After 11 Years, Twitter Makes a Huge Change

The company is testing a 280-character limit
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 26, 2017 5:33 PM CDT
Twitter Testing New 280-Character Limit
Twitter is testing a 280-character limit, doubling the current length restriction that’s been in place since the company’s founding 11 years ago.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Twitter just changed the game. After 11 years with a 140-character limit as its defining feature, the social media company announced Tuesday it's testing out an extended 280-character limit with some users, the New York Times reports. "This is a small change, but a big move for us," Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted. "Proud of how thoughtful the team has been in solving a real problem people have when trying to tweet. And at the same time maintaining our brevity, speed, and essence!" Twitter says users tweeting in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese tweet more frequently because they don't run into the character constraint as often. The company hopes the 280-character limit will encourage other users to tweet more, as well.

Twitter users, obviously, had some thoughts:

  • Amir Tibon: "If you're upset about the 280 characters thing, just imagine what John Kelly must be thinking."
  • Jeff Passan: "280 characters: Twitter's effort to make itself twice as bad as it already is."
  • Ashley C. Ford: "Don't need 280 characters to type U bum."
  • Chrissy Teigen: "literally my only talent was being able to think of tweets exactly 140 characters long. i don't know if I will be able to alter this to 280."
  • Desus Nice: "280 characters is basically all 7 harry potter books."
  • Evan DeSimone: "I don't want to read 280 characters from any of you."
  • Zach Handlen: "On the plus side, maybe 280 characters will give us a chance to come up with new ways to freak out about Twitter changes."
(More Twitter stories.)

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