Current Final

Tag: social media

  • Twitter introduces content monetisation, paying influencers from advertising revenues

    Twitter introduces content monetisation, paying influencers from advertising revenues

    Elon Musk’s social media platform, Twitter, has taken a significant step by initiating payments to content creators from advertising revenues for the first time. This development has caught the attention of numerous influencers; however, not all users are eligible to receive compensation from the platform.

    Influencers such as Ian Miles Cheong, Benny Johnson, and Ashley St. Claire, who are considered high-profile figures within the far-right community, shared details of their Twitter earnings prior to the official announcement of monetiation.

    “Wow. Elon Musk wasn’t kidding. Content monetisation is real,” tweeted a user named End Wokeness, boasting 1.4 million followers, showcasing earnings surpassing $10,400.

    Users who have subscribed to Twitter Blue and have accumulated over 5 million tweet impressions per month for the past three months are eligible to receive earnings.

    Elon Musk, who also serves as the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, stated that an initial sum of $5 million will be distributed, accumulating from February onwards. However, the program is only accessible in countries where Stripe, a payment platform, supports payouts.

    Renowned writer Brian Krassenstein, boasting approximately 750,000 followers, claimed to have received $24,305 from Twitter. Similarly, SK, another creator with around 230,000 followers, reportedly earned $2,236, while political commentator Benny Johnson, with 1.7 million followers, disclosed earnings of $9,546. Ashley St. Clair, a writer for Babylon Bee, shared that she earned $7,153.

    Who will not benefit from Twitter monetisation? According to Twitter’s content monetisation standards, sexual content, as well as pyramid schemes, violence, criminal behaviors, gambling, drugs, and alcohol-related content, cannot be monetised.

    In a blog post, Twitter explained that creators’ share of advertising revenue would be determined based on the number of replies to their posts and monthly impressions.

    According to a report by The Washington Post, some non-political contributors expressed frustration with the company’s lack of transparency during the program’s rollout.

    “My tweets have generated hundreds of millions of impressions for Twitter every year,” stated Matt Navarra, a social media strategist who runs the tech-focused newsletter and community Geekout. He further added, “And I’ve been on the platform for 15+ years. It’s pretty lame that there is no payout coming my way. Twitter has never generated any income directly from all the content I have contributed.”

    This development comes shortly after Twitter faced fierce competition from its rival Meta-owned Threats, which witnessed millions of sign-ups within hours of its launch.

  • Taliban praises Twitter’s freedom of speech and credibility amidst Threads launch

    Taliban praises Twitter’s freedom of speech and credibility amidst Threads launch

    Twitter’s challenges in attracting advertisers, maintaining site functionality, and retaining users have been widely discussed. However, amidst these struggles, an unexpected endorsement has emerged from an unlikely source—the Taliban. Anas Haqqani, a prominent figure within the Taliban, recently expressed his appreciation for Twitter in light of Meta’s Threads, a rival platform that gained over 100 million users within a few days of its launch.

    Haqqani, in justifying his decision to remain active on Twitter, highlighted two key advantages the platform offered. “The first privilege is the freedom of speech,” he stated. “The second privilege is the public nature & credibility of Twitter. Twitter doesn’t have an intolerant policy like Meta. Other platforms cannot replace it.”

    Meta, the parent company of Threads, has made it clear that the new platform will adhere to the same content guidelines as its sister app, Instagram. This includes a stipulation that explicitly prohibits support or praise for terrorism, organised crime, or hate groups.

    Elon Musk’s involvement in Twitter’s operations has been marked by a series of seemingly arbitrary policy decisions, the loosening of moderation guidelines and enforcement capabilities, resulting in chaotic circumstances, and a focus on prioritising paying users. Under Musk’s leadership, instances of hate speech have surged, and ad sales for the platform have experienced a significant decline of 59% since the previous year.

    It is difficult to argue that having members of the Taliban celebrate the extent to which they can exploit the platform does not present a compelling case for potential ad buyers. Twitter, grappling with these challenges, must now confront the task of restoring confidence in its ability to provide a safe and appealing environment for both users and advertisers alike.

  • ‘College Gate’ hits TV screens with mixed reviews

    ‘College Gate’ hits TV screens with mixed reviews

    Green Entertainment rolled out a list of its anticipated dramas this week, including College Gate, an exploration of the lives of six students as they tackle bullying, financial independence, career dreams and pressure to step into adulthood. The cast includes a list of newcomers like Mamia Shajaffer, Khaqan Shahnawaz and Zarrar Khan.

