Twitter users have long begged the company to add an edit button to tweets, but it has never happened—until now. Twitter has announced that the feature will soon be available to all users, though some critics say it may not be good enough. We’ll tell you why the rollout is causing controversy and show you how to use Twitter’s new feature in this article about the edit button. Why Twitter’s Edit Button rollout is Causing Controversy
Introduce The Problem
Table of Contents
Many users have been asking for an edit button on Twitter since it launched, and it looks like they’re finally getting their wish—except only some people will be able to access it. This has sparked some controversy, as many are wondering why only certain people were selected to test out such a highly anticipated feature. There has also been some confusion over whether or not edits will ever be available to everyone—currently, no date has been set for that rollout. Though we can assume they want to roll out their new features widely and without too much fanfare, Twitter has so far remained fairly quiet about exactly how widespread their test will be. But how did we get here? And why do some people have access already?
Introduce The Solution
Why do so many people oppose allowing users to edit tweets? Some see it as a blatant lie or misleading statement. It may make them look bad, for instance, if their opinion about a subject has changed over time. On top of that, some worry that once these changes are made and published on a user’s profile, they’ll have to keep track of these revisions forever. What happens if they end up making another public correction down the line? Do they make note of each one? Do they have to come up with a consistent reason for why an incorrect tweet was made in an attempt to be transparent? The second-guessing can become overwhelming very quickly.
What are others saying about this solution?
Just about everyone agrees that it makes sense for users to be able to edit tweets once they’ve been posted, because we all make mistakes. However, most people are criticizing Twitter for rolling out a feature that only some people will have access to (at least at first). There are two main issues: First, even if you’re an avid tweeter who gets a lot of traffic from your updates, it could take months before you get access to editing. That creates an experience problem right off the bat—it affects your followers immediately, and your experience won’t be fixed until long after your followers have left.
Acknowledge That Change Is Scary For Some People
At first glance, it might seem like a good idea to have your users be able to edit their tweets before they’re published—after all, it’s certainly a nice feature to have. But as any content creator knows, you don’t get extra points for perfection. When you edit your posts after publishing them, people will know. It can leave people feeling betrayed and make them wonder if there’s a motive behind everything you say (there isn’t). If you want to avoid situations like that entirely, then keep in mind that nothing on social media should ever be edited once it has been published—or even come close to being published.
Wrap Up with A Call To Action and A Call to Help Others
The edit button won’t affect everyone on Twitter and it may or may not have a significant impact on user behavior, but one thing’s for sure: it will change our perception of time. In a sense, editing history makes us all immortal—or at least temporarily removes human error from personal narratives. It also creates an illusion of inauthenticity—if we can adjust things after they’ve happened, what does that say about their reality? This new development provides writers with another tool to improve their content and be more deliberate about how they tell stories. What do you think? Do you think history should be edited? If so, would you ever use a tool like Twitter’s edit button?