Elon Musk is still hell-bent on changing Twitter. During these first weeks at the helm of the microblogging company, the tycoon has completely transformed the subscription system. As of today, that service costs $8 a month, $11 on iOS devices. In return, users will be able to edit their tweets, post higher-quality videos, a reading mode, and change their name on Twitter and display their name or profile picture. Different colors will also be used for account verifications.
But that is not the only change that the tweeter boss will execute. The businessman had anticipated that the company was working for the user to write longer tweets. And now he has just surprised everyone with the new extension: the character limit for tweets will go from 280 to 4,000, as he has confirmed in his reply to another user. Without a doubt, that would be the end of the threads on Twitter.
Extension
4,000 character tweets
The tycoon confirms that he is working on expanding the length of tweets
GIVEN RUVIC / Reuters
A user asked Musk directly, who spends the day on the social network answering his followers or announcing his new intentions. “Elon, is it true that Twitter is set to increase characters from 280 to 4,000?” Allan Obare wrote. The tycoon was direct and clear in his response: “Yes.” He did not give many more details of this momentous change. For example, the date for its start-up.
Read also Héctor Farrés
The entire Twitter universe revolves around tweets. This is precisely why it is known as the microblogging social network, a space that allows its users to send and publish short messages. And they already have to manage to cut the characters if they do not fit.
The limitation of characters was a recurring complaint since the beginning of the platform. In fact, in 2017, the social network doubled the space for writing messages and set it at the current 280 characters. The company then claimed that languages such as Japanese, Korean or Chinese can contain twice the meaning in 140 characters than other languages such as Portuguese, French or Spanish.
Those who were still running out of space had no choice but to use the threads. “Sometimes we need more than one Tweet to express what we want. A Twitter thread is a series of connected Tweets from the same person. The threads allow you to connect several tweets to provide more context, an update or to expand an opinion, ”says the platform on its blog.
With the expansion to 4,000 characters announced by Musk, some wonder where the platform threads will be. If they will disappear or if the tycoon plans to reinvent them.
paid
Twitter launches its new subscription system
In this system, the new verification mechanism is also included
Getty Images
Another important change is the new subscription system (now paid), which is available from today. Subscribers will be able to edit their tweets, post higher quality videos, a reading mode and change their name on Twitter and show their name or profile picture, although the company has qualified that “if they do so, they will temporarily lose the blue badge until have your account reviewed again.”
Read also Francesc Bracero
In this system, the new verification mechanism is also included. We will see more colors. The badge will be replaced by a gold-colored one for companies, while a gray one will be added later for “governmental and multilateral” organizations. The blue badge will be awarded to subscribers “once the account has been reviewed.”
