A Tweet Has No Name - Twitter Removes Usernames Character Limit
 |
| Img: readwrite.com |
Twitter has recently commenced the testing phase of the final parts of their new rules about character limits. The changes, announced in May, will reduce the amount of entities that push your tweet towards that pesky character cap. The standout removal is @usernames, with these no longer counting, allowing users to pseudo-anonymously flame whole swathes of people whose opinions they mildly disagree with @ one fell swoop.
The development, which has taken on a hashtag following of #beyond140, is a welcome change amongst users. Rumors had the full changes appearing on September the 19th, but these turned out to be just the removal of media such as images, gifs, and videos from the character count. This testing phase marks the full implementation of the changes, and according to TechCrunch has begun to affect sections of live users, with a full scale release coming up in the near future.
Say more about what's happening! Rolling out now: photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and Quote Tweets no longer count toward your 140 characters. pic.twitter.com/I9pUC0NdZC— Twitter (@twitter) 19 September 2016
The earlier May announcement laid out the character limit changes Twitter were planning:
- Media attachments like gifs don't count. This came out on September 19th.
- @names don't count. The big part of this final update.
- .@ no longer necessary - tweets that begin with a username now go to everyone, instead of requiring the .@ prefix. Users will now have to retweet replies if they want them to be seen by everyone.
- You can retweet or quote yourself. I'm sure many Twitter users already find themselves infinitely quotable. Better retweet that low like post for the fifth time, no one saw it! No, it was just bad.
User reactions were generally positive to the changes last time, so we expect the same this time. Some users did manage to poke fun at them, though:
1st tweet using Twitter's new feature that doesn't count GIFs, photos, etc. against the 140-character limit!— Justice Don Willett (@JusticeWillett) 19 September 2016
Never again will I run out of pic.twitter.com/9Dx0kkwQAC
The changes are part of Twitter's ongoing struggles to revitalise the platform after shares have been tumbling following potential buyout collapses. Despite having 313m active monthly users in total, growth in them has been stagnant, and last year Twitter had to lay off 8% of its workforce. Twitter even shifted the release of their latest earnings to 4am PST rather than the usual 1pm, perhaps in a bid to sweep the dirt under the carpet.
There are some innovative ways around the Twitter character limit, but this move towards a slightly less restrictive means of communication without altering the overall tweet format will likely be welcome amongst users. It reflects a willingness by Twitter to adapt to user expectations, in terms of ease of media sharing and convenience of communication with others, that is something Twitter needs right now. Time will tell how drastic this change feels, and whether it will be a significant one. In any case, with Twitter's iconic @usernames almost disappearing, we're definitely @ the end of an era.
With a masters in Literature, Sam inhales books and anything readable, spending his working hours reformulating the info he gathers into digestible articles. When not reading or writing, he likes to put his camera to work around the world, snapping street photography from Stockholm to Tokyo. Too much of this time spent in Japan teaching English has nurtured a weakness for sashimi, Japanese whisky, and robot cafés. Follow him @SamF_Songbird
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
A Tweet Has No Name - Twitter Removes Usernames Character Limit
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, October 28, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, October 28, 2016
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.