A simple Tweak Design that would actually fix Twitter



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Image: Twitter

On Monday, The Verge announced that Twitter had "redesigned" its iOS app to put less emphasis on the number of followers, a move along the lines of CEO CEO Jack Dorsey's recent comment that the platform has wrongly prompted users to "increase this number".

How does Twitter correct its mistake? Well, you can see for yourself below:

Squint pretty loud, and you will see that the font size in the "after" screen capture above is slightly smaller. The Verge notes that the change is "subtle" but still does not draw attention to the number "almost as much".

It would be easy to dismiss this effort as a pathetically minor adjustment to the many serious problems facing the platform. Personally, though, I think it's a step in the right direction. If anything, it does not go far enough.

Below, my own model of what an ideal version of Twitter would look like. This change may also seem subtle at first, but examine it carefully and you'll notice that the font size in the tweets has been reduced to make them almost unreadable.

Perfection.
Screenshot: Twitter

Speaking in New Delhi earlier this month, Dorsey noted that it was probably a mistake to show followers accounts on profiles, admitting: "It may have been true there. 12 years ago, but I do not think it is true today, "reports Slashdot. Similarly, it may seem wise to make the tweets readable in 2006, but knowing what we know now, I think we can all agree that this was not the case.

Compare, for example, the flow of President Donald Trump as it appears today and its appearance after the proposed design change.

Before and after.
Screenshot: Twitter

On the left you can read various alarming and disturbing statements by the man who controls one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. On the right, you can always read these statements, but only if you really try to see that kind of thing.

In addition to its obvious aesthetic benefits, this design change would solve most (if not all) of Twitter's problems in moderation. By making all tweets equally illegible, no one could say that they are unjustly silenced. Everyone would still have their voice – it would be just a lot, a lot quieter.

And it's not just me that seems to rethink the value of posting text on Twitter. Stroll through the Twitter feed from Dorsey himselfand you will notice that he mainly uses his account to publish untitled images of his trip to India. If this sounds like Instagram, I have bad news: the platform's parent company, Facebook, is working hard to make Instagram look more like hell.

[The Verge]

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