--- title: "Elon Musk Puzzled to Learn That He’s Hardcoded Into the Twitter Source" description: "Elon Musk is, as we all recently learned, hardwired into Twitter's source code — but according to him, this is the first he's hearing of it." date: "2023-04-05" modified: "2023-04-05" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-twitter-code" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "Algorithm" - "elon musk" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # Elon Musk Puzzled to Learn That He’s Hardcoded Into the Twitter Source ![Elon Musk is, as we all recently learned, hardwired into Twitter's source code — but according to him, this is the first he's hearing of it.]() *\Image: Frederic J. Brown via Getty / Futurism\* ## Source? Elon Musk is, as we all recently learned, hardwired into Twitter's source code — but according to him, that's news to him. As [*Insider* points out](), the revelation of [Musk's name in Twitter's recommendations algorithm]() — along with "Democrat," "Republican," and "power user," — was a topic of discussion during a [recent Twitter Spaces event]() about the [newly-open]() ([and previously leaked]()) source code. When someone referenced the strange inclusion in the code, Musk pled innocence. "I think it's weird," he said. "This is the first time I'm learning of this by the way." He went on to ask Twitter's developers "what's going on" with the interesting line of code, and their responses seem to suggest that the man may not have any idea about what's going on at his own website. ## Engineer Answers As *Insider* notes, senior Twitter engineering manager Brian Wichers explained during the Spaces call that the now-infamous user categories were added to the recommendation algo a decade ago, and that they're "not too important in how it's used throughout the code base." Does that make any sense seeing as Musk only bought the site last year? We'll let you be the judge. Another engineer still said that those user categories were added purely for tracking purposes and, bizarrely, to "make sure we don't bias toward one group versus another one," not to provide any type of user with "special treatment." Musk went on to say that he thinks that sort of thing should be done away with. "It definitely shouldn't be dividing people into Republicans and Democrats," he said during the call, "that makes no sense." He's right, in a way — this whole thing doesn't make sense, but it's less that Musk is hardcoded into the Twitter source and more that he's acting, for some reason, like he's never heard about it before. **More on Elon:** [*Elon Musk Adds Dogecoin Button That Does Nothing to Twitter Homepage*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()