Twitter is still not giving us an edit button, but it is changing its retweet system, at least temporarily. According to American technology news website The Verge, Twitter has introduced a new system encourage users to quote tweets and add their own comments, rather than simply 'retweeting' or sharing someone else's post.
Earlier, a Twitter user could simply retweet a post or quote it to add their own commentary. Now, if a Twitter user wants to retweet something, the microblogging platform will pull up the 'Quote Tweet' composer box to encourage them to add their own message before re-posting the tweet. Users can still opt to bypass the quote tweet option and simply retweet - but Twitter is hoping that the extra step will "increase the likelihood that people add their own thoughts, reactions and perspectives to the conversation", the platform said in a blog post.
Hey everyone, we made a temporary change to the Retweet function.
— Twitter (@Twitter) October 21, 2020
When you hit the Retweet button, you can either add a comment to Quote Tweet or leave it blank and hit the Retweet button. pic.twitter.com/SkkoqAqXsV
The change has been introduced to check the spread of misinformation ahead of the US presidential election.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the new retweeting rules. The microblogging platform has been flooded with memes and jokes as users try to figure out the new RT rules. Take a look:
what the new twitter retweet update feels like pic.twitter.com/K4hPFHOoZP
— everythinggoesman⁷???? (@aakgneo) October 22, 2020
Me trying to figure out how to Retweet normally ???? pic.twitter.com/iTgtNzc6ra
— Shake4ndbake (@ItsShake4ndbake) October 21, 2020
— dinosaur (@dinoman_j) October 21, 2020
People who just wanna retweet stuff: pic.twitter.com/s8JixrKm43
— Sadie ???? (@Sliim_sadie) October 21, 2020
Many asked Twitter to provide them with an edit button instead of introducing new features.
Twitter: We added these unnecessary features that hold absolutely no value to you guys hahahahah enjoy
— cell (@mtvcell) October 21, 2020
us: pic.twitter.com/Us6NhCRuIZ
Twitter has also introduced a feature which prompts people not to retweet articles they haven't read first, warning them that headlines don't tell the full story.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted about the feature this morning.
Now @twitter asks if you want to read something first before retweeting it, saying “often the headline doesn't convey the full story”. How true! pic.twitter.com/7aHbePZMBg
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 22, 2020
As did several other Twitter users.
Twitter now knows if you're trying to retweet something you haven't actually read and I feel attacked pic.twitter.com/1Eo9eaVp97
— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) October 22, 2020
What do you think of the new retweet system? Let us know using the comments section.
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