Twitter is testing two new features in the hope of making its platform more conversational: threaded replies and online status indicators.
Twitter has been hard at work to improve the user experience on its platform. Not only does the company want to promote meaningful content and lower the amount of spam floating around, but it also wants to become a more “conversational” platform.
Sara Haider, Director of Product Management at Twitter, uncovered two new features that are currently being tested as a new approach: threaded replies (kind of like what Facebook already does) and status indicators (again, much like what Instagram and Messenger are already offering.)
hey Twitter. we've been playing with some rough features to make it feel more conversational here. presence and reply threading. still early and iterating on these ideas. thoughts? pic.twitter.com/3U3NvpHWPy
— sara haider (@pandemona) August 31, 2018
While these features are not new to social media users, can they really improve the Twitter experience?
Well, threaded replies certainly can. They make following a conversation much easier, and I can imagine this would trigger more responses to comments. Now, considering the spamming and trolling issues Twitter has been trying to solve, threaded replies could be a step backwards if not well managed.
Status indicators seem like a decent idea. Knowing who is online, and when, could help users get into live conversations. But again, it could also become an ally to trolls and spammers lurking online.
Overall, both features could be great for engagement on the platform, but they could also make some users’ experience more difficult if they are subjected to spamming, trolling or other negative online behaviors.
Let’s hope that these new features, especially the status indicators, will remain optional and that users will have the choice to toggle them off if they wish to.
You might also like
More from Twitter
Elon Musk To Twitter Employees: Commit to Hardcore Working Hours Or Be Fired
In an email sent to all remaining Twitter employees, Elon Musk asked everyone to commit to "hardcore working hours" or …
Elon Musk Set To Relaunch Twitter Blue On November 29
Twitter Blue, the $7.99 service that gave people access to the blue checkmark is set to relaunch at the end …
Elon Musk Is Really Buying Twitter This Time
It's the end of a wild story: Elon Musk's $44 billion Twitter deal is actually happening.On Tuesday, representatives of Elon …
Twitter Is Rolling Out Editable Tweets, For Real
This time it's for real: Twitter is rolling out editable tweets. There is a catch though: you will have to …
Twitter Shareholders Vote To Approve $44 Billion Elon Musk Buyout
A large majority of Twitter shareholders approved the buyout, now Musk wants to fight his way out of it.Elon Musk …
Twitter Is Testing An Edit Tweet Feature
Twitter announced it's testing an 'Edit Tweet' feature that will give users the ability to edit their Tweets within 30 …
Twitter Introduces Super Follows Exclusive Spaces
Creators who are using Twitter’s Super Follows monetization option can now host Twitter Spaces, available exclusively to their subscribers.Twitter says …
Tweet Replies Ad Placement Now Available On All App Install Campaigns
Twitter is now allowing all advertisers to use its new Tweet replies ad placement, for app install ads, on iOS …