Two bubble talk or comment sign symbol on blue background. 3d render.
Micro-blogging, say hello to real blogging.
Over the last week, Twitter rolled out a new feature called a Notes. For a select group of writers, it’s now possible to create longer posts, capped at 2,500 words.
The feature shows up as an option in the app and in the browser where these users can select a new Write option, type in a headline, add an image, and craft a blog with images, tweets, and links.
When the Note is published, it shows up in their feed as a normal tweet with a link, which is confusing because the longer posts don’t actually show up in the app. They appear to be browser-based only. Here’s a tweet that explains how it all works:
I’m not sure what the plan is here.
I’ve always viewed Twitter as a connective tissue, a way to discuss ideas, share pithy comments, and post links to content. Twitter’s biggest differentiator has always been that it is a microblogging service, one that caters to people who don’t want to do a deep dive. You can scan through posts quickly and move on.
The Notes feature seems like an add-on that could have worked many years ago, but even then it would have led to more confusion.
If Twitter intends to be a blogging platform, it will have some serious competition. Medium.com, the popular blogging platform, was originally an incarnation from Ev Williams, who was also a Twitter co-founder. Back then, it seemed like Medium was a response to the lack of true blogging capability of Twitter.
As often happens, we keep going in technology circles.
Will it draw in new users? That’s the goal, since the platform has stayed relatively stagnant for a few years now. I’ve mentioned this many times, but it’s still my favorite social media app personally. I use it more than the other platforms, and it has helped my journalism career tremendously, at least in how I can connect with readers and share links to articles. I may use Facebook more with friends and family, but when I have something to say to a bigger audience, it’s always on Twitter.
Now I have to decide whether it makes sense to blog. (I requested access to the Notes feature but have not heard back from Twitter reps; if I gain hands-on access, I’ll report back on the feature.) From what I can see, it’s rudimentary at best. Once you add a headline and your text, plus a few images, there doesn’t seem to be any options for formatting (like you can do on Medium). Blogs don’t seem interconnected. It’s essentially just a long tweet with a bold headline.
Even more importantly, I have a lot of questions about why I would use Twitter for blogging in the first place. For my recent book, I just created my own blog using GoDaddy tools and WordPress. It took about five minutes.
The blog runs on my own site, where there is information about my book and a bunch of links. Why would I blog on Twitter instead?
My sense is that Notes is just a vanity feature. Look, we added something new!
Maybe I will warm up to it eventually, but for now, I’m sticking with the parts of Twitter I like best.
