Guess what? Elon Musk is at it again, turning the social media trends upside down. Now, if you've been eyeing a snazzy @username that nobody's using, you might have to break your piggy bank. We're talking about a starting bid of $50,000—yep, that's a car or a down payment on a house—for a bunch of letters and symbols!
Forbes spilled the beans on this, saying there's a squad called the @Handle Team at X (Musk's playground) that's sorting out a way to sell these online nicknames. They're thinking it'll be like a garage sale of internet goodies to make some serious cash.
But hold on, not everyone's clapping. Some folks are scratching their heads, wondering who in their right mind would cough up that kind of dough for an online name tag. Since Musk took the driver's seat, he's been all about trimming the fat—saying 'see ya!' to most of the workers and hiking up the prices for the techy stuff that connects apps together.
And there's more: X's got this shiny 'gold checkmark' deal. It's like a VIP pass for brands, costing a cool grand each month. But here's the kicker: X hands out this golden ticket for free if you're already splashing cash on their ads. So, it's kind of like buying a cake and getting another one for free when you didn't really need two cakes in the first place.
Turns out, not a lot of people are buying into this Premium thing. With millions just scrolling through without hitting the small 'heart' icon or 'retweet' button, you gotta ask: is it really worth it?
And just when you think you've seen it all, X's trying out this new thing in New Zealand and the Philippines. They're asking folks to shell out a dollar a year to chit-chat or throw in their two cents. It's cheap, sure, but will people actually pay to say something online?
The big boss Musk says it's all to kick those pesky bots to the curb. And hey, if you're willing to pay, they've got a special ID check to prove you're the real deal. But if you're not opening your wallet, well, tough luck.
It makes you wonder what Musk is really aiming for. Maybe he's got plans to turn X into a shopping mall or a bank of some sort?
So if you've got your heart set on that one-in-a-million @username, you might want to start pinching your pennies. Because in Musk's digital empire, being unique has a pretty hefty price tag.
Photo: DIW
Read next: Beyond the Headlines: Snap Map's Raw Glimpse into Gaza's Struggle
Forbes spilled the beans on this, saying there's a squad called the @Handle Team at X (Musk's playground) that's sorting out a way to sell these online nicknames. They're thinking it'll be like a garage sale of internet goodies to make some serious cash.
But hold on, not everyone's clapping. Some folks are scratching their heads, wondering who in their right mind would cough up that kind of dough for an online name tag. Since Musk took the driver's seat, he's been all about trimming the fat—saying 'see ya!' to most of the workers and hiking up the prices for the techy stuff that connects apps together.
And there's more: X's got this shiny 'gold checkmark' deal. It's like a VIP pass for brands, costing a cool grand each month. But here's the kicker: X hands out this golden ticket for free if you're already splashing cash on their ads. So, it's kind of like buying a cake and getting another one for free when you didn't really need two cakes in the first place.
Turns out, not a lot of people are buying into this Premium thing. With millions just scrolling through without hitting the small 'heart' icon or 'retweet' button, you gotta ask: is it really worth it?
And just when you think you've seen it all, X's trying out this new thing in New Zealand and the Philippines. They're asking folks to shell out a dollar a year to chit-chat or throw in their two cents. It's cheap, sure, but will people actually pay to say something online?
The big boss Musk says it's all to kick those pesky bots to the curb. And hey, if you're willing to pay, they've got a special ID check to prove you're the real deal. But if you're not opening your wallet, well, tough luck.
It makes you wonder what Musk is really aiming for. Maybe he's got plans to turn X into a shopping mall or a bank of some sort?
So if you've got your heart set on that one-in-a-million @username, you might want to start pinching your pennies. Because in Musk's digital empire, being unique has a pretty hefty price tag.
Read next: Beyond the Headlines: Snap Map's Raw Glimpse into Gaza's Struggle
