Current:Home > StocksAfter rebranding, X took @x from its original Twitter owner and offered him merch-LoTradeCoin
After rebranding, X took @x from its original Twitter owner and offered him merch
View Date:2024-12-23 20:09:29
Gene X Hwang knew his days on Twitter as @x were numbered.
"Elon had been kind of tweeting about X previously," Hwang said. "So I kind of knew, you know, I had an inkling that this was going to happen. I didn't really know when."
Since 2007, Hwang's username on the site was @x — but after Elon Musk renamed the social media platform to X earlier this week, it was only a matter of time before the company commandeered the handle.
The news came shortly after Hwang had competed in a pinball tournament in Canada.
"So when I landed and fired up my phone, I just got all these messages and I was like: 'What is what is going on?' "
Hwang received an email from the company explaining that his account data would be preserved, and he'd get a new handle. It offered Hwang merchandise, a tour of its offices and a meeting with company management as compensation.
Hwang's account is one of the latest casualties in the chaos following Musk's takeover of the social media company. On Monday, Twitter's iconic blue bird logo was replaced with the letter "X."
The rebrand is the company's next step in creating what Musk has called "the everything app." Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino envision the platform becoming a U.S. parallel to WeChat — a hub for communication, banking and commerce that's become a part of everyday life in China.
But experts are skeptical X will be able to become an "everything app."
"I'm not sure he has enough trust from his user base to get people to actually exchange money or attach any type of financial institution to his app," Jennifer Grygiel, a professor at Syracuse University, told NPR.
Hwang is among those who have been looking for Twitter alternatives.
"I've been checking out, you know, other options like Threads and Mastodon and Bluesky," he said. "I'm still on Twitter for now, but ... it's changed a lot. So we'll see how much longer I'm on there."
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
- Big Ten bans No. 2 Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh from final 3 games over alleged sign-stealing scheme
- A UK judge decries the legal tactics used by a sick child’s parents as he refuses to let her die at home
- Industrial robot crushes worker to death as he checks whether it was working properly
- 'Gladiator 2' review: Yes, we are entertained again by outrageous sequel
- Why Coleen Rooney Was Finally Ready to Tell the Whole Wagatha Christie Story
- Gregory Yetman, wanted in connection with U.S. Capitol assault, turns himself in to authorities in New Jersey, FBI says
- Hidden demon face lurking in 1789 painting uncovered by restorers
- Ben Foster Files for Divorce From Laura Prepon After 6 Years of Marriage
- 5.0 magnitude quake strikes Dominican Republic near border with Haiti
Ranking
- Apologetic rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine gets 45 days in prison for probation violations
- Are banks open today or on Veterans Day? Is the post office closed? Here's what to know.
- State Department rushes to respond to internal outcry over Israel-Hamas war
- Lululemon Gifts Under $50 That Are So Cute You'll Want to Grab Two of Them
- Ariana Grande's Brunette Hair Transformation Is a Callback to Her Roots
- Unpacking the Murder Conspiracy Case Involving Savannah Chrisley's Boyfriend Robert Shiver
- Medical debt can damage your credit score. Here's what to know.
- A teenager taken from occupied Mariupol to Russia will return to Ukraine, officials say
Recommendation
-
Garth Brooks wants to move his sexual assault case to federal court. How that could help the singer.
-
2024 NFL draft first-round order: Bears, via Panthers, currently have No. 1 pick
-
1.2 million chickens will be slaughtered at an Iowa farm where bird flu was found
-
Acapulco’s recovery moves ahead in fits and starts after Hurricane Otis devastation
-
Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date
-
JAY-Z and Gayle King: Brooklyn's Own prime-time special to feature never-before-seen interview highlights
-
‘Nope’ star Keke Palmer alleges physical abuse by ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, court documents say
-
Billions of people have stretch marks. Are they dangerous or just a nuisance?