Why are people making such a big deal about Twitter’s new verification system?

Elon Musk’s decision to remove Twitter’s long-standing checkmarks from legacy verified accounts, requiring users to now pay for Twitter Blue, has inevitably generated controversy: first of all, the vast majority of those held the blue tick, which was granted on a somewhat erratic basis, have refused to cough up the monthly $8 fee, while others, like LeBron James, Stephen King, William Shatner and a few others, have had theirs paid for by Musk himself.

I have been paying for Twitter Blue since it was announced. The reason is simple: using Twitter adds enough value to me to justify the largely symbolic cost. I understand why many users object, but for me, taking into account the role Twitter plays in my information ecosystem, it’s a no brainer: over the time I have used the platform, Twitter has generated much more value than the subscription. I don’t enjoy giving away money, obviously, but I like to contribute to funding services that bring me value, even if their owner is one of the richest people in the world and polarizes opinions.

On the other hand, I am in the business of generating content, and Twitter allows me to maximize the reach of that content to more people: my case is relatively atypical because I do not make money directly with that content; I tried having advertising, but…