This week’s edition of The Newsletter kicks off with two articles that ultimately spring from what might be called the Big Social Media Meltdown. Beginning with the problem, the first finds yours truly wrestling with the problem of Elon Musk, and his apparent efforts to destroy his own reputation and the platform he spent $44 billion to control. The second piece, by our CEO and director of product Chris Neklason, describes one specific way Twitter/X is now broken, and his recent successes in building something that delivers a functionality we used to find under the little blue bird.
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By Eric Johnson
Published Sep 18, 2023
What the hell happened to this sweet, smart kid?
Replacing Twitter as Elon Self-Destructs
Making Sense of a Mad Genius
I first encountered Elon Musk at a private conference while researching a cover story about the new billions being invested in eco-friendly technologies, “The Green Gold Rush,” published in Metro Silicon Valley 15 years ago this week.
Speaking to a roomful of venture capitalists from firms including Kleiner Perkins and JP Morgan, Musk talked about, among other things, his dream of enabling the colonization of Mars. At the time I had no idea his mind was moving in that direction, was sorta shocked, and expected the idea to land awkwardly. But he received an explosive ovation. He was a hero even before he revolutionized the industry that builds the world’s most poisonous product.
Already an extremely wealthy man, Musk seems to be motivated more by a historical imperative than any strictly business or even classically altruistic purpose. He says he started Tesla “to show the car companies what is possible, and accelerate the development of electric vehicles” overall.
Well, he did that, but the number of people who still think of him as a hero is dwindling. In the wake of Walter Isaacson’s new biography of the world’s wealthiest individual, following years of Musk’s brazenly erratic behavior, he is being attacked, most ardently by former allies in left-of-center field. As a onetime admirer, I wrestle here with a man who seems to be rocketing from brilliant enigma to dangerous nutcase.
The Self-Demonization of Elon Musk
His critics portray him as a cartoonish billionaire boogeyman, while the world’s wealthiest individual works hard to prove them right.
Getting the Ground Truth Out
Elon Musk did not waste time turning the platform he called “the digital town square” into his private property. One of the first and worst things he did was eliminate a functionality that public agencies used to distribute important information.
For years, organizations from the CHP to the California Office of Emergency Services used the platform as a primary means of informing the public. Many of us have shared and found information about wildfires and floods on Twitter, or even just traffic jams. Not so on X.
Here’s how California Local is working with Google Maps to make that important information available.
Distributing Ground Truth by Mapping the Situation
Social media were once very good at sharing reliable first-hand information about fires, floods, etc. Not any more. Here’s an alternative.
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Community Emergency Response Volunteers |
Community Emergency Response Volunteers of the Monterey Peninsula's mission is “to support local CERT programs, build public awareness about emergency preparedness, and promote the community's capacity to respond to natural disasters and man-made emergencies.”
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From Our Media Allies |
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State Water Board Seeks to Weaken Fertilizer Regulation. Lives Are at Risk. |
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In 2021, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued an order calling for a limitation on runoff from agricultural fields. |
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City of Marina Weighs Bond Measure |
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Marina needs a new city hall. It also needs a new fire station and ladder truck. And a new police station. But the city cannot afford to build them. |
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Monterey County Board of Supervisors Commits to a Celebration of Bracero History |
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“There is so much history that gets lost because we don’t tell our stories,” Supervisor Chris Lopez said. |
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Taylor Farms Donates Backpacks to Students in King City, Salinas |
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More than 1,100 backpacks filled with school supplies were delivered to students as part of Taylor Farms’ 13th annual Backpack Giving Program. |
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Salinas Valley Health Marks Overdose Awareness Day With Candlelight Vigil |
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The heartbreak of an epidemic that has claimed 89 lives in Monterey County last year was personal for those who attended the Overdose Awareness Day event. |
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Recent Local News |
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• Carmel Decides to Wait on Naming New School Superintendent
The Carmel Unified School District board approved a motion to not conduct a superintendent search, and instead will consider appointing one at a future closed-session meeting.
