Change Of Tune: Twitter Tests New Features For Editing Tweets And Unmentioning Accounts

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re here now.

Twitter is rolling out new features that its users have long been demanding, including the option to edit tweets and unmention accounts.

READ ALSO: RT: With A $3.5B Stake, Elon Musk Becomes Twitter’s Largest Shareholder

These developments coincide with the announcement of Elon Musk as the platform’s largest shareholder after buying 9.2 percent of its stock.

Wise to revise

Twitter initially posted that it was working on an edit button during April Fools’ Day. It has since cleared the ambiguity by explicitly stating that it has been working on the edit feature since 2021.

https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1509951255388504066

The edit feature will first come to Twitter Blue, the social network’s monthly subscription service, in the coming months to determine opportunities and what works or doesn’t.

https://twitter.com/TwitterBlue/status/1453457352426803202

Editing has been the most requested Twitter feature for many years since users want to be able to fix “sometimes embarrassing” mistakes, typos, and hot takes, according to head of consumer product Jay Sullivan. The only existing workaround is to delete and tweet again.

“Without things like time limits, controls, and transparency about what has been edited, Edit could be misused to alter the record of the public conversation. Protecting the integrity of that public conversation is our top priority when we approach this work,” Sullivan wrote.

Not to mention

Moreover, Twitter has already released the unmention feature on a limited basis. It has been exploring the option since June 2021 while incorporating feedback from users.

https://twitter.com/TwitterComms/status/1512185706185121794

Unmentioning effectively allows users to remove themselves from Twitter conversations they do not wish to be part of.

“Sometimes you want to talk, and sometimes you just… don’t,” privacy designer Dominic Camozzi explained.

Banner Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

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