Twitter becomes X as Elon Musk rebrands the social media platform
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Twitter becomes X as Elon Musk rebrands the social media platform
Twitter's got a brand new name... well, a letter
Twitter will soon become 'X’, as Elon Musk has started rolling out a rebrand of the social media platform.
It marks the end of an era for Twitter, which was founded 17 years ago and has always been synonymous with a little blue bird. It also raises some questions about how some of the common lexicon on the platform will change, such as tweeting and retweets.
The rebrand has already rolled out to the web version of Twitter (sorry, X), replacing the once iconic bird logo with an X logo. But why is Musk rebranding the popular social media platform after all these years?
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Twitter is now X
🙅♂️ Twitter will soon be known as X
🤷♂️ Elon Musk announced he was rebranding the platform effective immediately
🐦 The iconic bird logo has already been replaced on the web version
👉 X.com also now redirects to Twitter.com
Well, X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino shared the company’s new vision with her followers in a series of tweets (Xeets?).
“X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine,” said Yaccarino.
She added: “For years, fans and critics alike have pushed Twitter to dream bigger, to innovate faster, and to fulfill our great potential. X will do that and more. We’ve already started to see X take shape over the past 8 months through our rapid feature launches, but we’re just getting started.”
But why X?
Elon Musk has a long-standing love affair with the letter X, and it’s become a staple in all the companies he owns. From the Tesla Model X to SpaceX, Musk clearly has an affinity for the letter for reasons unbeknownst to many. X.com was also the original name for PayPal, which Musk co-founded.
The move signifies Musk’s latest – and most significant – attempt to stamp his authority on the platform and bring this idea of making Twitter (or X) into “the everything app” one step closer to fruition. Whether or not it will pay off or make any real difference remains to be seen.
It won’t be long before the mobile app and other versions of Twitter are rebranded to X, but expect a staggered approach with more than a few teething problems – as has become customary since Elon Musk took over the platform. The question is, then: is X gon’ give it to ya? (Sorry.)
Twitter becomes X as Elon Musk rebrands the social media platform
Best description I've seen of what's happening, is "an extended act of cultural vandalism."
Never needed an account, but enjoyed and benefited from reading various feeds. Until July 1, anyway ... non-members still can't access the site. So, see ya, I guess.