Is Twitter set to undergo some major changes in the near future? According to a tweet by a high ranking company official, there was a hint that this would be the case. The article “Is Twitter Getting Rid of @-Replies and Hashtags?” by Lance Ulanoff of mashable.com, takes a closer look at the tweet posted and the possibilities of changes to Twitter.
Ulanoff looks at a tweet from Twitter’s head of news, Vivian Schiller. She referred to the @ replies and hashtags as “arcane.” While nothing is for certain, this statement surely hints that the features being discussed could undergo some serious changes, perhaps even vanish all together.
I believe that if Twitter was to get rid of the @ replies and hashtags, it would be a huge mistake. The saying, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ comes to mind here. The features in question are core features of Twitter, and I don’t know of anyone who is disappointed with them, or thinks of them negatively. Sure, it can be a bit confusing at first, but once they are fully understood, replies and hashtags are what makes Twitter, Twitter.
In the past, Facebook has changed its format so frequently that it was hard to understand, it annoyed me, a lot. I know I don’t only speak for myself here also. Many people were frustrated with Facebook when it underwent numerous changes during a short period of time, just a few years ago. It is definitely one of the most frustrating traits of Facebook and I would hate to see Twitter go down this same path.
Also, It’s not only me who thinks this way. At the end of the article, there is a poll of whether or not readers think that Twitter should eliminate @ replies and hashtags. The overwhelming response has been no. No surprise there. Check out the article and poll itself at: http://mashable.com/2014/03/20/twitter-eliminating-at-replies-hashtags/.
I do hate when my every day sites change their format too much, such as Facebook, but I wouldn't mind an easier way to follow conversations.
ReplyDeleteI am new to Twitter and I still don't really get it, so it might jut be me but I wish I could reply to things directly on the thread. It just makes it easier to follow a conversation than using up a limited number of characters to @ someone to insure they see it and are notified of it.
I think a change could be good, but only if it's done right and ONCE.
How could they get rid of their well known feature. That is exactly why they became popular. They were different in a perfect way. When you have a good thing going, changing your whole concept is not the smartest idea. Lets just hope for Twitter's sake that they do not change or the transition goes smoothly.
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