Twitter, which recently made it so that you would automatically see anyone who @replied to you regardless of where they put your name in a message, changed things dramatically in the opposite direction. Now you probably won’t see some messages from people you follow if they are @replies to people you do not follow. That’s got many folks upset.
It’s confusing to explain. In fact, I’ve revised this post because I misunderstood the change myself, at first. In summary:
- If anyone replies to you, you’ll still see that
- If someone you follow replies to someone else, you’ll see that tweet if you also follow the person they’re replying to
- If someone you follow replies to someone you don’t know, you’ll probably NOT see that tweet
I understand part of the concern, that Twitter doesn’t want people feeling like they’re only seeing a part of a conversation in their stream. But the bigger concern is that it’s up to me to decide what I want to see, not Twitter.
If I follow someone, and they reply to someone I don’t know, that’s still interesting to me and others. So let us decide. Don’t filter on my behalf.
If Twitter really thinks this is a big problem for many of its users, these “partial conversations,” then OK. I can roll with the filtering being switched on by default. But compromise. Give back the control options we used to have, so we can see all tweets from those we follow, if we choose.
After all, we followed them for a reason.
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Danny – the compromise you are describing used to be there in Twitter’s account settings till today 2PM – See http://twitter.com/chrismessina/status/1782211266. Twitter switched of the feature with little notice and that is what has raised the ire of so many people
Danny, did you mean all replies sent to you? Because that didn’t get changed, you will continue to see all replies sent to you.
The change made hides the replies sent by people you follow to people you don’t follow, because supposedly, these messages are a ‘one-way’ or fragmented conversation that is uninteresting and/or confusing.
This is a good defense (and clarification) of the Twitter change made: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/twitter_puts_a_muzzle_on_your_friends_goodbye_peop.php#comment-137637
Twitter removed the user’s control and ability to choose for themselves with this recent update. Previously available within the settings area were the options to view:
1) “all @replies” – meaning you would see the @replies from those you follow even if you weren’t following the user being replied to
2) “@replies to those I follow” – meaning you would see only the @replies from those you follow to others that you also follow
3) “no @replies” – meaning you would see none of the @replies sent by those you follow
It appears that Twitter, in it’s infinite wisdom, has decided that giving its users the ability to make that choice for themselves was simply “too confusing”. I contend that if making such a choice is too confusing for someone, the benefit they’ll get from using Twitter is limited to begin with.
Don’t remove my ability to choose which @replies I see in order to dumb the use of the service down to appeal to the lowest common denominator of web user.
I still don’t feel what you’ve suggested here is a good compromise. You yourself are a good example Danny: As you are an authority on search and someone I greatly respect in my industry I follow you. If you take the time to respond to someone I have to consider that that person may be someone I should also follow–perhaps not in every case, but more often than not I’ve discovered that the people I follow converse with others I’d like to follow. Given this change I would not see those exchanges.
While seeing @ replies to those you don’t follow does in some cases generate ‘fragmented’ threads and conversations this is part of what I love about Twitter: You can ignore these threads or pick them up and follow along as it suits you.
Compromise or not, it should always be an option rather than “forced” like how they just removed the settings and assumed everyone is OK with things. Then again, everyone including me will just grow to accept things as it comes along. Twitter is eating too much into our life! :p
i agree with Derick, compromise or not, it should be an option rather than “forced”. with that said someone like YOU, and people with numbers of followers like @the_gman, @om, etc should create the tweet directed at @twitter or @ev, @biz – something like this ► @twitter (via everybody) RETWEET THIS IF YOU DISAGREE WITH DECISION TO HIDE REPLIES TO PEOPLE YOU DON’T FOLLOW! ◄ obviously, the importance would be to direct it at @twitter or @ev because otherwise they probably won’t see it (though they’ll see the activity and trend of course). great writeup Mr. Sullivan!
Thanks, everyone, for the clarifications and feedback. I’ve updated the post.
We’re on the same wavelength, Jason. That’s why I tweeted this last night in the midst of the #fixreplies conversations going on:
“Everyone who wants Twitter to #fixreplies should let @ev know by retweeting this.
”
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