Ah, Twitter. What was life like before the social media site came into existence? How did we instantly connect with friends, celebrities, and businesses across the globe? In 140 characters or less, we can reach out and make an immediate impact.

Twitter devotees have a fierce loyalty to the social media site, which is probably why they didn't react well to news that things will soon be changing. Here's how Twitter is updating its algorithm, and whether or not all that rage is really the appropriate reaction.

Change Is Scary

Historically speaking, users don't react well when a social media site makes changes (remember last time Facebook updated the news feed? Or when Twitter replaced favorites with hearts?). So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the announcement of a new Twitter algorithm would send people into a panic.

With so much misinformation flying around, let's clear up a few things quickly regarding the new Twitter format:

  • Instead of using the traditional chronological system we all know and love, Twitter will begin using an algorithmic format.
  • The algorithm has already appeared on your timeline (sort of) in the form of those 'While You Were Away...' tweets. Are they hit or miss? Sometimes. Have they completely ruined your entire feed? Probably not.
  • You'll still be able to see your Tweets in (mostly) chronological order.
  • Twitter has no intentions of turning into a hybrid version of Facebook (although it would probably appreciate Facebook's stock numbers).

#RIPTwitter?

Some people are still in a tizzy, calling this the death of Twitter and the end of one of their most favorite social media sites. But the hard truth of the matter is that Twitter needs to attract more users; the platform simply hasn't been growing at the rate it should. The new algorithm will make it more accessible to new users (who are often overwhelmed by the lightning-fast updates), which will keep Twitter alive and flourishing.

Damage Control

Despite the numerous good things coming from the algorithm (and the fact that a large number of people probably wouldn't have noticed if the change wasn't reported on), users have remained suspicious of the changes--even going so far as to get the hashtag #RIPTwitter trending.

This spurred Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to quickly clarify the situation. He's repeatedly assured users that their favorite site will remain timely, and that the algorithm will actually enhance the feeling of live interaction with other users.

Unsurprisingly (considering the mercurial devotion of social media users), many are still doubtful of this new development. In order to remain a powerful and beloved social networking site, Twitter has to find the balance between new innovations and remaining true to its original model. That's a hard goal to acheive--especially in 140 characters or less. 

Tags: Twitter social media twitter algorithm