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Update, Aug 12: It's official. Twitter has announced the Tweet button in partnership with Tweetmeme.
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Up until now, the Twitter "Retweet" buttons that appear on most websites are powered by a third-party company called
Tweetmeme.
According to a report on
Mashable, that is about to change and Twitter is launching an official Tweet button for sharing content online and counting how many times it's been shared.
Mashable says documents it obtained indicate the feature could launch Thursday, but
the official Twitter blog has yet to announce the feature.
Mashable says the Tweet button "is designed to be the most comprehensive counter of retweets and shares across Twitter’s network" and will come in three versions (110×20, 55×20, 55×63) with five different settings for customization.
Providing its code via an
API for third-party developers has helped Twitter grow tremendously, and many observers have cautioned Twitter about providing a service that will compete with one of a developer that helped it grow.
That being the case, it's not immediately clear if Twitter has inked a deal with Tweetmeme or how Tweetmeme's current service will be affected if Twitter launches an official button. Neither Twitter or Tweetmeme have responded to inquiries as of yet.
Until an official service is available, you can share this article by clicking on Facebook or Tweetmeme buttons below.
The following screenshots are courtesy
Mashable:
Twitter to launch official Tweet button
Courtesy Mashable
Twitter to launch official Tweet button
Courtesy Mashable
Twitter to launch official Tweet button
Courtesy Mashable