| Letter from the Editor: The X You Can't Stop Talking About | | This isn't something I typically admit freely, but when I was an undergraduate, I had a weekly dating column in the college newspaper.
Each week, I'd attempt to wax reflective on what I hoped were relatable, challenging matters of the heart (oh, to be 21 again) – many of which, of course, concerned exes.
And now, nearly 20 years and two advanced degrees later, here I am – still writing about [e]Xes.
I'm referring, of course, to "X": the company formerly known as Twitter. And since the platform's official renaming/rebranding, there's been a stir of controversy, from lawsuits to an uproar over a brightly-glowing building sign. It's enough to make even the most industry-savvy person pause and ask, "What the heck is going on?"
The name itself implies the unexplained. In mathematics, solving for "X" means solving for the unknown. Even in conversation or casual written communication, we use "X" as a placeholder for something miscellaneous, obscure, or otherwise to be determined.
"X," in its small but mighty capacity, can universally and simultaneously stand for everything and nothing. And while it pains me to applaud the hidden (and perhaps unintentional) genius of this renaming scheme – it's kind of perfect. | | | In our industry, we're almost always trying to predict and solve for the unknown – economic directions, new trends and features, hiring needs, or, you know, algorithm changes. Whether you're optimizing for it or writing about it, it can often feel like our jobs are largely comprised of guesswork. "What's generative AI gonna look like in a year?" Um. I dunno. | | | That's why I point to the infuriatingly brilliant nature of "X" as the name of a company that, at a minimum, has kept us on our toes. It, like so many of its peers in our industry, is persistently "TBD," making for the frenetic and delightfully chaotic nature of work that keeps so many of us energized.
That's one of my favorite things about this job: knowing that the fields driving it are so gloriously unpredictable to the point, sometimes, of satire. (I'm looking at you, Mike Judge.) That's not to say we can't make any informed decisions. After all, that's what we're here for: to compile the historical and emerging data, and pick out what it all means. At the risk of sounding trite, that's one part of my work that brings me tremendous joy.
So, even if it's a bit of a throwback, I will continue writing about and trying to solve for X – whatever it means on any given day. It's a wild ride we're all on, and I'm just grateful to be along for it with all of you, on your own journeys there.
To the unknown and beyond,
AZW
| | Amanda is the Editor-in-Chief of SEJ. A writer, editor, marketer, and "Golden Girls" superfan, she joined SEJ from HubSpot, where she ran the company's News & Trends program. Her byline has appeared in Thrillist, EcoSalon, and Fast Company. Find more of her work at amandazw.com. | | | | | |
