The $8 cost for verification badges has drawn criticism from some users, but a former Twitter executive of Indian origin who just revealed that he would temporarily assist Elon Musk on the social network sought to deny those claims.
On November 7, Sriram Krishnan responded to a discussion on Twitter by disputing the claim that “verification solves for impersonation, this will cause more.”
Krishnan said, “Using a CC/mobile checkout dramatically increases friction. And everyone caught impersonating will lose their money,” Krishnan said.”
He continued by saying that charging for blue check marks will ensure platform consistency.
“The current path on any social network is opaque and easily gamed,” Krishnan said. “There are many people who should be verified (often impersonated) and aren’t. And vice versa.”
Krishnan stated that there were numerous “hacked blue check accounts” on Twitter, urging users to view replies to Musk’s tweets.
“$8 and giving everyone (a checkmark) makes those (hacking) attacks less valuable,” he further added.
Twitter’s plans, according to Krishnan, have the potential for improvement. “But I’m excited for the first change in how verification works in social media in a very long time.”
Many users have expressed opposition to Twitter’s subscription plan, but the social network touts it as “giving power to the people.”
“Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow,” Twitter announced.
Musk, Twitter’s new CEO, stated that the new plan would “empower the voice of the people,” as opposed to the current “lords and peasants system,” which only allows known personalities to be verified.
Several of the critiques of the $8 / verification are logically inconsistent.
“verification solves for impersonation, this will cause more”
1. using a CC/mobile checkout dramatically increases friction. And everyone caught impersonating will lose their money.
— Sriram Krishnan – sriramk.eth (@sriramk) November 6, 2022
According to reports, the plan’s implementation will likely be postponed until after the American midterm elections.
Sriram Krishnan is helping Musk in Twitter’s revamping
The highly controversial manner in which the firings occurred. Many employees discovering they had been let go when locked out of their emails sparked outrage, frustration, and even lawsuits against Elon Musk.
Some of the firm’s most senior executives were among those who were fired.
Musk is said to have assembled a small team of friends and confidantes. The team is charged with carrying out his vision for Twitter.
Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-origin software engineer and former Twitter executive who left, appears to be among them.
Sriram Krishnan, who now works at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, tweeted last week that he was “helping out Musk temporarily.”
Since then, his name has been trending in India, where many are still unhappy about the unfair dismissal of former CEO Parag Agrawal and other executives of Indian origin.
It’s unclear in what capacity Sriram Krishnan will join Twitter. Although while enquiring, he said he “can’t help right now with anything Twitter-related.”
However, Sriram Krishnan is also being highlighted in the ongoing controversies about the revamping of Twitter.
Still processing a truly surreal evening.
A quick sample of the reactions from last night ( my favorite is of course when we were the #1 trend on Twitter with @elonmusk ). Cc @aarthir pic.twitter.com/rJPcUgaIeZ
— Sriram Krishnan – sriramk.eth (@sriramk) February 1, 2021