(09/15/2023) → Monterey Herald• Monterey Peninsula Water Management District Board to Consider Cal-Am Takeover
The resolution would entail taking by eminent domain the Monterey water system, which is privately owned by Cal Am. If approved, the water system would be converted to public ownership.
(09/14/2023) → Monterey Herald• CSU Board of Trustees Approves 6% Annual Tuition Hikes Over 5 Years
Despite pushback from students, teachers and others, the California State University system will see tuition hikes.
(09/13/2023) → Monterey Herald• PG&E Customers Face Rate Hikes Due to State Regulatory Proposals
PG&E customers, already battered by big increases in recent years, face a fresh round of price hikes.
(09/13/2023) → Monterey Herald• Monterey Police Department Launches New Outreach Center
The new “Navigation Center” is designed to provide services to the unhoused population in Monterey, expanding the department’s capacity to serve the unhoused population and creating a collaborative workspace for the police, the Multidisciplinary Outreach Team and other providers.
(09/12/2023) → Monterey Herald|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• Cal Fire Issues Urgent Warning Regarding Incursions of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Incidents involving use of the systems, commonly known as drones, in firefighting airspace have led to the temporary suspension of critical aerial firefighting operations a half-dozen times so far this year.
(09/15/2023) → YubaNet• New COVID Boosters Are Coming: What You Need to Know
Cases are on the rise, and so are hospitalizations and deaths. So the federal government's release of new, updated COVID boosters feels like good timing.
(09/13/2023) → CapPublicRadio• Cal State Tuition to Rise 34 Percent Over Five Years
The tuition increases were forecast earlier this year, when a Cal State task force concluded the system needs at least $1.5 billion annually in new revenue to afford student services and bolster its academic offerings.
(09/13/2023) → CalMatters• Climate Bill Forcing Companies to Reveal Carbon Emissions Passes, Newsom Yet to Say if He’ll Sign it
About 5,300 companies would file annual emissions reports. The aim is to hold corporations accountable for the role they play in climate change.
(09/12/2023) → CalMatters• Meet California’s (Possible) Future State Bat
There’s an official state bird, mineral, tree, fish, insect, lichen, fabric, sport, dance, soil and even dinosaur.
(09/12/2023) → CapPublicRadio• Opioid Antidote Now Available in Drug Stores
Naloxone, a nasal spray that can reverse the adverse effects of opioids, became available in drug stores last week. The drug is sold under the brand names Narcan and RiVive and can be purchased over the counter.
(09/12/2023) → Palo Alto Online• No Classes? No Lectures? Still Get Your Degree? Yes, Under an Experimental New System at California Community Colleges
Eight community colleges in California are testing out a new education model, one that defines success by the skills a student learns, not the time they spend in a classroom. But changing the traditional education system isn’t easy.
(09/11/2023) → CalMatters• New Bill Comes to Rescue When California Public Records Requests Are Denied
A bipartisan bill would create a state ombudsperson to intervene when public records requests are denied. But an advocacy group is concerned that it will encourage state agencies to go to court.
(09/11/2023) → CalMatters|
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Government Announcements |
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City of Monterey (09/15/2023) Draft Housing Element Comes Before City Council and Planning Commission at Joint Special Meeting, Sep. 19 |
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City of Monterey (09/11/2023) Attempted Homicide / Controlled Substance for Sales Arrest |
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City of Monterey (09/07/2023) Monterey Police Opens Outreach and Navigation Center to Support Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team |
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City of Monterey (09/05/2023) Controlled Substance for Sale Arrest |
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City of Pacific Grove (08/18/2023) PAVING PROJECT ON HIGHWAY 68 NEAR PACIFIC GROVE TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK |
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City of Pacific Grove (08/10/2023) DRAFT Archeological Resources Review and Tribal Monitoring Protocol |
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City of Gonzales (06/26/2023) AB 481 MILITARY EQUIPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2023 |
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City of Pacific Grove (05/15/2023) Business Needs Survey |
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City of Pacific Grove (05/10/2023) Community Wildfire Protection Plan |
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City of Pacific Grove (05/04/2023) Rescheduled City Council Meetings |