Twitter’s broader abuse powers let it filter hostile tweets
Twitter knows that it’s not enough just to make it easier to report abusive tweets. You have to catch and discourage that abuse as often as possible, too. Appropriately, the social network is rolling out a broader abuse policy alongside tools that help it stop harassment quickly. The new rules now cover all promotions of violence against someone, not just “direct, specific” threats — Twitter can crack down on more than the most serious attacks. That’s particularly important for victims of systematic abuse, who frequently chastise Twitter for being soft on people who clearly wish harm but aren’t explicit about it.
The new technology should prevent those troublemakers from being as effective as they have been in the past. Twitter is testing a feature that would look for the hallmarks of abusive tweets (hostile language coming from a recently created account, for example) and “limit their reach” — effectively, filter them out. You’d still have the option of looking at this material, but it wouldn’t automatically bombard the feeds of everyone involved. As of today, Twitter can also lock accounts for set periods and make users clean up their act, such as by requiring phone verification (which discourages dedicated trolling accounts) or asking them to delete certain tweets. Think of it as a middle ground that makes it clear a user did something wrong, but stops short of an outright ban.
These measures still aren’t perfect. There’s a concern that the filtering will prevent the targets of hate campaigns from knowing exactly what’s going on, and the overall approach won’t necessarily stop the most determined harassers. Still, these measures might just prevent the most vitriolic Twitter users from getting away scot-free.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Twitter Blog
You can get Twitter DMs from anyone (if you want)
If you’re feeling brave, Twitter is (once again) letting you receive direct messages from any old person. As before, you’ll have to opt-in by ticking a box in the settings — but once you do, even folks who don’t follow you can send you a note. On top of that, you can now text anyone who follows you, even if you’re not interested in them. That’s a big change from the status quo, since direct messaging has only been possible between folks who follow each other. To drive home the point, Twitter put a Direct Message button front and center on your contact page for its iOS and Android apps.
Twitter had a similar option before that it cut if off just a month later, so why is it trying again when user user privacy is under scrutiny? The social network says it wants to open up “a powerful and engaging messaging experience” for users, even “beyond the confines of their contacts.” It recently allowed group direct messages, and likely wants to defend against apps like Snapchat or Facebook’s WhatsApp, the latter with an incredible 800 million users. At one point, rumors even suggested Twitter would develop a standalone messaging app.
Given the amount of harassment that occurs on Twitter, a lot of users may be reluctant to let Joe Public contact them. On the other hand, if you made a boner in a tweet or link, someone could point it out in a direct message and save you a public shaming. In any event, the dedicated button is clear sign of Twitter’s emphasis on messaging, so we’d not be shocked to see more such features going forward.
Meerkat looks to Android for a chance at beating Periscope
Can an Android launch save Meerkat? SXSW must seem like a long time ago for the folks behind the livestreaming app that took Austin by storm back in March. It was just a few weeks later that Twitter launched Periscope, which, thanks to the social network’s clout and a better user experience, has quickly become the streaming app of choice. Right now both services are iOS only, though, and Meerkat is hoping to hook the hundreds of millions of Android users on its app with a public beta launch.
You can sign up for the beta here, but there’s no date for when the app will actually be available. Getting to Android before Twitter has a chance to launch Periscope is definitely a good tactic for Meerkat, although doing the same on iOS hasn’t stopped the app from fading into insignificance. According to analytics firm Topsy, Periscope streams were roughly three times more prevalent than Meerkat as of last week. Twitter has also confirmed that Periscope is on its way to Android “soon,” so there’s a good chance that it’ll launch on Android first anyway.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Via: 9to5 Google
Source: Meerkat (Twitter)
Twitter is testing a ‘You may also like’ related tweet discovery feature
From a “Suggested users” list to the MagicRecs push notification feature that recommends accounts and tweets, Twitter is constantly looking for ways for you to follow more people. Now it appears Twitter is adding yet another discovery method to the list. According to Venturebeat, Twitter has been testing a “You may also like” recommendation box along the right-hand rail of individual tweets. It lists as many as five related tweets it thinks you might like and if you hit “View more,” it’ll list an additional five below that. The feature is still in testing at the moment and there’s no word if it’ll actually roll out to the public at large.
What has rolled out, however, is a brand new Twitter front page. The new Twitter.com makes it easier for the non-logged-in public to see what’s trending on the social network without having to sign up or log in. Just click on any of the suggested topics — Politics, Tech News, or our favorite, Cute Animals — and it’ll bring up a list of popular tweets in that category. This in combination with the company’s recent recommendation efforts is all part of strategy to keep its users engaged — and hopefully bring in new ones too.
Starting today, U.S. web visitors now have access to great Twitter content on our homepage: https://t.co/HArwPMJ9iS pic.twitter.com/e8QK5i8yF8
– Twitter (@twitter) April 15, 2015
Filed under: Internet
Legere, Trump launch flame war over the weekend
T-Mobile CEO John Legere is no stranger to having his tweets picked up and turned into headlines, a limelight that he seems to relish as he continues to push T-Mobile up through the ranks of U.S. carriers. Likewise, Donald Trump seems to be one of those larger-than-life characters in U.S. culture and he is not afraid to Tweet. Unfortunately, the two crossed paths over the weekend and it was not pretty although it has been entertaining for those who enjoy a good flame war.
