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Micro-blogging, say hi there to actual running a blog.
Over the past week, Twitter rolled out a new feature called a Notes. For a choose group of writers, it’s now potential to create longer posts, capped at 2,500 words.
The function reveals up as an possibility within the app and within the browser the place these customers can choose a brand new Write possibility, kind in a headline, add a picture, and craft a weblog with photos, tweets, and hyperlinks.
When the Notice is printed, it reveals up of their feed as a standard tweet with a hyperlink, which is complicated as a result of the longer posts don’t really present up within the app. They look like browser-based solely. Right here’s a tweet that explains the way it all works:
I’m unsure what the plan is right here.
I’ve all the time seen Twitter as a connective tissue, a solution to talk about concepts, share pithy feedback, and submit hyperlinks to content material. Twitter’s greatest differentiator has all the time been that it’s a microblogging service, one which caters to individuals who don’t wish to do a deep dive. You possibly can scan via posts shortly and transfer on.
The Notes function looks as if an add-on that would have labored a few years in the past, however even then it could have led to extra confusion.
If Twitter intends to be a running a blog platform, it can have some critical competitors. Medium.com, the favored running a blog platform, was initially an incarnation from Ev Williams, who was additionally a Twitter co-founder. Again then, it appeared like Medium was a response to the dearth of true running a blog functionality of Twitter.
As typically occurs, we hold stepping into expertise circles.
Will it attract new customers? That’s the objective, for the reason that platform has stayed comparatively stagnant for a couple of years now. I’ve talked about this many instances, nevertheless it’s nonetheless my favourite social media app personally. I exploit it greater than the opposite platforms, and it has helped my journalism profession tremendously, a minimum of in how I can join with readers and share hyperlinks to articles. I’ll use Fb extra with family and friends, however when I’ve one thing to say to a much bigger viewers, it’s all the time on Twitter.
Now I’ve to determine whether or not it is sensible to weblog. (I requested entry to the Notes function however haven’t heard again from Twitter reps; if I acquire hands-on entry, I’ll report again on the function.) From what I can see, it’s rudimentary at greatest. When you add a headline and your textual content, plus a couple of photos, there doesn’t appear to be any choices for formatting (like you are able to do on Medium). Blogs don’t appear interconnected. It’s primarily only a lengthy tweet with a daring headline.
Much more importantly, I’ve a variety of questions on why I might use Twitter for running a blog within the first place. For my recent book, I simply created my own blog utilizing GoDaddy instruments and WordPress. It took about 5 minutes.
The weblog runs by myself website, the place there’s details about my guide and a bunch of hyperlinks. Why would I weblog on Twitter as a substitute?
My sense is that Notes is only a vainness function. Look, we added one thing new!
Perhaps I’ll heat as much as it will definitely, however for now, I’m sticking with the components of Twitter I like greatest.
