Jack’s back: The restored exec’s plans for Twitter

By Molly McHugh March 29, 2011

He’s barely been back and already the restored Jack Dorsey has plans to tweak Twitter. The original founder outlined a series of changes he plans to enact during a discussion at Columbia University’s Journalism School and an interview with All Things Digital. The man who is responsible for the very idea of Twitter should have some incredible insight on its future.

User interface

Dorsey is known for his penchant for website design, and it’s only natural to believe he’s going to have something to say about Twitter’s. In general, he wants to make the site easier to navigate while also finding a way to harness “what’s most relevant and most meaningful” to the individual user – and to do it in real time. Dorsey wants to create “a cohesive user experience,” in the same breath mentioning his interest in TweetDeck’s multicolumn format.

Inspired applications, new technologies

Most of all, Dorsey seems focused on pushing development. He says he’s up against a “technology challenge for the next five years” when it comes to doing something with the massive amounts of data blazing its way through Twitter. He wants to use new programs to bring out the important, personal information previously mentioned, and also shows an interest in the combining of different digital arenas. “The interesting products out on the Internet today are not building new technologies. They’re combining technologies. Instagram, for instance: Photos plus geolocation plus filters. Foursquare: restaurant reviews plus check-ins plus geo.” Is this a nod toward social platforms Twitter might take on? Maybe. But Dorsey also says he has “no idea” what exactly the company will develop.

Refocus the value

Dorsey stresses that he wants users and those behind Twitter alike to remember why the microblogging site is important. “It’s not that Twitter is valuable, it’s that you can follow what’s unfolding in Egypt right now. That’s valuable.” Twitter has been a vital source for distributing information regarding the events unfolding in the Middle East, and Dorsey is very aware of that. “We need to refocus on the value. That’s my goal in the next few months,” he says.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…

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