal provided testimony to the SEC last year and "have continued to engage with federal authorities," according to court documents.
The SEC is investigating whether Musk complied with securities rules when he amassed Twitter shares.
Former Twitter chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde was called on to take part in a US congressional hearing about big tech and free speech following Musk's release late last year of so-called "Twitter Files" related to the site's content moderation.
Gadde was also named as a defendant in a lawsuit by a man who claimed he was "doxed" at Twitter as a white supremacist, the filing said.
Musked terminated Agrawal, Gadde and Segal from their posts in late October after closing his contentious $44 billion takeover of Twitter.
The three former executives argue that Twitter is bound by agreements to reimburse them, but has done no more than acknowledge it received their invoices.
After taking over Twitter, Musk quickly slashed the ranks of employees, with the cuts so broad it raised concerns about the platform's stability and its ability to fight misinformation and other abuse.
Complaints have also been filed accusing Twitter of not paying rent or other bills as Musk follows on a vow to "cut costs like crazy."
Meanwhile, market trackers say advertising revenue has plunged at Twitter due to concerns over misinformation and hateful content flourishing as Musk dials back moderation efforts.
With inputs from AFP.