Even Trump hasn't helped Twitter's stumbling growth as it attracts 70 million fewer new...

[midian182]

These days, Twitter seems to find itself in the news more than ever before, mostly thanks to its status as President Trump’s favorite platform for making announcements. But that exposure hasn’t translated into user growth, an area where it continues to be outpaced by social media rivals such as Instagram and Facebook.

Despite Donald Trump’s Tweets constantly hitting the headlines, Twitter’s fourth-quarter results from last week showed it had missed analysts estimates as revenue growth slowed. It reported a net loss of $167.1 million, compared to a loss of $90.2 million during the same period last year.

But what is probably Twitter’s most important metric – overall user growth – was just as disappointing. Daily active users may have seen a YoY increase of 11 percent, but its 319 million monthly active users were up by just 2 million from the previous quarter. Q4 was Twitter’s slowest 2016 quarter in terms of worldwide user growth, and in the US the figure didn’t increase at all.

Compared to other apps, Twitter is struggling badly. In the last two years (2014 Q4 to 2016 Q4), Facebook, once considered Twitter’s main rival, has seen its monthly active users (MAUs) increase by over 467 million, according to statista (via Business Insider). Instagram’s went up by 300 million, and Snapchat’s increased by over 87 million. Facebook’s two messaging services – WhatsApp and Messenger – were just as successful; their monthly user numbers jumped by over 500 million. Twitter, on the other hand, saw its MAUs go up by just 31 million in two years.

It’s a similar story when comparing quarterly figures; Facebook’s MAUs were up by 72 million in Q4, which is 70 million more than Twitter.

“The whole world is watching Twitter,” said CEO Jack Dorsey. “While we may not be currently meeting everyone’s growth expectations, there is one thing that continues to grow and outpace our peers: Twitter’s influence and impact.”

In December, Twitter said it would ban Trump if he violated the site’s rules, as it has done with certain alt-right figures. Should that unlikely scenario ever occur, it will be interesting to see how it affects the platform’s user growth.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/68133-even-donald-trump-hasnt-helped-twitter-stumbling-growth.html

 

[oldikes]

*mentions trump in an article for literally no good reason just for clicks and to watch the world burn in the comments*

 

[Billy Vinson]

Starting to dislike TECHSPOT. Any chance y'all get to Bash Trump. That's ok, most of humanity is waking up to your CORRUPTION... Unfortunately, some people are still asleep (People that write these articles, for example) - but who cares about you... Drink your Fluoride, pop your pills and just remain DOCILE and great slaves!

 

[oldikes]

Starting to dislike TECHSPOT. Any chance y'all get to Bash Trump. That's ok, most of humanity is waking up to your CORRUPTION... Unfortunately, some people are still asleep (People that write these articles, for example) - but who cares about you... Drink your Fluoride, pop your pills and just remain DOCILE and great slaves!

This sounds amusingly like a trump tweet

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

This sounds amusingly like a trump tweet

Yeah, but without thinking first.

 

[Rockstarrrr]

I`m on Twitter and I like it. But thats not soc-net for everyone and it shouldnt be compared to Facebook and Instagram that people use it for entirely different purpose. You dont make photo albums on Twitter from every holiday you take, quite simple.

 

[kapital98]

I`m on Twitter and I like it. But thats not soc-net for everyone and it shouldnt be compared to Facebook and Instagram that people use it for entirely different purpose. You dont make photo albums on Twitter from every holiday you take, quite simple.

Twitter is a niche product with a respectable user base for what it is. It will not be the next Facebook or anything like that. Investors need to re-adjust their expectations.

So an article like this? Sure, Twitter looks bad compared to how people expected it would do. But by no means is Twitter doing badly with 300+ active monthly users and a ton of revenue. There are some really great business/blog posts out there about how Twitter should stop so much R&D (their most expensive branch) and just be comfortable with who they are/have become.

