Twitter's micro-blogging platform has always been clear to its end-users. Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it concise. While the 140-character limit may be considered as ample, or well spent depending on the message, there still exists those who want to publish longer messages. Not exactly long form in a sense, but somewhat lengthy enough to get points across someone, or to its entire 232 million users. However, a recent report has surfaced, stating that the social network is preparing "a new product" that will allow its users to exceed and conquer the 140 character count limit.
Re/code reports that Twitter is building a new product that will allow its users to share tweets that go past the 140 mark, according to sources that are familiar with Twitter's plans. Details are sparse at the moment, and it is still unclear what the product is.
The 140 character count limit has been a definite trademark feature of Twitter since the social network first started. And long since then, there have been many to argue that Twitter should nix the limit. The character limit has also served as a hot topic for debate inside Twitter, according to multiple sources. To add, Twitter under its interim CEO Jack Dorsey has been exploring ways to pull more people into its user base.
The executives have also been discussing the idea of tweaking how Twitter will measure the character count limit - removing links and user handles are some of the options, say multiple sources. Twitter has also played around with the limit in other ways - Twitter Cards, although still limited to 140 characters, can share loads of information to help people and advertisers in the process, and "retweet with comment" has been a rather useful option that gives people more room to comment on. Its private messaging was the first of its platform to be allowed to go past the 140-character limit back in June.
While it is still under debate as to whether Twitter will be nixing its character limit, 140 characters may sometimes be enough to share what people intend do. Easy enough, whether the idea pushes through or not, there are still those who will still use the platform because of its massive user base.
