Twitter may be about to make its algorithm available to everyone as open source software. At least, that"s according to what the social network"s CEO Elon Musk stated in a Twitter chat exchange earlier this week.
In response to a message from game developer Derek Smart, asking Musk to open source Twitter, Musk replied (via Thurrott), "Prepare to be disappointed at first when our algorithm is made open source next week, but it will improve rapidly!"
Prepare to be disappointed at first when our algorithm is made open source next week, but it will improve rapidly!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 21, 2023
Even before he acquired Twitter in 2022, Musk expressed interest in releasing the social network"s algorithm as an open source project in a TED interview, claiming it would help restore trust in the platform.
Of course, Twitter under Musk has had some issues keeping up with its own deadlines for projects. Earlier this month, it planned to launch a new paid API, but after lots of backlash from developers, the company announced February 13 it would delay that launch "by a few more days". The company has since posted word that launch will be phased out over the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, there are online reports that Twitter employees have had little to do this week. The Verge reports that on Wednesday, its Slack channels were reportedly down for "routine maintenance". However, the real reason, according to the story, may be that Musk may have ordered Slack access to be shut down, perhaps in an effort to cut costs.
The company"s Jira tracking tool also went down that same day, but came back online Thursday, according to the report. Many Twitter employees allegedly took Wednesday and Thursday off because of these issues.
Source: Elon Musk on Twitter via Thurrott