Image: Lunokot/Shutterstock
Threads are the latest user-created feature to become an official Twitter product.
Twitter has introduced a new feature that makes it simpler to thread tweets together and discover other threads, creating tweetstorms, as they are known among users.
The social media platform has introduced a new plus button in the tweet composer that allows users to tweet and publish threaded tweets at the same time.
‘We know people also may want to serialise a longer story or thought, or provide ongoing commentary on an event or topic’
– SASANK REDDY
The feature rolls out on iOS, Android and Twitter.com over the coming weeks.
Stitching tweets together
Threads are a way that users have been creatively stitching their tweets together to keep some kind of context on their streams of thought or as a way of expressing themselves.
According to Twitter, hundreds of thousands of threads are tweeted every day but, unfortunately, they can be tough to read or discover.
With the new plus button, users can continue adding more tweets to their published thread at any time. There will be a handy ‘show this thread’ label to denote the existence of threads attached to certain tweets.
The new feature comes on the heels of Twitter recently expanding the character count from the traditional 140 to 280 characters in a number of languages, including English.
A nod to the creativity of the Twitter community
Twitter product manager Sasank Reddy said that the addition of threads is a nod to the creativity of the Twitter community.
“A few weeks ago, we expanded our character count to make it easier for people to fit what they’re thinking into a tweet. But we know people also may want to serialise a longer story or thought, or provide ongoing commentary on an event or topic.
“That’s where this update to threads comes in. You’ve been using threads in creative ways like these for years – the ways and reasons to thread your tweets are limited only by your imagination.”
