Congregating under the hashtag #RIPTwitter, users criticized the move as being too similar to features available on rival social networks, and renewed calls for an edit button. The Twitter tool—called Fleets—is now being tested on Android and iOS in Brazil.
Before the backlash, the feature was unveiled by Kayvon Beykpour, a product lead at Twitter, who described it as a new way of sharing “fleeting thoughts.”
But users have fumed that it appears too similar to the “Stories” functions seen on other applications, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat.
The sentiment was summed up by one widely-shared response under the #RIPTwitter hashtag, “So Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram are pretty much the same thing now.” Others used the trending topic to air frustrations about the long-demanded edit feature.
One Twitter user’s post read, “We want an edit button, not stories. Anyone who wants stories can go to Instagram and Facebook.” Another person added, “Just like Snapchat and Instagram now I’m going to have to ignore everyone’s stories here too.” A third user joked, “Now we move to LinkedIn.” And, as is common when a trending topic breaks out on Twitter, the memes quickly mounted.
In his announcement, Beykpour shared a video of the feature. He acknowledged it appears similar to Stories and could “feel familiar” to some users, but said it will contain “intentional differences to make the experience more focused on sharing and seeing people’s thoughts.”
A full roll out date remains unknown. Twitter has been contacted for comment. Beykpour said it is a “substantial change” for the site and the Brazil tests would help indicate its potential.
He wrote, “People often tell us that they don’t feel comfortable Tweeting because Tweets can be seen and replied to by anybody, feel permanent and performative.
“We’ve been listening to this feedback and working to create new capabilities that address some of the anxieties that hold people back from talking on Twitter.
“Fleets are a way to share fleeting thoughts. Unlike Tweets, Fleets disappear after 24 hours and don’t get Retweets, Likes, or public replies—people can only react to your Fleets with DMs. Instead of showing up in people’s timelines, Fleets are viewed by tapping on your avatar.
“We’re hoping that Fleets can help people share the fleeting thoughts that they would have been unlikely to Tweet. This is a substantial change… so we’re excited to learn by testing it.”
And for those pleading for an edit button, don’t get your hopes up.
In January, Twitter boss Jack Dorsey explained his reasoning for not adding an edit button to the website, despite demand. He told Wired doing so would have unintended consequences.
“One is you might send a tweet, someone might retweet that, and an hour later you completely change the content of that tweet,” he said during a video interview. “The person that retweeted the original tweet is now re-broadcasting something completely different.”
“We have considered a one-minute window or a 30-second window to correct something, but that also means we have to delay sending that tweet out, because once its out, people see it,” the CEO continued, adding, “So, these are all the considerations. But we’ll probably never do it.”