Twitter's Tip Jar, Reddit Talk, Avoiding Abusive DMs and Paris Hilton's Story

Hello again, Isha here 👋🏼

I’m back with a ton of new updates and interesting reads. Let’s get right to it!

💸Twitter is exploring a “Tip Jar” and testing Professional Profiles

Twitter had earlier said it’s exploring features like tipping to give people a way to pay other Twitter users. There is also evidence that Twitter is working on a Tip Jar feature for Twitter Spaces, according to The Verge.

Jane Manchun Wong @wongmjane

Twitter is working on Tip Jar in @TwitterSpaces, letting you enter your usernames on Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal and Venmo, allowing people to tip you directly there

In other news, Twitter also launched a test of Professional Profiles for Brands and Creators.

“Professional Profiles are a new tool that will allow businesses, non-profits, publishers, and creators — anyone who uses Twitter for work — to display specific information about their business directly on their profile.”, says Twitter.

Twitter Business @TwitterBusiness

Like our new look? Today we’re launching an exciting test of a new profile type called Professional Profiles!

Does this mean Twitter is moving towards a Facebook-like approach towards brand building on its platform? Do you think this is a good move?

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🗣Reddit Talk is here and it looks like Clubhouse, only with cartoons. Users have concerns.

“You can start talks for Q&As, AMAs, lectures, sports-radio-style discussions, community feedback sessions, or simply to give community members a place to hang out.”, says Reddit in its announcement.

Reddit Talk is a new feature that lets people host live audio conversations in their communities. During the early tests, only a community’s moderators will be able to start a talk, but Reddit has opened up a waitlist for interested people to sign up for access to the feature.

Image: Reddit

Reddit is the ultimate platform for communities, and while this feature has the potential to change the way people interact with each other on the platform, users have put forth many valid concerns about this feature in the comments on the announcements post. I hope Reddit is listening.

This post and the comments highlight two main issues:

1. Moderation and safety measures on platforms

2. How users are afraid of what other users will do with a feature like this.

⚠️ As users of and creators on any platform, it’s our responsibility to help maintain a safe environment for everyone else. Engaging in any form of trolling, online violence, hate speech and abusive behaviour is unacceptable. Be kind.

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⛔️Online Safety: Instagram is rolling out a tool to filter out abusive DMs

Instagram announced a new tool that will “allow users to automatically filter out direct message requests containing offensive words, phrases, and emojis. The tool is targeted at celebrities and public figures who receive a large number of unwanted, harmful DMs.”

⚠️ I hope they roll out this feature for everyone. Celebrities and public figures aren’t the only one receiving abusive DMs!

Read: Instagram vows to remove accounts of people who send abusive direct messages

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🎧 Hot take on social audio: The Clubhouse Party Is Over

Vaccination numbers are way up, and Clubhouse user numbers are way down. The audio-only app was a pandemic-era success story, and it’s time to say goodbye.

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🛠 Tool Time: Tiny Vid trims and compress video files to fit any size limitation!

Check it out here.

Image: Tiny Vid

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🤓Interesting reads for the week ahead:

1. The Slander Industry- “I wanted to slander someone. My colleague Kashmir Hill and I were trying to learn who is responsible for — and profiting from — the growing ecosystem of websites whose primary purpose is destroying reputations. So I wrote a nasty post. About myself.”

2. Instagram, Facebook, and the Perils of “Sharenting”

3. I am Sophie Zhang, whistleblower. At FB, I worked to stop major political figures from deceiving their own populace; I became a whistleblower because Facebook turned a blind eye. Ask me anything. | Reddit AMA

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👻Meme Check: 3 of my favourites this week ⬇️

knx @knoxdotmp3

“happy earth day!” the earth:

place where cat shouldn't be @catshouldnt

Maarten Goet @maarten_goet

David Baguetta 😂

Seán Burke @SeanBurkeShow

If verified Twitter was a party.

Okay I lied. There were four.

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👀 News you may have missed..

• Facebook Analytics is going away after June 30

• Clubhouse will hit Android as soon as next month

• Substack launches Substack Local, $1 million initiative that will fund independent writers creating local news publications.

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❤️Must-watch: This is Paris, The Real Story of Paris Hilton

"Everyone says I'm the original influencer, but sometimes I feel like I helped create a monster.", says Paris.

The story of Paris Hilton is definitely one of fame, glamour, privilege and wealth. But it is also one of trauma, abuse, introspection and heartbreak.

Paris opened up as a survivor of the “troubled teen industry” in the film and has been campaigning for the shutting down of schools known for human rights abuses against youth.

She also talks about her realisation of how social media is fuelling addiction today.

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🔌Join me on Twitter Spaces to talk about fun things to do to unwind during the pandemic

Isha 🚢 @ishaachitnis

It’s been a tough ride for everyone across the 🌎 Screen times are soaring, stress is accumulating, people are languishing. In a time like this, what do you do to destress and just have fun? Let’s talk about this today at 7:30 PM IST & 10 AM ET on Twitter Spaces!

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All done, see you next week! 🙋🏻‍♀️

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Stay curious and creative!

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