The 140-character limit has arguably been the definitive characteristic of Twitter since its foundation in 2006.
However, a big change is on the way. The 140 character is to be…retained, yet enhanced at the same time. The adjustments will see media attachments, like videos and images, no longer count towards the character limit. In addition, when replying to or tagging another account, their @Twitter handle will not be included in the 140-character limit.
Accounts will also be able to retweet and quote their own tweets, in order to share old content and add new commentary.
“We’re focused on making Twitter a whole lot easier and faster,” said Twitter cofounder and CEO Jack Dorsey in a statement.
“This is what Twitter is great at – what’s happening now, live conversation and the simplicity that we started the service with.”
A company release said that these changes are designed not to negatively impact the “unique brevity and speed that make Twitter the best place for live commentary, connections, and conversations.”
These changes come as part of Twitter’s strategy to combat slow user growth. The company has around 310 million users, which is fewer than LinkedIn and some distance behind Facebook’s 1.65 billion users.
Company shares have taken a hit as a result of the slow growth, with RTÉ reporting that “Twitter’s share price has fallen by almost two-thirds in the past year, over concern about the direction of the company.”
There is no exact timeline outlining when the changes will be rolled out with Twitter preferring to say it will happen over the coming months.
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By Jeff Sheridan
By Matrix Internet