    The first two episodes, where we see the students stepping into a new phase of their lives, debuted this week. We see the main leads struggling to follow dreams to become a singer, dealing with bullying or drug abuse.

    Social media users have mixed reviews about the episodes, with some applauding the show for focusing on the lives of teenagers and taking a break from saas-bahu dramas, while others felt that the casting choices could have been different.

    Some users found the episodes to be engaging for tackling issues only teenagers were dealing with.

    Many felt that the script was similar to the web series ‘Midsummer Chaos’ or Netflix shows like Elite.

    Others pointed out that the actors playing the characters could not pass off as teenagers, stressing that a more age appropriate cast should have been selected rather than actors in their 30s.

    https://twitter.com/RamyaEaswaran/status/1679303066376605701?s=20
  • Pakistan to spend Rs40 crore to display 500-foot flag in Lahore

    Pakistan to spend Rs40 crore to display 500-foot flag in Lahore

    Pakistan has an ambitious plan to raise a 500-foot flag in Lahore, with the goal of claiming the title of the country’s tallest flag. The project, which comes with a significant cost of Rs40 crore, will be showcased during a grand flag-raising ceremony on Pakistan’s Independence Day, August 14, 2023.

    This endeavor is part of an ongoing competition between Pakistan and India to erect the tallest flag. The rivalry began in 2017 when India proudly hoisted a 360-foot flag at the Attari-Wagah border in March of that year. In response, Pakistan swiftly raised a 400-foot flag at the same border on its Independence Day in August 2017. India then surpassed this height by unveiling a 418-foot flag at the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar later that October. Now, Pakistan seeks to take the lead by installing a 500-foot flag in Lahore.

    Opinions on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook regarding this competition are varied. Some view it as a patriotic display of national pride, while others criticise it as a misuse of taxpayer money and valuable resources. Concerns have also been raised about potential environmental and security implications associated with such colossal flags, as they could pose threats to birds and aircraft.

    According to reports, the remarkable project is being funded by the Punjab government. The flag itself will be made of polyester fabric, weighing a staggering 800 kg. The flagpole, constructed with steel and concrete, will have a base diameter of 12 feet, tapering to 4 feet at the top. Equipped with LED lights and a sound system, the flag will be visible from a distance of 15 km.

    The flag-raising ceremony is scheduled for August 14, 2023, marking the 76th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.

  • PM Shehbaz slams ‘social media campaign’ against the Army Chief

    PM Shehbaz slams ‘social media campaign’ against the Army Chief

    A social media campaign against the Army Chief (COAS) which Prime Minister Shehbaz says is about an alleged, attempted assassination attempt against the COAS, has riled up the PM.

    According to a statement released by the PM Office, PM Shehbaz says that all conspiracies against the country will be squashed. He didn’t name anyone in the press release BUT on Twitter said that Imran Khan ‘continues to engage in a vile, sinister and malicious campaign against COAS Asim Munir.

  • Indian defence scientist arrested after ‘falling in love’ with Pakistani, sharing classified info: NDTV

    Indian defence scientist arrested after ‘falling in love’ with Pakistani, sharing classified info: NDTV

    Pradeep Kurulkar, a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist from India, was arrested on May 3 after it was revealed he was chatting with a Pakistani using the alias ‘Zara Dasgupta’, NDTV has reported.

    Kurulkar, who was the Head of one of the labs in Pune, met Zara through WhatsApp where they had exchanged voice and video notes.

    Zara claimed to be a software engineer based in the UK, and befriended the scientist by sending him obscene texts and videos, while Kurulkar revealed classified information about top secret projects like the Brahmos Launcher, UCV, Agni Missile Launcher and other things.

    “Kurulkar, who was attracted to her, stored the classified and sensitive information of DRDO on his personal phone and then allegedly shared it with Zara,” the charge sheet said.

    The two remained in touch from June 2022 to December 2022.

    Chat records also show that Kurulkar shared his personal and office schedules and location with the spy, despite being strictly forbidden from doing so.

  • Imran Ashraf’s ex reveals her biggest regret is changing herself for a man

    Imran Ashraf’s ex reveals her biggest regret is changing herself for a man

    Actor Imran Ashraf and his former wife Kiran Ashfaque announced their divorce in October 2022, after being married for four years. Recently, Kiran created a stir on her Instagram account where she wrote that she deeply regretted changing herself for a man, and vowed to never take such a step again.

    “I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.
    Do not change ur personality or anything for anyone ❤️
    I did it and i regret it.”

