Summary

Gruber argues that X has reclaimed its dominance as the primary social platform, pointing to Apple's new CEO John Ternus and other executives posting exclusively there as evidence. Despite widespread distaste for Elon Musk, the alternatives — Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon — all have fatal flaws that keep them from competing. X has quietly de-Musked its algorithm, no longer surfacing Musk's own tweets and instead delivering relevant content. The culture has shifted to cheerful and inclusive rather than politically charged. Gruber concludes that the action is simply on X, and pretending otherwise requires willful ignorance.

Key Insight

X has quietly fixed its algorithmic worst sins and reclaimed the internet's town square, making principled boycotts increasingly self-defeating regardless of one's feelings about Musk.

Spicy Quotes (click to share)

• 8

  You may not like it that X has re-found its footing under Elon Musk's ownership, but it has.

• 7

  I see more interesting posts on X than I do on Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon combined. I wish that weren't so but it is.

• 8

  'I'm grossed out and/or appalled by Elon Musk so I'm going to Mark Zuckerberg's joint' isn't a way to avoid being grossed out and/or appalled by the owner.

• 6

  There's a lot of activity on Threads, but little action. There is action on X.

• 7

  Without any fanfare — perhaps to avoid his ire — X has de-Musked its algorithm.

• 8

  The culture on X today is remarkably friendly and inclusive. It is a cheerful place.

• 8

  If you returned from exile on a desert island and took a look at X today for the first time in a year, you might reasonably guess that Elon Musk got bored and sold it while you were away.

• 6

  These people have either lost their minds or refuse to check their prior assumptions.

Tone

opinionated, pragmatic, contrarian