Twitter sent out an email to all its users this week, explaining some new changes and policies they’ve enacted. Here at Snoo.ws we always want to make sure our readers know about the latest platform updates, especially when it comes to social media in general – we want to be a good source of education, a place you can rely on for insight, analysis, and thought leadership.
So what’s new at Twitter? As their email states, Twitter is “growing at a rapid pace” and with that they’re pursuing a commitment to “simplicity, transparency, and reaching every person on the planet.” Lofty? Perhaps, but it does seem like they’re well on their way – before we know it, everyone will at least know what Twitter is.
Just this past week they’ve ventured out to a new, first of its kind partnership with NASCAR that will change how racing fans can use Twitter to really get into the sport. They are expanding their product in a variety of ways – or so it seems from this latest round of announcements.
In the spirit of growth and development, the social media mega-site as added some new features:
- “A new weekly email that delivers the most interesting news and items you might have missed from the people you’re connected to on Twitter.”
- Users can tweet in more languages than ever – change your setting to your preferred language of choice
- Use twitter.com/download to get the latest mobile apps
- And for even more, try out the Discover tab on Twitter.com
In addition to these new features, there have been some overhauls to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The email sent out highlioghts some of the the changes to both in bullet points. Notably, they’re providing more details about the information they’ve collected from users and how they’re using that info to better shape their product (It’s in the first section of the Privacy Policy).
One such use of our information? Tailored Suggestions. Just like Google and Facebook, Twitter is getting into the suggestive software game, and using an individual’s query history, Twitter activity, and visits to Twitter-linked pages (checking out various twitpics or clicking on links posted in tweets, etc) the software can better, more accurately predict and suggest users you may like to follow.
Don’t want the “Big Brother” of Twitter tracking your moves and making suggestions? You can opt out with a DNT – a Do Not Track setting, that goes into your browser and keeps the prying data analyzers of Twitter out of your business (I understand to each, their own – I personally love predictive and suggesting software, the more sophisticated and developed, the better. I find it so intuitive and helpful, and thus I’m curious to see how well Twitter’s version is able to get to know me and my tweeting habits).
Just because the Twitter machine knows where you’re going and can guess what you may like to check out next, doesn’t mean other people need to know. With the advent of this latest technology, Twitter has also clarified and better explained who they will share info with – the limited circumstances in which they actually do, and how it all works. (Basically, they’ll only share info if you give the go ahead – unless it’s data that’s deemed totally impersonal and not private in nature).
They made sure to directly state: “Importantly, our privacy policy is not intended to limit your rights to object to a third party’s request for your information.”
While the updates to the policies are always good to keep track of – I see the new suggesting software and the weekly emails having the most direct impact on me as a user. I love my weekly emails on other platforms (yeah, I’m thinking of Facebook) – I love to have a summary on my views, if my numbers are going up or down for the week, how many new people I’m interacting with and so on.
From what I’ve gathered, this weekly email won’t be so focused on analysis though (I wish that were the case; perhaps it will develop in that direction? Wishful thinking?) – this email will provide users with re-caps of popular posts from their followers over the past weeks. The high volume and constantly moving pace of tweets can make it all too easy to miss an important update in the shuffle. This weekly round up will key users in to significant posts, and help us all to stay more on top of our feeds – miss less, catch more.
All in all, these updates sound great to me and I’m excited to see the new changes roll out.
What about you and your own reactions to this newest batch of updates: Have questions? Curiosities? Trying to know more about how this will all play out?
The Twitter blog and/or homepage, of course, contain more details. But better yet, reach out to us directly (we are social media experts after all, we live to help users better navigate outlets and no one understands the needs of brands’ online as well as we do).
Reply directly to Snoo.ws by posting a comment right in this thread, tweet us @ICUC, or email me (Rose) directly at rosed@icucmoderation.com – we here at ICUC will always give our all to help you understand, manage, and make the best of your social media accounts.
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