    While it may or may not have been a direct reference to her ex, many Instagram users lauded the influencer’s brave stand on embracing your own body and learning never to change to make others happy

    Previously, Kiran did a Q & A on Instagram with her followers where, after months of silence, she finally opened up about why she chose to divorce the actor. Some of her responses made users feel like that not everything was glamorous behind the scenes as it is in front of the cameras.

    When a user asked Kiran why she had divorced her husband, she snapped back “Go and ask him why did he divorce me.”

    When another user asked Kiran on whether she got a divorce because of her bold nature, her response was:

    “I was always a bold person, but I had changed myself for someone. My advice to everyone is to never change yourself for someone else. Check my old photos on Google babe.”

  • Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Meta Platforms plans to launch a microblogging app called Threads, which aims to compete with Twitter. This development comes shortly after Twitter CEO Elon Musk faced criticism for implementing a temporary cap on the number of posts users can read on the platform.

    According to a listing on Apple’s App Store, Threads is expected to be released on Thursday. The app will enable users to maintain their followers from the photo-sharing platform Instagram and keep the same username.

    This rollout represents a direct challenge to Twitter, which has encountered several controversies since Musk acquired the company for $44 billion in 2022. Last week, Musk introduced new restrictions on the app, limiting the daily number of tweets users can view. This move sparked outcry among many Twitter users.

    Although alternative microblogging sites like Mastodon and Blue Sky have experienced an increase in user numbers following Musk’s acquisition, neither has managed to rival Twitter. However, Instagram already boasts hundreds of millions of registered users and has a track record of incorporating successful features from other social media platforms.

    In response to the growing popularity of Snapchat, Instagram introduced a feature called “stories” in 2016, allowing user posts to disappear after a certain period. More recently, Instagram’s “Reels” feature has aimed to compete with the rising prominence of TikTok.

    The launch of Threads poses a credible threat to Twitter under Musk’s leadership. His attempts to boost revenues and reshape the platform in his own image have faced significant criticism. Following the acquisition last year, Musk downsized the company by approximately 80 per cent and reinstated several banned accounts, including those of former US President Donald Trump and the conservative satirical news site Babylon Bee.

    Concerns over an increase in harmful content on the platform led hundreds of advertisers to pause their spending on Twitter. Internal documents viewed by Reuters also revealed a decline in engagement among the platform’s most active users.

  • Video of primary teacher wearing dress colored by her class adored by netizens

    Video of primary teacher wearing dress colored by her class adored by netizens

    The internet’s cold heart was won over by a primary teacher who surprised her pupils on their last day by wearing a dress painted by them.

    Heather Stansberry shared the video on her Instagram in which her students were looking delighted at discovering the dress the teacher was wearing under the coat. She explains in the video that she asked the kids to color her white dress.

    She captured their reaction on the day she wore it. It was also their last day with her.

    Little children could be seen coming up to the teacher, hugging her and identifying the art each of them made.
    “The dress reveal!! Such a happy/sad day my heart is so full,” she wrote.


    Since being shared, the video has amassed 1.2 million views. The comment section was filled with much love and admiration. One person wrote this was a beautiful idea.

    “You should wear the dress to these kids’ graduation once they all have forgotten about the drawings,” added another.

    People couldn’t help but adore the gesture. What an incredibly wonderful way to make your students fall in love with art.

  • ‘Your mom still cleans your mess’: Twitter roasts Elon after mom cancels fight with Zuckerberg

    ‘Your mom still cleans your mess’: Twitter roasts Elon after mom cancels fight with Zuckerberg

    Social media came to a standstill a few days ago when Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that he would like to have a cage fight with the CEO of Facebook and Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg.
    The prospect of the fight of the billionaires caused a frenzy on social media with placing bets on which tech CEO would come out succesful.

    Time to forget about your bets though because ammi nay mana kardiya hai.

    Elon Musk’s mother Maye Musk shut down rumors of the cage fight on her Twitter account, tweeting that instead of a physical fight, both Zuckerberg and her son should ask each other three questions instead.

    How hilarious that a 52-year-old man needs his mother to counsel him on his wildest decisions. We also hope that she can encourage him to stop destroying an important app, maybe?

    https://twitter.com/bsviggy/status/1673331340664614917?s=20
    https://twitter.com/EvilNukem/status/1673759228111237120?s=20

    “Elon Musk mother is searching Mark’s Mother number.. both mother together could convince their stubborn kids.. Later, Hope mothers don’t end up having a fight,” one user wrote.