On Tuesday, the American microblogging and social media platform Twitter Inc announced they would be releasing a new feature that allows a tweet to disappear after 24 hours. This feature is also accessible globally. The disappearing tweet twitter dubbed as ‘Fleets,’ is similar to the ‘story’ feature its rival platform uses, such as Facebook, Instagram (the photo-sharing app), and Snapchat (the pioneer of this feature).
Twitter design director said that the new transient feature, Fleet, will be available at the top of every user’s timeline and on the user’s profile. Just like the regular tweet, Fleet also consists of texts, photos, and videos.
Before this recent announcement, Twitter has once notified its users about making ‘fleet’ accessible on its microblogging platform. With enormous enthusiasm expected from its users when they finally released this amongst other pending features. Twitter’s Design Director said they had experimented with the responsiveness to its transitory tweet in India, South Korea, Brazil, and Italy to ensure perfection and new features to interest its users.
Design Director Joshua Harris said: “Some of you tell us that Tweeting is uncomfortable because it feels so public, so permanent, and like there’s so much pressure to rack up Retweets and Likes.”
Twitter’s Product Manager Sam Haveson, further highlighted the basis of which the internet is a public realm; it does not need physical contact to keep its users fascinated. They have to ensure safety and comfort while sharing thoughts, photos, and videos. Some users feel more comfortable posting pieces of stuff that are available for a short period.
“Because they disappear from view after a day, Fleet will ensure people feel more comfortable sharing personal and casual thoughts, opinions, and feelings,” Sam added.
The team handling Twitter is quite efficient as they are also responsive to feedbacks to fixing bugs. Twitter has a reputable security standard, but its users who have assessed its new feature have also witnessed its flaw. They reported that the quick post is liable to the occurrence of online harassment. In contrast, it gives access to unsolicited direct messages, and it allows a creator of fleet tag other users who have already been blocked.
A Twitter spokeswoman stated their intent to enable its restrictive feature process more effective. Fleet is also subjected to the same rules that regulate its typical tweet. However, every other social media enterprise is compelled to reform its platform to curb the publishing of false information, civic processes, and covid-19.
Liz Kelley, a Twitter spokeswoman, said that Fleet as a Twitter feature is not preferential to its rules. She also confirmed that the social platform she represents is developing a live audio tweet similar to the Clubhouse that interacts with voice chat rooms. In contrast, ‘Space,’ Twitter’s audio feature allows its users to interact with voice messages publicly.
Kelley said: “Given all of the potential for abuse within audio spaces, we are going to be making it available first to women and historically marginalized communities.”
Twitter is quite ready to expect the unknown, which is likely to flop its new features, the team managing the social platform has made it possible to counter such, whereas the forum is only limited to a few to study its management. Earlier this year, the microblogging company launched voice note tweets.