Rebuilding Twitter

As with all social media platforms, Twitter is a constantly evolving machine whose makers take great strides to have it as user-friendly as possible. Yet how much do these updates actually affect normal users? Well, the coming batch will change quite a bit. 

Ever since its conception, Twitter had a rock-solid, steadfast rule. Tweets are not to surpass 140 characters. That number wasn’t pulled out of thin air, either. Instead, it was in response to early cell phones’ text message character limits of the same number. Now, however, technology has evolved and a majority of mobile tweeting is done through their app. This 140 character limit created a challenge for users to keep their messages sharp, precise, and efficient. It has worked in their favor for the most part. It certainly kept people from going on longwinded rants and as a result, their website is clean and organized.

The 140 character limit is still the law of the land. However, Twitter is being a little more exclusive on what they count as part of the 140. Links, photos, and polls used to quickly consume the precious real estate. However with Twitter’s new update, none of it counts anymore. This is going to allow users to feel more comfortable posting interactive and visual content, knowing the “140 rule” isn't going to hit them at the very end of writing a post, at least not as harshly. This may not be the best of news for some websites that actually made a living off shortening links, but I’m sure they’ll find themselves some other work.  

While we’ve mentioned this update before, Twitter has continued to revolutionize itself with a few more game changers. They’ve also announced that @names won’t count against the 140 when replying to a tweet. This will allow people to have more engaging conversations while keeping the right people in the loop. 

Speaking of replying, you can now retweet and quote tweet yourself. While this may seem like a vain action, it’s a good way to reiterate an important message or to remind your audience of an upcoming event. The replying system has always been the cracked egg in Twitter’s nest. Many people use .@usernamehere in the beginning of a sentence to be sure it’s broadcast to all your followers instead of just to the person you’re addressing. Many users put that period in order to confuse Twitter into thinking it’s just a mention instead of a reply. They’re getting rid of all that so everyone can watch your back and forth with your friends. 

Twitter has been in the midst of a “life change” lately, trying to cleanse itself of some technical quirks and make things work for the best. 

What are your thoughts on Twitter’s revamp? Comment below!