On September 26, Twitter introduced a controversial change to the way the platform works by expanding the character count allowed in each tweet. "We want every person around the world to easily express themselves on Twitter, so we're doing something new: we're going to try out a longer limit," the company's product manager Aliza Rosen wrote in a blog post.
*Me opens Twitter*
— Maryam Zargar (@MaryamZargar7) 27 сентября 2017 г.
Twitter is introducing #280characters
Me: pic.twitter.com/TSkmUmXfRy
The limit has been increased from the usual 140 characters to 280. While the new feature is being trialed, only a small group of super-users get to have fun with the new limit for now.
When you check your Twitter and still only have 140. #280characters pic.twitter.com/6D1heu90tM
— Looney Tunes (@WBLooneyTunes) 26 сентября 2017 г.
However, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" — at least that's what most of Twitter users think about the crucial change.
The natural order of the Internet has been disrupted. #280characters pic.twitter.com/gHDJwnZYkq
— Rhett & Link (@rhettandlink) 27 сентября 2017 г.
Mom: Wow, our baby is carrying a knife, that seems unsafe.
— Frederick Douglass (@HITEXECUTIVE) 27 сентября 2017 г.
Dad: What should we do?
Mom: Double the size of the knife.#280characters
Some disappointed users are convinced that it will be a huge mistake to go back on what made the microblogging site so unique.
I really enjoy having a frame of 140 characters. Forces me to reconstruct and trim the fat off of thoughts. Keep it that way! #280characters
— 👨💻 (@brianshotfirst) 26 сентября 2017 г.
Not certain how I feel about #280characters because I've finally mastered the art of Twitter brevity.
— Greg Baldwin (@GregBaldwinIroh) 27 сентября 2017 г.
See? Exactly 140 characters.
Yay me!
Why does Twitter need to expand the tweet length to #280characters?
— Danny (@DannyCalidonia) 27 сентября 2017 г.
If you can’t express your point in 140 characters you’re clearly a mor
According to others, doubling the character count will simply double the problems on the service.
Users: There are some awful characters on here.
— Charles Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) 26 сентября 2017 г.
Twitter: We hear you! We're gonna double the count.
Users: Wait… what?#280characters
great news about #280characters. every time I get on twitter I think MAN I wish there was twice as much of this
— Justin McElroy (@JustinMcElroy) 27 сентября 2017 г.
Twitter: Users want to be able to edit tweets
— Dom Stirling (@domstirling12) 26 сентября 2017 г.
Inner Twitter: Give them #280characters so they make more typos pic.twitter.com/gfLSF8ZrtL
This isn't even the most requested feature: many people wanted to see an edit button instead.
twitter users: let us edit tweets
— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) 26 сентября 2017 г.
twitter: we made everything round
users: edit button
twitter: everyone is allowed to be twice as annoying
Not to sound ungrateful or anything but I'd settle for just an edit button. #280characters
— Claire Smith 🍂 (@clairemsmith_) 26 сентября 2017 г.
WHERE IS THE EDIT BUTTON!!! WE WANT A EDIT BUTTON NOT MORE CHARACTERS #280characters
— Ariana (@msarianayo) 27 сентября 2017 г.
Quite a few users expressed their understandable fears that some public personalities, you know… the Presidential kind, would take advantage of the privilege to stir up even more trouble online.
That moment when @WhiteHouse Chief of Staff John Kelly got the news about #280characters. pic.twitter.com/Jwv2GDI2pp
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) 26 сентября 2017 г.
Dear Twitter,
— NUFF (@nuffsaidNY) 26 сентября 2017 г.
Please don't update the tweet limit to #280characters until we have a new POTUS.
Thank you.
Finally found somebody who's happy with 280 characters. #Trump pic.twitter.com/YGUp7NBdBn
— Alex Seixeiro (@alexfan590) 26 сентября 2017 г.
