‘Doesn’t it kinda run itself?': Twitter user's query to Musk on shutdown rumours

In a written communication to employees, Musk wrote they “will need to be extremely hardcore” to build “a breakthrough Twitter 2.0” and that long hours at high intensity will be needed for success.

Chaos unfolds in Twitter with reports of mass resignations following owner Elon Musk's ultimatum to employees on bracing for long work hours and without free food. The social media platform witnessed a #RIPTwitter trend with netizens predicting a shutdown with the billionaire at helm.

Now, a Twitter user decided enough is enough and asked Musk a pointed question. “What do people mean when they say Twitter is gonna shut down? Doesn’t it kinda run itself? I feel like engineers are for changes not to just keep it running? I also don’t know anything. Hey @elonmusk wanna do a Twitter space with me? Im confused", he asked.

Musk wrote that employees “will need to be extremely hardcore” to build “a breakthrough Twitter 2.0”(AP file)

Musk, who is super active on Twitter after taking over as chief executive, responded, "The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried". Earlier in the day, Musk's diktat to his employees to take a pledge to ‘hardcore’ work or resign with severance pay broke the internet.

Several employees took to Twitter themselves to announce their resignations after Musk's order, others decided to opt for a private forum outside the company's messaging board to discuss their planned departure and questions on US visas or promised severance pay, AP reported.

According to Reuters, at least 50 staffers joined a private chat on Signal. Out of these, 40 said they had decided to leave. In a private Slack group of Twitter's former and current employees, 360 people joined a new channel titled “voluntary-layoff”.

Musk has already sacked half of the social media giant's 7,500 staff and undisclosed number of contractors who were responsible for content moderation.

Musk wrote that employees “will need to be extremely hardcore” to build “a breakthrough Twitter 2.0” and that long hours at high intensity will be needed for success.

In an apparent jab at Musk's call for employees to be "hardcore," the Twitter profile bios of several departing engineers on Thursday described themselves as "softcore engineers" or "ex-hardcore engineers."

(With Reuters, AP inputs)