 

[kapital98]

*mentions trump in an article for literally no good reason just for clicks and to watch the world burn in the comments*

If you click on the Business Insider article it's only a three paragraph stub story with a graph. Techspot decided to turn that into a longer piece based on prior information. What Business insider did right (and Techspot did wrong) was to mildly suggest Trump might help Twitter. What they didn't do is make Trump the leading hero graphic and then go on about him for several paragraphs.

 

[davislane1]

Twitter selectively enforces its terms and conditions, hides content outside of thought bubbles, and has a commitment to "inclusivity," which is code for exclusion.

Is anybody surprised they fail to measure up?

 

[Julio Franco]

*mentions trump in an article for literally no good reason just for clicks and to watch the world burn in the comments*

Starting to dislike TECHSPOT. Any chance y'all get to Bash Trump...

Fake comments

• Evidently you didn't care to read the story.
• Solely mentioning Donald Trump doesn't make the story political or critical to him.
• In this particular case, the story is about Twitter's (lack of) growth compared to other social networks. Even though, Donald Trump as a candidate and now President of the US uses it heavily to communicate and create buzz around its policies.
• Trump and anti-Trump users of this community should start to realize that trolling is trolling, no matter where you're coming from.

In somewhat of a follow up to this. We'll continue to mention Trump whenever we feel it's relevant and won't refrain from doing tech + politics stories when we feel they are relevant to our audience.

 

[umbala]

Starting to dislike TECHSPOT. Any chance y'all get to Bash Trump. That's ok, most of humanity is waking up to your CORRUPTION... Unfortunately, some people are still asleep (People that write these articles, for example) - but who cares about you... Drink your Fluoride, pop your pills and just remain DOCILE and great slaves!

Yes, you shouldn't read FAILING techspot anymore, because it's rigged and fake news. Sad!

 

[lipe123]

If anything Trump being active on twitter should make people NOT want to join. I feel like twitter will gain more users when they ban trump haha.

I cant even remember my twitter login info, besides the only thing twitter seems to do well is to convey short messages to lots of people like when ISP has an outage in certain areas etc.

As far as two way communication its ridiculously over complicated and annoying.

 

[Nobina]

Didn't they recently verify some muslims extremist organization? Anyway, Twitter is ran by absolute ***** and internet would be better without it.

And Rob is Donald Trumps biggest fan it seems.

 

[oldikes]

*mentions trump in an article for literally no good reason just for clicks and to watch the world burn in the comments*

Starting to dislike TECHSPOT. Any chance y'all get to Bash Trump...

Fake comments

• Evidently you didn't care to read the story.
• Solely mentioning Donald Trump doesn't make the story political or critical to him.
• In this particular case, the story is about Twitter's (lack of) growth compared to other social networks. Even though, Donald Trump as a candidate and now President of the US uses it heavily to communicate and create buzz around its policies.
• Trump and anti-Trump users of this community should start to realize that trolling is trolling, no matter where you're coming from.

In somewhat of a follow up to this. We'll continue to mention Trump whenever we feel it's relevant and won't refrain from doing tech + politics stories when we feel they are relevant to our audience.

You didnt solely mention trump, you made it an integral part of the title, made an irrelevant picture of him the thumbnail, and wrote about 3 paragraphs that at least talked about his possible impact on the site.

Im not pro or anti trump, what I am against is people making everything about the current political state of america, even when its clearly not related - People will read trump tweets (to their great amusement, mostly) regardless of whether they create, delete, or log in to twitter accounts. Suggesting trump has anything to do with a reasonably large number of account creations/deletions/activity is a stretch and more clearly an effort to get traffic IMO - but what do I know.

Mentioning trump is fine by me, as it is pretty clear his activity does bring TRAFFIC (not account activity by any stretch) to the site. Making a clickbait title/thumbnail (and theres really no denying its clickbait) is no better than what people accuse buzzfeed and facebook of on the daily basis.

