Microblogging platform Twitter is working to roll out a new feature known as ‘Notes’, that will allow users to publish long-form content on the platform.
Unlike regular Tweets which are limited to 280 characters, Notes can see users publish a post of more than 10,000 words. Twitter CEO Elon Musk while responding to a user, disclosed that notes will allow users to post very long, complex articles with mixed media, further stating that users can publish a book if they want.
This will allow users to post very long, complex articles with mixed media. You could publish a book if you want.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 18, 2023
Notes introduction will see Twitter gradually move beyond its microblogging roots, as it will be like a constellation of expressions. It will include all the essential features of a blog post, which includes titles, header images, and embedded media. Unlike Tweets, it is possible to edit a Note after it has been published.
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Notes are also;
- Shareable: Notes are posted with a unique URL, so your reader can view them even if they don’t have Twitter or aren’t logged in.
- Public: Notes are always public, even if the author has chosen to protect their tweets.
- Editable: Notes are editable even after publication. If you do choose to edit your Note, an Edited tag will appear on the Note.
The new feature will address situations where it can be difficult to follow threads by allowing users to put all of the text into a Note. Notes will also address situations where users had to post screenshots of their Notes app to tweet a large portion of text.
Currently, only a select number of users can create Notes. The feature is being tested by users from Canada, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Notably, in a recent development, on Tuesday, Twitter user @Fausto Chou tweeted that Notes had been renamed to Articles, signaling a renewed development efforts on Twitter’s part.
Several Twitter users are already ecstatic about the platform’s plans to launch Notes which they suggest will give them more options to express their thoughts better.
@reynolds_01 said,
“Super excited for this. I feel like Twitter would be great to have actual Posts like on Reddit with a title. I would love to be able to search Twitter like I currently search Google (by adding “Reddit” to the end) and find relevant posts with comments.”
@stephenleary said,
“Sure I’ll publish a book if I can get some revenue for it”.
@BLSNWW said,
“I Love to see X evolving into a real everything app”.
@eva28060909 said,
“Publishing a book directly on the platform will be amazing Elon! it’s much better than a production and sales contract with publishers, the best part is that it doesn’t need a book signing and the hassle of touring to promote it. From when will this be possible?”
The timing of the launch of Notes comes as Twitter has been working to retain creators in the face of increased competition from Meta Threads and other rival platforms.
Analysts predict that the introduction of Notes could help retain other creators/ writers who want more distribution for articles that would otherwise be posted on their blogs or perhaps newsletters.
Also, the introduction of Twitter Notes may pose fierce competition to platforms like WordPress or Medium. If Twitter decides to integrate newsletters into Notes, the feature could potentially compete with popular platforms like Substack.
Musk recently launched, and soon-to-be-launched features on Twitter, is gradually actualizing his plan of turning the micro-blogging platform into an everything app.