So, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is considering allowing for tweets to be edited. Not only does he state that this is the most requested feature from users of Twitter but he also admits that he himself has wished numerous times that there was an option for him to go in and edit a recent tweet with minor updates for typos, etc.
This is our most requested feature (today & always). Mostly to quickly fix mistakes. Anything beyond would need to show revision history https://t.co/fHtGNjkuEx
— jack (@jack) December 29, 2016
I can see why such a feature would be welcomed by many and it would also mimic the capabilities of other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram which allow for edits of postings to be made. However, such a change would not come without complications and apparently Twitter is actively considering how necessary accommodations could be made. For example, should there be a backlog of revisions made as tweets now are considered public record. News organizations and others should be able to refer back to the specific version of the tweet that they considered while reacting to it. Also, should edits be allowed only for a few minutes after a tweet has been posted and what happens if numerous people retweets or embeds a post that then later is significantly edited?
While I agree that Twitter needs to be concerned with the viewpoints of their loyal user base and that they need to innovate as they move forward to also attract new users, my take on this proposal is that it is a bad idea. I don’t think people on the street not yet on Twitter are staying out because they cannot edit tweets. Also, I find it hard to label the workaround as onerous. People realizing they have posted a Tweet they regret can simply delete the tweet and then repost it as they see fit.
I recognize, though, that sometimes a tweet involves more than simply typing 140 characters as a tweet also could include videos or pictures with tagged people, etc. Still, Twitter could allow for such tweets to be reposted in a simpler way than before by allowing old tweets to be repurposed as a draft of a new one. Currently, underneath the option “Delete Tweet,” they could add another option, “Delete Tweet but add content to Compose new Tweet” or possibly “Delete Tweet, add to Drafts.”
.@jack Allow for mistweets incl pics, tags, etc, to be repurposed as drafts “Delete Tweet, add content to Compose New Tweet” #Twitter2017 — Niklas Myhr, Ph.D. (@NiklasMyhr) December 30, 2016
Regardless, kudos to Jack Dorsey for soliciting feedback on the platform and for demonstrating the power of conversations on Twitter with a truly responsive attitude in his very active presence on Twitter today so I have decided to remain on Twitter also in 2017, will I see you there?
Conversations: this is a big part of the magic of Twitter and currently really difficult to follow & manage. We’ll work to make this easier
— jack (@jack) December 30, 2016
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