Does Twitter’s 140 character limit leave you feeling trapped and longing for more? Are your thoughts and opinions too grand to be encapsulated by just a few short words? Is the word “loquacious” often used to describe you and your personality? If you answered yes to any or all of the above, boy, do I have good news for you. Twitter has plans to build a new product that will have none of this 140-character-limit business in a project it is creatively code naming “140 Plus.” No word yet on timing or what the product will ultimately look like, but as the social media giant faces waning user numbers, it’s becoming clear that something is going to have to change. And as it turns out, it may just be its signature take on brevity.
Twitter has made no official comment on the rumored new product, but numerous sources have reported that the news comes from “multiple people familiar with the company’s plans.” Though the limit has been a mainstay of Twitter’s functionality since the company first launched in 2006, times are clearly changing. Interim CEO Jack Dorsey, who first made a name for himself by co-founding the social media platform, has now come full circle and is back at Twitter’s helm, and may be looking to edit his original conception of the product.
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Re/code, which first broke the news, notes that debate regarding the now-standard limit has grown intense in the last few months, and one senior employee told the publication, “People have been very precious at Twitter about what Twitter can be and how much it can be evolved.” As the company looks for ways to boost its engagement numbers, especially in the wake of reports that platforms like Pinterest and Instagram are quickly growing in popularity (perhaps at Twitter’s expense), allowing users to post long-form tweets may be an interesting way to go about things.
Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, and the longer version of Twitter may never see the light of day. But at the very least, the announcement has sparked discussions that are much longer than 140 characters.