Please. I get enough trump shoved down my throat on twitter and facebook. I dont need everything to be about him here too. We get it. This isnt a case of "please avoid writing about trump and censor the truth because it triggers me", its a case of "please avoid sensationalizing information and making every single thing that could even be mentioned in the same context entirely about him"

But hey, its easier to accuse me of not reading. Naturally, all of my comments are indeed written 2 seconds after I get triggered by titles and skip right over the article.

For the record - this is the first of the articles with trump that has really appeared that way to me. Mentioning him where its relevant isnt at all an issue.

 

[davislane1]

Please. I get enough trump shoved down my throat on twitter and facebook. I dont need everything to be about him here too. We get it. This isnt a case of "please avoid writing about trump and censor the truth because it triggers me", its a case of "please avoid sensationalizinginformation and making every single thing that could even be mentioned in the same context entirely about him"

On the flip side, the entire strategy for getting every media outlet on earth to cover your every breath is outlined in Art of the Deal, which you can buy now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald-J/dp/0399594493

 

[Julio Franco]

@ikesmasher I hear you. And I agree. And we don't tell our writers to go out looking for controversial headlines, nor do we prevent them to. On that same note, we don't cover this kind of (political) thing heavily, maybe getting 3-5 posts/week which is a small percentage of all the coverage we do, hence I don't feel we are striking a poor balance.

You didnt solely mention trump, you made it an integral part of the title, made an irrelevant picture of him the thumbnail, and wrote about 3 paragraphs that at least talked about his possible impact on the site.

True. That bullet was about Trump stories in general. The following bullet was about this one specifically.

 

[captaincranky]

Starting to dislike TECHSPOT. Any chance y'all get to Bash Trump. That's ok, most of humanity is waking up to your CORRUPTION... Unfortunately, some people are still asleep (People that write these articles, for example) - but who cares about you... Drink your Fluoride, pop your pills and just remain DOCILE and great slaves!

Well, I'm a Trump supporter, and a ten year member. The difference between us is simple, I'll stand and fight, while you'll neatly tuck your tail between you legs and scurry back into your mommy's basement, then keep looking desperately for a website which caters to your views.

But wait, there's more. The new site has to solely publish articles which highlight the just things in which YOU'RE specifically interested. In other words, you've got a capital >>>> I <<<< stuck in your throat.

Now toddle along, buy a Donald Trump wig, a pair of red panties with the map of any red state on the back, and sign up here: http://www.redstate.com/

(I'm going to stay right here. I think it's called, "keeping your enemies closer.. ).

 

[captaincranky]

@ikesmasher I hear you. And I agree. And we don't tell our writers to go out looking for controversial headlines, nor do we prevent them to. On that same note, we don't cover this kind of (political) thing heavily, maybe getting 3-5 posts/week which is a small percentage of all the coverage we do, hence I don't feel we are striking a poor balance....[ ]....

@Julio Franco Most of the flashback you're getting about articles which trend political, is from low time members. The people willing to slug it out, (whether they agree with me or not), have been here for a while.

Those whimpering about politics the most, seem to be "just passing through", while serving their own interests. They imagine they're important, not only to Techspot, but in a much broader context as well.

I don't believe politics can be avoided, in light of the fact that the Silicon Valley Brat / Billionaires are so riled up and rattled about our new president. Trump's presidency has illuminated their self serving propaganda for what it is, avariciously trying to hoard the world's money supply, while pretending to be "just plain folks".

I don't think you can avoid stories like Tech CEOs pouting and writing letters to lift the immigration ban. After all, in spite of the fact "they (allegedly) offer sympathy and comfort to the displaced refugees", they're really serving their own monetary interests, such as cheap labor and sales abroad.

So, if we're to listen to our newly minted "members", the Techspot forum would be completely unnecessary. If a catalog is what's wanted, just click on the front page, and ignore the forum.

I fail to understand why just the presence of political topics is such a problem. After all, all you have to do is NOT click on THAT particular article. There's something for every tech interest here..

All this current run of dissident brats displays to me, is the inability to consider anyone but themselves. Hey, why not ignore the articles which trend toward politics and go help somebody build or repair a computer? Well, I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen, how about you Julio?

