Twitter is trying out a new feature to help identify a tweet's original poster. Apart from the blue checkmark badge that appears beside a user's handle, the micro-blogging site is also including an easy-to-spot label that will help identify who started a thread.
This new tag has just started showing up for some users of the app.
The 'Original Tweeter' Label
Twitter has been finding ways to help avoid hateful and abusive speech in its platform. To help minimize such harmful tweets and filter out fake accounts, it's now testing a new tag that identifies a thread's instigator.
TechCrunch got the confirmation that Twitter is indeed testing out this new update. A new "Original Tweeter" tag will now appear beside a user's name in a conversation to help identify that it's them who started a thread. This label is an extra measure that backs up the blue checkmark verification icon.
"Twitter's purpose is to serve the public conversation. As part of this work, we're exploring adding more context to discussions by highlighting relevant replies — like those from the original Tweeter," Director of Product Management at Twitter Sara Haider said in a statement to TechCrunch.
As it's still currently under testing stage, the update will only be available to some users of both Twitter's iOS and Android apps.
More Twitter Updates
Recently, Twitter also started experimenting on its desktop version. A number of users of the app's web version have been seeing a long-overdue redesign. The new Twitter for web has a simplified view, cutting down the usual three columns to just two. The company has also updated its Search option and Trends section. There are also some keyboard shortcuts and an added emoji button for sending out tweets easier.
This update is now live, but only for some users who have an opt-in button in Twitter's desktop version.
