After his former employee disagreed with him, in an open tweet, about the company’s app performance on Android smartphones, Elon Musk, the self-described “free speech absolutist”, fired a Twitter engineer. Having already fired approximately half of Twitter’s employees, now he’s begun firing those that publicly disagree with / or criticize him on the social media platform. Some have been publicly fired by Musk via Twitter, and others have been informed they’re fired shortly after tweet exchanges with Musk.
Eric Frohnhoefer, who worked on Twitter’s Android app., on Sunday, re-posted one of Musk’s tweets with a comment, asserting that Musk’s understanding of a technical aspect of Twitter’s app was incorrect. At that point, Musk asked Frohnhoefer to provide more information, then asked him
“Twitter is super slow on Android? What have you done to fix that?”
-Elon Musk, Twitter CEO
In a series of tweets regarding what could be done to fix the app, Frohnhoefer explained his insights. Reportedly, Musk didn’t respond. Apparently, a user watching the situation unfold, inquired as to why he hadn’t given his new boss feedback in private, Frohnhoefer, an engineer at Twitter for eight plus years responded,
“Maybe he should ask questions privately. Perhaps he could use Slack or email.”
-Eric Frohnhoefer, Former Twitter Engineer
Then late Monday, Musk announced that Frohnhoefer had been terminated. Not to be upstaged, Frohnhoefer publicly shared Musk’s message, including a saluting emoji, that was popular among employees when they were let go earlier in the month.
Sounds like Frohnhoefer, who deliberately and openly questioned Musk, instead of privately approaching him, asserted that Musk, whom he openly challenged should privately communicate with him instead of seeking to defend his position. Bad strategy-move, Eric, arrogance has its’ price. Little wonder Frohnhoefer, is now on the unemployment line. Like a true leftist, on his way out - he had to blame someone else for his lack of propriety.
When asked by Forbes on Monday, if he had received any formal communications from the company about his firing, Frohnhoefer replied-
“Nope, nothing,”…adding “They’re all a bunch of cowards.”
-Eric Frohnhoefer, Former Twitter Engineer
Reportedly saying, that he didn’t have strong opinions of Musk, prior to his purchase of Twitter, Frohnhoefer said that he was in the “wait-and-see camp”. Since then he said, his opinion of Musk’s management-
“it’s gone downhill.”…adding “No one trusts anyone within the company anymore, “saying… “How can you function? Employees don’t trust the new management. Management doesn’t trust the employees. How do you think you’re supposed to get anything done? That’s why there’s production freezes – you can’t merge code, you can’t turn things on without permission from VPs.”
-Eric Frohnhoefer, Former Twitter Engineer
In a tweet, Casey Newton a reporter from the publication “Platformer”, stated that employees are now being fired, for criticizing or disagreeing with Musk in Twitter’s internal Slack channels. He also reported that, it’s not clear how many employees had been affected but it “seems like it’s more than 10.” Later, stating that employees have told him, Newton added, approximately 20 people have been fired over Slack posts.
He also noted that what these employees have been used to, is an internal culture, focused on discussion and dissent, with a motto of “communicate fearlessly to build trust,” Despite the fact, that seemingly, since Musk’s takeover, no internal codes of conduct have changed – the Twitter staff should have realized that there is a new sheriff in town, and being on their best behavior, rather than inserting themselves would be in order.
It clearly sounds like Twitter employees are expecting to be able to challenge Musk, either openly or among themselves, rather than privately – as you usually do in a corporate setting. That they are getting fired is no surprise.
Maybe Musk should hold a corporate meeting, if he hasn’t already, explaining how things in the real world really work, giving these former “dissenters” an awareness that, problem solving, in a respectful environment, is the reality of how things are accomplished.
These Twitter employees have been allowed, even supported in their high-school like social environment – one that openly promotes rebellion, even anarchy. Sadly, they need an introduction into the real world – high school for most was decades ago. These arrogant, self-important, leftists need to wake up from their socialist slumber and get a dose of reality.
A job is not a platform to run management over with your brilliance, but rather a forum for respectfully requesting a hearing on how improvements can be made and waiting for a clear green light to launch into your concepts and ideas. The real world, is not at all like the sequestered environment, that Twitter used to be or existed there. Welcome to reality!
“Being polite and grateful will make people more inclined to help you. And if people are willing to help you, you may accidentally get something you want.”
- Jason Sudeikis