 

[JamesSWD]

Another silly article. Twitter's membership would be worse if not for Trump's supporters there. Between his personal account (25M followers) & his @POTUS account (15M followers), he's clocking 40 million followers. Despite Twitter's 'bravery' saying they'd ban Trump, they'll never do it. It would reinforce the message that Twitter despises the 1A and other rights, plus they fear of losing a good chunk of those 40M who are already disgusted with Twitter's censorship, political bias, and outright discrimination of conservatives.

 

[nuwb13]

On that same note, we don't cover this kind of (political) thing heavily, maybe getting 3-5 posts/week which is a small percentage of all the coverage we do, hence I don't feel we are striking a poor balance.

TechSpot has been a daily read for me for a long long time partially because it doesn't do politics. So for me, the best balance is 0 political posts/week. 3-5 isn't bad and is just a little extra noise to the otherwise excellent signal ratio but I largely agree with ikesmasher.

Normally I like to lurk sites and forums but I created an account just to add to the voice of those who would prefer leaving politics out of tech reporting whenever possible. To me, there was nothing really objectionable to the original article but as the thread illustrates, politics will bring in low quality non-tech discussion.

 

[captaincranky]

....[ ]....Normally I like to lurk sites and forums but I created an account just to add to the voice of those who would prefer leaving politics out of tech reporting whenever possible. To me, there was nothing really objectionable to the original article but as the thread illustrates, politics will bring in low quality non-tech discussion.

Normally, an article about anything AMD is supposed to be doing, brings out a bunch of AMD fanbois, who had been, (as you put it), "lurking" in the shadows. The "politics" of AMD vs, AMD ensue, along the the expected trip down memory lane when AND was "king" of the enthusiast market. That's also predictable and boring. "Why my Athlon used to kick the crap our of those miserable space heater Pentium 4's". "Those were the good old days", which Intel fans must relive yet again.

At least politics is a constantly evolving, and therefore a fresh topic.

I for one, am really tired of 1 and 2 post wonders coming to this site, and presuming to tell the staff what they should publish, and what their demands are as what they choose to read.

In some context, a click is a click, whether it's pro or con Techspot content. (Lurkers take note).

But like I find myself saying over and over, "if you're not interested in a particular topic, then don't click on it, period".

So, why don't you forget politics, and sign up as a malware helper? We could use more of those, as opposed to another run of noobs complaining about how they think the site should be tailored to their likes, dislikes, whims, and wishes.

 

[nuwb13]

Normally, an article about anything AMD is supposed to be doing, brings out a bunch of AMD fanbois

Tech fanboyism comes with the territory. I don't like it but there's no avoiding it on a tech site. Politics on the other hand...

I for one, am really tired of 1 and 2 post wonders coming to this site, and presuming to tell the staff what they should publish, and what their demands are as what they choose to read.

Well if that's got you so tired, maybe you should take a break from the computer and take care of your health. The site will probably survive without your tireless defense.

So, why don't you forget politics, and sign up as a malware helper? We could use more of those, as opposed to another run of noobs complaining about how they think the site should be tailored to their likes, dislikes, whims, and wishes.

Or maybe I'm just a guy who has checked TechSpot daily for years and only now sees a possible issue creeping up. I don't come here for the forums or board culture but solely for the main site which I think is the case with many visitors. Maybe my reaction represents an extreme minority one that should be largely ignored, maybe not. That's up to the TechSpot team to decide, but I think it's important for even the more passive users of the site like me to speak up and let the admins know.

 

[captaincranky]

Tech fanboyism comes with the territory. I don't like it but there's no avoiding it on a tech site. Politics on the other hand...

Well, like I've said before, when the silicon "valley girls" gang up to write letters telling the president how to run the country, politics can't help but become a crossover topic

Well if that's got you so tired, maybe you should take a break from the computer and take care of your health. The site will probably survive without your tireless defense.

My bad, "tired" was a poor choice of words. I meant, "angry and annoyed" which I embrace and enjoy.

