Twitter to go open-source? Musk suggests he could open up Twitter’s source next week

According to a recent post from Twitter CEO Elon Musk, the firm is planning to open source its algorithm as soon as next week – unless of course, in typical Musk fashion, it’s all a prank. Musk has long advocated for the open-sourcing or opening up of Twitter’s recommendation algorithm, having declared this stance before taking over the social network and again while announcing his desire to purchase Twitter in April 2022.

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

In response to a tweet taunting him to take Twitter’s code open source, Musk said, “expect to be unhappy at first when our algorithm is published open source next week,” before adding, “it will improve swiftly.” What is Open-Source? Open-Source refers to source code that is freely available for modification and redistribution. Products include authorization to utilise the product’s source code, design papers, or content. The open-source paradigm promotes open cooperation through decentralised software development. Peer production is a key premise of open-source software development, with deliverables such as source code, designs, and documentation made freely available to the public. Basically, what Open-Source or open-sourcing means, is that a tech product, mainly software, has its source code and designs openly available to the public, so that it can be scrutinised, worked upon and improved by the public. Musk and his position on Open Source Standards If taken seriously, this would be one of the earliest promises to date for open-sourcing Twitter’s algorithm and one that tech enthusiasts and Twitter’s stakeholders will undoubtedly be watching to see whether it is fulfilled. **Also read: Elon Musk calls ChatGPT a danger to civilisation, says not what he intended when he backed OpenAI** Twitter has been under immense pressure from others in the open-source community, to join the open course mission. This includes Mastodon, a Twitter competitor that witnessed a jump in usage following Musk’s purchase of the microblogging network in October last year. Why going Open-Source might be the best thing to happen to Twitter Open-sourcing Twitter’s algorithm may also aid in keeping politicians and regulators away from scrutinising it and calling it partial to a particular party or ideology. This becomes even more vital as political interest in how social platforms’ content suggestions function grows. **Also read: Twitter Files: Left-leaning Vijaya Gadde & Company used moderation tools to suppress Hunter Biden story, gag the Right** Not only is the United States Supreme Court hearing arguments about the role of the YouTube algorithm in recommending ISIS videos to users, but there are also heated discussions about the need for TikTok oversight following reports that the company manipulated viral trends and even spied on journalists. Twitter may be able to avoid such criticism by open-sourcing its source code. Moreover, Musk might move the spotlight away from how he apparently urged Twitter developers to examine why his own Twitter engagement was declining, forcing an algorithm tweak that elevated his tweets - something he’s subsequently blamed to a glitch. **Also read: After firing engineer for low reach, Twitter’s algorithm is now showing everyone Elon Musk's tweets** Jack Dorsey’s regret Of course, Musk is hardly the first Twitter executive to propose that open-sourcing Twitter is the best way ahead. Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey voiced regret last year that Twitter was ever transformed into a corporation in the first place, claiming that Twitter should have been designed as an open and verified protocol instead. He also discussed the same notion with Musk via text messages, which came to light during the legal discovery process for Musk’s lawsuit against Twitter when he attempted to back out of the arrangement. Dorsey stated in the messages that Twitter should be built on an “open source protocol, supported by a foundation,” to which Musk responded, “super interesting idea.” Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.