It all started when Legere tweeted about some noise in his hotel room at a Trump property caused by some street musicians. For some unknown reason, Trump took this as an invitation to respond that “T-Mobile service is terrible!” and asking why it cannot be improved. In response to that, Legere posted that he was immediately leaving Trump’s hotel.
The sniping has continued throughout the weekend. Trump has even gone so far as to criticize Legere’s hair after the T-Mobile chief posted a picture while out for a run with his daughter. You read that right – Trump was criticizing someone’s hairdo.
The flaming seems to be dying down, especially after Legere indicated he was done and would no longer be retweeting any of the memes that the Internet was generating. Whether the two gentlemen were really annoyed and irritated with each other or just realized they could have some fun pushing on each other is unknown.
.@JohnLegere T-Mobile service is terrible! Why can’t you do something to improve it for your customers. I don’t want it in my buildings.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2015
sources: @realDonaldTrump, @JohnLegere
image via: GeekWire
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Twitter trends feature sees update on Android mobile app.
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Trends are a great part of what makes Twitter such a great social experience. Being able to see what others are tweeting about and then taking part is what allows users to connect in ways that otherwise would not be possible. Though while the trends feature might be great, the way that it has been implemented via the Twitter app has not always been perfect. Thankfully today, Twitter has announced an update to their Android mobile app that changes the way trends are handled.
First off, #discover has been removed and trends will now see their home be in the search page. So now instead of having to go to another page entirely to see trends, you will see them directly in the search page. The other notable change is the way trends will now be displayed to the user. Instead of just showing the #trendphrase, you will now see a small description detailing what the trend correlates too. All in all, these are some great added features to the Twitter app that are definitely a welcome addition.
For more information, you can head over to the official press release using the link provided below.
Source: Twitter Update
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Twitter introduces new tweet quoting system, rolling out to Android apps soon
Twitter has taken the wraps off of a new system for quoting tweets that makes it a little easier to add your own comment to others’ tweets. With the current quoting system, the contents of a tweet are literally “quoted” and posted to your followers. For longer tweets that hit that 140 character limit, that doesn’t really leave you much room to say anything.
The new system for quoting actually links the original tweet to your tweet, and you’ll get 116 characters to talk about it. It may not be the full 140 characters, but it’s way better than only having enough room for a few words.
This system is currently rolling out to the web version of Twitter, but you can expect it to hit the Android client soon.
source: Twitter
Come comment on this article: Twitter introduces new tweet quoting system, rolling out to Android apps soon
Twitter now quotes tweets without wasting text
If you’ve previously tried to quote tweets in the official Twitter app, you know how painful it was — all it did was throw quotation marks around the post, giving you little space to add your own color commentary. At last, though, it’s working the way it should. Twitter has overhauled its “quote tweet” function so that it simply embeds the post you’re quoting. You should not only have more room to type your observations, but preserve the context of the original material (such as images) without resorting to a retweet. Only iOS and web users will see the new trick right away, but it’s “coming soon” to Android.
Say more with revamped quote Tweet! Rolling out on iPhone and web, coming soon to Android. https://t.co/Bcl3E859ne pic.twitter.com/fioAPPi0nW
– Twitter (@twitter) April 6, 2015
Source: Twitter
Vine remembers it has a Windows Phone app, finally updates it
When Vine revealed its newfound HD ambitions last week, your author wondered out loud whether the company’s long-in-the-tooth Windows Phone app was ever going to get an update again. Well, the answer is a pretty definitive yes: Vine pushed out the update earlier today, and with it comes a new look, support for Vine messaging and the ability to import videos straight from your camera. (Oh, and for those keeping count, the last time Vine updated the app was over a year ago. Seriously.)
You’ll be able to edit those clips once you’ve imported them into the app proper, too, just to make sure your six second slice of life is as heartfelt/inane/ridiculous as it truly deserves to be. None of this’ll sound terribly novel if you’ve been watching the iOS and Android versions of the app grow and develop (to wit: the importing and editing features went live for iOS users last August) but it’s nice to be reminded that Microsoft’s mobile platform isn’t completely being ignored by the app-makers that could make or break it.
Filed under: Mobile
Source: Vine
Windows Phone’s third party Periscope app lets you watch live streams
Live streaming apps like Twitter’s Periscope and Meerkat are all the rage right now, but so far they’ve only been accessible to iPhone users. Enter Telescope, a third-party Periscope app for Windows Phone, which opens up the service’s live streams to an entirely new audience. You can’t actually broadcast your own streams from the app yet (the developer says it’s coming), but you can sign up for Periscope and view other live feeds from within the app. It’s not a complete solution, but it’s something until Twitter rolls out an official Windows Phone client. Expect to wait a while though — even Twitter’s own microblogging app for Windows Phone is still miles behind its iPhone and Android entries. Both Twitter and Meerkat say they’re also working on Android apps, but Telescope makes Windows Phone the first platform outside of iOS to get one of those live streaming apps.
Filed under: Mobile
Via: WMPoweruser
Source: Telescope (Windows Store)
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