Or maybe I'm just a guy who has checked TechSpot daily for years and only now sees a possible issue creeping up. I don't come here for the forums or board culture but solely for the main site which I think is the case with many visitors. Maybe my reaction represents an extreme minority one that should be largely ignored, maybe not. That's up to the TechSpot team to decide, but I think it's important for even the more passive users of the site like me to speak up and let the admins know.

First off, you should be mature enough to realize which topics are most likely to go political, and have the foresight to ignore them. Nothing is a problem if you avoid it. You don't have to share you views or dispute those of others.

In spite of the fact I disagree vehemently with many long standing members, I still accept them as members of this community, (for better or worse).

It does boggle the mind that when a site offers maybe 20 new topics a day, and one is political, that, (a self admittedly), "passive viewer", would find that enough of an issue to comment.

As near as I can determine, the "miscreants" who participate in politically themed threads, are enjoying them. The members who participate in politically themed threads while complaining about them, are most likely losing the argument.

When, (aeons ago), I grew up, the ladies drank tea in the living room,. while the men held farting contests in the kitchen. Yet both, in their own way, enjoyed themselves without intruding on one another.

 

[nuwb13]

Well, like I've said before, when the silicon "valley girls" gang up to write letters telling the president how to run the country, politics can't help but become a crossover topic

Politics affects every aspect of life and therefore can be a crossover topic for everything which seems to be more and more the case these days. Whether it's relevant is a determination for the editors, of course. Maybe the editors do want more political content and the attendant spirited discussion. But if they do, I gotta say I'm not for it as there are an ever growing number of venues for that.

My bad, "tired" was a poor choice of words. I meant, "angry and annoyed" which I embrace and enjoy.
First off, you should be mature enough to realize which topics are most likely to go political, and have the foresight to ignore them. Nothing is a problem if you avoid it. You don't have to share you views or dispute those of others.

There are plenty of sites I visit that, in my opinion, needlessly introduce politics and I avoid those topics just fine. Some sites have made large enough increases in political posts that I've stopped visiting despite complaints from readers that I've dropped them. The signal-to-noise ratio fell too far for my tastes.

If the site admins have a strong fixed vision for the site and don't care about complainers, I respect that. But inasmuch as they value feedback from readers, even if they might give little weight to "one or two post wonders", I'll give my $0.02 and defend my rationale.

It does boggle the mind that when a site offers maybe 20 new topics a day, and one is political, that, (a self admittedly), "passive viewer", would find that enough of an issue to comment.

As near as I can determine, the "miscreants" who participate in politically themed threads, are enjoying them. The members who participate in politically themed threads while complaining about them, are most likely losing the argument.

Like I said, a small amount of political posting isn't a big deal for me although the smaller the better. Undoubtedly the people who enjoy political bickering enjoy political posts and threads. But, as mind-boggling as it might be to you, there are people who don't. I don't know how much my, or anyone else's complaining, helps drive the decision making on this site.

The members who participate in politically themed threads while complaining about them, are most likely losing the argument.

That's not how arguments work.

 

[captaincranky]

That's not how arguments work.

No that's exactly how arguments work. In other words, "don't click on the thread, if you don't want to discuss politics". If not that, then I've seen any number of people join a political discussion to complain about it being a political discussion.

"Techspot has too many political discussions", said the member at the 20th post. If you don't like water, don't jump in the deep end of the pool.

Unlike you, I have participated in many, many threads over the past 10 years. But I haven't participated in every thread over the past 10 years. If a topic isn't to any members liking, there's no need to click on it, now is there?

The fact that politics involving Trump's election could possibly have a great deal of effect on the tech sector, makes them a must to discuss.

I get tired of listening to gamers mindlessly listing the components in their systems, and passing it off as a worthwhile post. Those threads usually amount to a brag fest. But, I don't start whimpering to the staff about it. I just don't click on those threads. (Or I just pop in, make a few rude remarks, then leave. (I gotta be me))