No, Twitter isn't removing its 140-character limit
A mysterious new feature under development by the social network has led to outcry over whether it plans to drop the trademark 140-character limit on tweets.听
A mysterious new feature under development by the social network has led to outcry over whether it plans to drop the trademark 140-character limit on tweets.听
As of right now, the rumors that Twitter is dropping its trademark 140-character limit are just that 鈥� rumors.
Word of the potential change was first reported on Tuesday by re/code, which cited several people familiar with the company鈥檚 plans. They say the network is working to allow 鈥渢weets that are longer than the company鈥檚 140-character limit.鈥�
This does not mean, as some are predicting, that the cap on tweets is going to be removed.
Instead, the change will allow users to 鈥減ublish long-form content to the service,鈥� wrote re/code. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unclear what the product will look like.鈥�
Currently, users can already bypass the limit in other ways, such as adding pictures or embedding other tweets.
Some say this is just a natural step toward publishing 鈥渄istributed content,鈥� something Facebook already does by allowing news organizations to host articles directly on its website.
鈥淵our Twitter feed will continue to look much the same as it does today,鈥� suggested Slate鈥檚 Will Oremus. 鈥淭he difference will be that, for certain tweets, you鈥檒l have the option to click or tap a button (鈥楨xpand,鈥� perhaps) to view the full article or blog post听without leaving your Twitter feed.鈥�
Twitter has not publicly commented on the matter.
The 140-character limit, which first stemmed from the 160-character limit imposed on SMS text messages, has long divided users into two camps: 鈥渢oo short,鈥� or 鈥渏ust right.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 like Twitter has chosen 140 characters as the perfect length in which you can wind someone up and be misunderstood without context,鈥� wrote one user.
鈥淲ithout the 140 character limit, Twitter becomes a 2nd Facebook. And guess what I *don't* need?鈥� wrote another.听
Last month, Twitter听lifted the limit from its direct messages, saying it wanted to let users 鈥渆xpress themselves鈥� more adequately. And as the company works out how to expand its user base, the subject has also听come under heavier internal scrutiny, according to re/code.
鈥淔or better or worse, pressure from stockholders who made the mistake of valuing the company as 'the next Facebook' is finally forcing it to make some bolder changes,鈥� wrote Mr. Oremus. 鈥淒ecry them if you will, but don鈥檛 make them out to be more drastic than they are.鈥