Twitter’s trying out yet another option to give users more control over their Tweet experience, this time with updated descriptions and icons, available when switching between its algorithmic and non-algorithmic timelines. Tools that help provide additional context are always a good thing as they help complete a user’s toolkit that gives them all the power needed to control as many aspects of their private online information as possible.
The Latest Control
From what Tweet-vestigators say, the new presentation makes it a little clearer which timeline you’re viewing (I.E ‘Latest’ vs ‘Home’), as well as how to switch between them. That at least makes it a little easier for users to understand how to control their Tweet experience.
As noted, this is the latest in a long line of Twitter updates that are designed to give users more control over their in-app experiences and interactions. Over the course of a year, Twitter had added:
Reply Controls that allow users to dictate who and who can’t respond to their Tweets, along with new reply filters.
Circles – Twitter’s own private group chats feature.
Communities – Twitter’s version of ‘Groups’.
The ‘Unmention’ option, which literally allows you to ‘unlink’ yourself from conversations you no longer wish to be a part of.
Pinned Tweet Replies that allow users to highlight specific responses, such as celebrity interactions.
Collaborative Tweets.
Custom Algorithm Controls.
These various new tools and features could potentially change the Tweet experience over time, as users opt for more private sharing, essentially segmenting what had once been public discussion in the app. Such has always been Twitter’s driving ambition – to be the virtual ‘Town Square’, which is basically the same concept as the original town square of the 18th and 19th centuries, just with a modern, digital spin.
The Wrap
Social Media usage has now shifted away from the concept of publicly broadcasting one’s thoughts to more private sharing – the same reason why Twitter is now leaning into the same trend, with its algorithm controls providing another customization element that can help users define their own Tweet experience. It’s not a big change per se, but it could make it a little easier to manage your own Twitter encounters and better align with broader shifts.
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