*Update* Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey states Twitter does not plan on making changes to user timelines. Dorsey tweeted that timelines will stay in real-time and up-to-date.
“Twitter is live,” he tweeted. “Twitter is real-time.”
BuzzFeed has since updated their original story.
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Twitter may be on the verge of a drastic change to timelines.
BuzzFeed News is reporting next week Twitter will start using an algorithm to show tweets deemed most relevant first. Timelines are currently in chronological order.
Twitter has been testing the algorithmic timeline with a small group of users. It appears the test went well enough to roll it out more broadly.
An example of Twitter post-algorithm will display a tweet from 10 hours ago first, instead of the most-recent tweet on a person’s timeline.
This would not be the first time Twitter considered changes to its platform. Re/code reported in January the 140 character limit would be replaced by a 10,000 character limit.
An out-of-order Twitter timeline would mirror what Facebook has done with its News Feed. Facebook monitors who and what you interact with the most and tailors your experience accordingly. This allows you to see your favorite friends more often in your feed. The downside is this tailored experience can also hide updates from you.
These changes come at a time when Twitter has suffered departures from top executives in January. Stock prices have suffered as well, along with a decline in user growth.
Twitter wants to make a better new user experience. Its fan base is loyal and supportive. The problem is with new users who sign up for the platform. The learning curve can be steep. The hope is showing what Twitter deems “most important” first in a timeline will encourage users to keep using it.
It’s important to note that Twitter hasn’t confirmed BuzzFeed’s report, so nothing is set in stone yet.
