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Few are happy with Twitter's latest experiment with favourites

An experiment that turns favourites of people you follow into retweets has annoyed many of its users.

TWITTER IS WELL known for carrying out different experiments on its app as it looks for ways to bring in new users.

In the last few months, the site has experimented with different features including (deep breath now) replacing the retweet button with share, removing @ replies, favouring users as well as tweets, video sharing via hashtag, retweet with comment (which eventually became a feature) and an account called @AchievementBird, which presents users with stats relating to retweets and favourites.

Its latest experiment is now showing what people you follow have favourited in the main news feed, similar to how a retweet appears. While it started roughly a few weeks ago, the company has expanded it and well, people aren’t particularly happy about it.

The reasoning behind this could be due to the lack of attention Twitter’s Activity feed gets.

While it’s one of the more intriguing sections, where it shows all tweets that are favourites by those you follow, most users would view favourites as a mostly private action, using it to bookmark tweets or just use it as a sign of acknowledgement, while retweets are public. That distinction has left many feeling cold about the experiment.

Since it’s an experiment, there’s nothing to suggest that it will be officially rolled out, but since Twitter is looking for ways to make the site more accessible to new users, it won’t be the last one you’ll see.

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7 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute wacker macker
    Favourite wacker macker
    Report
    Dec 15th 2018, 9:54 AM

    Haven’t the Council little to do. It would be far better for the Council to keep the streets clean and trim their overgrown trees than worrying about a few cups of coffe being sold in a shop. Anything but do the hard work.

    180
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stevie Doran
    Favourite Stevie Doran
    Report
    Dec 15th 2018, 11:42 AM

    Which means they have done exactly the same as Starbucks

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SilexFlint
    Favourite SilexFlint
    Report
    Dec 15th 2018, 5:16 PM

    @Stevie Doran: Starbucks are turning clothes shops into cafes, dunnes are just putting in a few tables and chairs into a supermarket that already sells food and drink.

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian Farrell
    Favourite Brian Farrell
    Report
    Dec 15th 2018, 9:55 PM

    The dreaded pencil-pushers rear their ugly heads again……South Dublin County Council, a Rest Home for Ageing Bureaucrats…….

    15
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