How Twitter's new edit button affects the platform's information flow and usability
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2024 5:36 am
Kamila Dantas
Apr 21, 22 | 3 min read
Edit Twitter Post Button
Reading time: 3 minutes
One of the most desired features by Twitter users is about to be implemented: the edit post button was finally confirmed by the platform earlier this month .
The feature that allows users to edit tweets already posted has been in development since last year and will initially be available to users of Twitter Blue — the subscription version of the microblog — for the test phase.
After years of debates, ideological wars on this issue and appeals from celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian asking for the post editing feature, Twitter has decided to give in to public requests.
But contrary to what has been widely speculated, this feature has nothing to do with Elon Musk’s criticism of freedom of speech on Twitter. The platform made it very clear that “We did not get this from a survey,” referring to a post by the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX on the social network.
now that everyone is asking…
yes, we've been working on an edit feature since last year!
no, we didn't get the idea from a poll
we're kicking off testing within @TwitterBlue list of solomon islands consumer email Labs in the coming months to learn what works, what doesn't, and what's possible.
— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) April 5, 2022
This decision marks a new stage for the company, which, following the departure of Jack Dorsey , former CEO of the platform, is open to adapting the social network based on user feedback.
This post editing feature already exists on other platforms such as Facebook and Slack and is already one of the most anticipated features by Twitter's audience.
However, what may sound like an achievement for most users of the social network, can become a cause for concern and caution, especially regarding misinformation, harassment and possible crimes of libel committed on the social network of the little bird.
How to use the Edit Tweet button without losing everything
When it comes to using the Edit Tweet button on a daily basis on the social network, it is easy to find opinions both in favor of and definitely against this new feature.
Questions about how to edit without endangering the credibility of content creators and companies that work with Twitter must be analyzed and thought out so that this new tool does not promote chaos and a feeling of insecurity for web users.
After all, Twitter is known for being a platform where people have the freedom to write down what they think quickly and conveniently. This often leads to mass sharing of misinformation much faster as fake news spreads across Twitter users' timelines.
Editing tweets therefore opens up a space for discussion of the problem of online harassment, which can be easily edited after reaching the target person and generating revolt among users.
But beyond this problem, tweet editing can be a fundamental resource for those who create content on the social network. After all, it is very easy to make a typo or upload an incorrect file when launching a campaign.
And the solution we have today to solve this is to delete the tweet, which becomes a problem when that tweet has already provoked interactions and has been seen by thousands of users.
In these cases, editing presents itself as a life-saving tool for brands that need a simple correction option rather than deleting a tweet entirely.
In any case, Twitter needs to carefully analyze and test all the UX possibilities of how this feature can be inserted into the social network so that it is effective and informative, fulfilling the main objective and minimizing problems for users through this new feature.
Apr 21, 22 | 3 min read
Edit Twitter Post Button
Reading time: 3 minutes
One of the most desired features by Twitter users is about to be implemented: the edit post button was finally confirmed by the platform earlier this month .
The feature that allows users to edit tweets already posted has been in development since last year and will initially be available to users of Twitter Blue — the subscription version of the microblog — for the test phase.
After years of debates, ideological wars on this issue and appeals from celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian asking for the post editing feature, Twitter has decided to give in to public requests.
But contrary to what has been widely speculated, this feature has nothing to do with Elon Musk’s criticism of freedom of speech on Twitter. The platform made it very clear that “We did not get this from a survey,” referring to a post by the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX on the social network.
now that everyone is asking…
yes, we've been working on an edit feature since last year!
no, we didn't get the idea from a poll
we're kicking off testing within @TwitterBlue list of solomon islands consumer email Labs in the coming months to learn what works, what doesn't, and what's possible.
— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) April 5, 2022
This decision marks a new stage for the company, which, following the departure of Jack Dorsey , former CEO of the platform, is open to adapting the social network based on user feedback.
This post editing feature already exists on other platforms such as Facebook and Slack and is already one of the most anticipated features by Twitter's audience.
However, what may sound like an achievement for most users of the social network, can become a cause for concern and caution, especially regarding misinformation, harassment and possible crimes of libel committed on the social network of the little bird.
How to use the Edit Tweet button without losing everything
When it comes to using the Edit Tweet button on a daily basis on the social network, it is easy to find opinions both in favor of and definitely against this new feature.
Questions about how to edit without endangering the credibility of content creators and companies that work with Twitter must be analyzed and thought out so that this new tool does not promote chaos and a feeling of insecurity for web users.
After all, Twitter is known for being a platform where people have the freedom to write down what they think quickly and conveniently. This often leads to mass sharing of misinformation much faster as fake news spreads across Twitter users' timelines.
Editing tweets therefore opens up a space for discussion of the problem of online harassment, which can be easily edited after reaching the target person and generating revolt among users.
But beyond this problem, tweet editing can be a fundamental resource for those who create content on the social network. After all, it is very easy to make a typo or upload an incorrect file when launching a campaign.
And the solution we have today to solve this is to delete the tweet, which becomes a problem when that tweet has already provoked interactions and has been seen by thousands of users.
In these cases, editing presents itself as a life-saving tool for brands that need a simple correction option rather than deleting a tweet entirely.
In any case, Twitter needs to carefully analyze and test all the UX possibilities of how this feature can be inserted into the social network so that it is effective and informative, fulfilling the main objective and minimizing problems for users through this new feature.