[PM_me_your_math]

Shouldn't the content quality be the delineating factor?

Who gives a shit if they want to add some authenticity? It showing they are putting some money into their presence. That means the opposite of what op is trying to get across in 250 words or less.

Our civilization has gotten too far from reason. Too many people disregard viewpoints simply because of who makes them, which "side" they are on, and other frivolous things.

[onion2k]

Shouldn't the content quality be the delineating factor?

No, because that's not what Twitter Blue subscribers want. They want to artificially boost their posts regardless of the quality. If they need to do that it's almost certainly a bad sign. If you want content to be the delineating factor then you need to let the content speak for itself.

I view Twitter Blue in a very similar way to paying for ads in Google. Yeah, they move you to the top of the SERPS page, but I'm not going to rely on that to decide what the best link for me to click on is.

[PM_me_your_math]

*I view Twitter Blue in a very similar way to paying for ads in Google

As is your choice and right as a consumer of content.

Ads do have a role, however. The right product can solve a lot of problems, and you may not discover that product were it not for the ad.

Don't get me wrong, Google is beset with ads and they often get in the way of finding what it is you are seeking. But not always.

I don't personally see any issue with people wanting to boost visibility, especially on a platform with almost half a billion users. That's a lot of noise to get through and even if your content is good, you're still competing with no guarantee of a pay off.