Elon Musk is proposing a nominal fee for "write" access to the X platform. While he argues that this is the solution to combatting bot invasions, many of us recognize that it's not quite that simple. Implementing fees won't deter bots; they'll simply pay the modest fee and continue their activities. The bot industry is lucrative—massive, even. However, this change is likely to dissuade genuine users and trigger negative consequences. For the average consumer, paying for what they can access for free on numerous existing social platforms seems unnecessary. Conversely, bots and brands may find it worthwhile; they're already accustomed to investing in such services. Eventually, the platform risks becoming populated solely by entities trying to sell something. Picture a bustling flea market where the only patrons are vendors vying to sell their goods. Why would the average consumer choose to engage on the X platform and pay a fee when they can interact freely on Threads, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Mastadon, or any number of other social media platforms? It'll be nothing but people trying to sell each other and engagement may slowly vanish... unless it drives sales. In reality, bots will readily pay the fees, as their profits from botting far exceed the costs. If Elon truly aimed to address the bot issue, he'd target the established bot operators thriving on the platform instead of endorsing them under the guise of "prominent presences." Ignoring their activities and allowing them to flourish only serves to inflate viewership, attract verification purchases, and create a false illusion of platform activity. What do you think?
@IotaMega I don't like where this is going. Will not work to send the bots out, they pay $1k for gold checks, what would $5 do to them?
@IotaMega Change the captcha verification method if it’s too easy for AI bots to pass. Use Grok so we have AI vs AI lol
@IotaMega I guess I better become proficient in the other platforms. I agree with your take - the nominal fee hurts real users, not bots.
@IotaMega Elon is going to make it hard for the new user to want to stay on this platform if they have to pay to post. He needs to think of something different.