Twitter algorithmic timeline is here
Twitter’s unveiled the public algorithm based timeline. The timeline is based on relevancy and popularity and not chronology. The new feature is active on the web and app, but at first the new timeline will only be opt-in. Users won’t see the new timeline unless they manually activate it in their account settings.
The tweets will feature the “best” tweets from users they follow, and will likely keep conversations along with tweets from events group closely together. The new timeline won’t look much different besides showing tweets out-of-order, but by rrefreshing your timeline it’ll revert back to chronological order, though the “best” tweets will still seem. Twitter’s “while you were away” won’t go anywhere even though its similar to the “best tweet” feature. Twitter’s keeping the feature to highlight tweets when you away fro prolonged times and want to see tweets from users who matter to you, even if the new timeline is surfacing tweets from a day ago.
Starting today you can choose to try our new feature, so you’ll never miss important Tweets from people you follow: https://t.co/fS1axkDiUh
— Twitter (@twitter) February 10, 2016
The feature will likely be activated by users who want to see where Twitter wants to take the company, but it won’t be widely adopted at first. Twitter plans on turning the feature on for everyone in the coming weeks, but users will be able to turn the new timeline off. Twitter turning on the feature for everyone will likely be where the company encounters the problem with users, especially if they don’t communicate to their users the change that they’re planning.
My first experience with the new timeline isn’t great, but I know as time goes on I’ll become used to it. While I prefer the old timeline to the new algorithm timeline, the new timeline hasn’t broken conversations like I had imaged. Being able to pull down to show the chronological time makes it confusing to know which timeline your using, and will likely upset a lot of users trying to follow tweets from football games or Twitter Rants.
Tell us in the comments below if you’re going to opt into the new algorithm timeline or if you’re going to keep the old school tradition timeline.