The Ability To Edit Tweets Would Have Huge Implications For How Brands Use Twitter

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Twitter is reportedly working on a feature that will let users edit their tweets after they've been published, according to industry blogger Matthew Keys.

The editing tool will only be enabled for a certain amount of time after a tweet has been published, and Keys writes that Twitter is still trying to figure out how long it should be enabled. What's more, a tweet can only be edited once.

Once an edit is made, the change will be applied to the original tweet as well as any retweets instantaneously.

An edit feature has huge implications for how the service is used. For starters, brands will be reassured knowing they can correct a tweet to prevent a marketing disaster. Also, journalists can use the feature to amend a tweet that reports breaking news.

One use case that Twitter does not want to see with the new feature, is tweets going viral and then brands recasting the message to be an advertisement. Apparently, Twitter is working on an "editorial algorithm" to prevent such abuse.

The edit tweet will likely be welcomed graciously by users. People appear to be growing tired of the permanence of content on the web, and services are taking note. Facebook is researching how its users censor themselves before posting. Instagram's new direct messaging feature allows users to delete what they've already sent to someone. And, just look at how popular Snapchat has become - its users send 400 million disappearing messages each day.

Social media services are realizing that sometimes we say something we didn't mean or it gets misinterpreted. (The Desk)

In Other News ...

Facebook launched its long-awaited ad initiative for video. The ads will auto-play as they appear onscreen. (Facebook Blog)

Nielsen reports that Facebook was the most used smartphone app of the year, and that Instagram was the fastest growing. (Nielsen)

Twitter is pushing its promoted accounts ad product to the main timeline on mobile versions of the service. The move will increase the value of the ad product, as 76% of Twitter's users access the service via a mobile device. (All Things D)

The Atlantic predicts that "content streams" on the web, which were made popular by the Facebook News Feed and Twitter Timeline, have reached a tipping point. "What was exciting in 2009 - this pairing of reverse-chronological content with the expectation that the web's traditional and social media would be real-time - feels like a burden in 2013." The author goes on to reference the popularity of Snapchat and ephemerality as a sign that people want content to have an endpoint. (The Atlantic)

Facebook is rolling out a "donate" button so users can donate to charitable organizations on the social network. There are 18 programs participating in the launch. (VentureBeat)

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