Open source Twitter code would allow the public to inspect the company's proprietary software. AFP
Open source Twitter code would allow the public to inspect the company's proprietary software. AFP
Open source Twitter code would allow the public to inspect the company's proprietary software. AFP
Open source Twitter code would allow the public to inspect the company's proprietary software. AFP

Elon Musk says Twitter will open source 'literally everything' as parts of code now public


Alvin R Cabral
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Twitter chief executive Elon Musk has said that the social media company will make “literally everything” open source in the coming weeks, part of his pledge to promote transparency on the platform.

His declaration on Friday came on the day Twitter made parts of its algorithm public.

Mr Musk said he is attempting to make the platform more transparent by making its algorithm open source. He had first stated that Twitter will make its algorithm public on February 21. It may be a major shift in the company's direction.

The move will allow the public to inspect and scrutinise the social media company's proprietary software, pitch their ideas to developers on how to change Twitter's code or even use the algorithm in their own applications.

In a tweet last year, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey said that the platform's algorithm should have been open, and voiced regret that it became a company instead of a protocol not owned by anyone.

Mr Musk said during his campaign to acquire Twitter last year that he was in favour of free speech, but that led concerns that the network might be swamped with fake news.

The company responded by policing its content and imposing sanctions on offending accounts, including revamping Twitter's blue check verification system.

However, the changes to the blue check system has been met with opposition because of its subscription requirements. In the US, plans for what is now called Twitter Blue costs $8 a month or $84 a year, or $11 a month if bought through Apple's App Store.

Those who do not subscribe will lose the blue check mark beside their account names.

Users, especially public figures who do not wish to spend money to use the service, have become irritated by the new rules. A number of them have told their followers that impostor accounts might take their place and use them for illicit financial gain.

Mr Musk defended his controversial pay model on Friday, arguing in a Twitter question-and-answer that social media platforms that do not emulate this would be swarmed by bots, which would result in their failure.

Twitter also plans to use artificial intelligence to curb the manipulation of public opinion on the platform, Mr Musk said last month.

It is unclear whether this has any connection with Mr Musk's reported assembling of a team, which includes a former engineer at a unit of Google parent Alphabet, to develop a rival to OpenAI's text-based chatbot ChatGPT.

Mr Musk's attention to Twitter's algorithm has led to more controversy. In February, he was accused of manipulating Twitter's algorithm to extend the reach of his own tweets.

He instructed engineers to adjust the algorithm to allow his tweets to gain traction, resulting in a flood of his messages appearing on users' feeds, Platformer.news reported.

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Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

Director: Kushan Nandy

Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami

Three stars

FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate? 
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties? 
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

While you're here
Updated: April 01, 2023, 2:11 PM`