Twitter might be about to add an ‘edit’ button for typos – and users have strong feelings about it
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has confirmed that he is considering adding an ‘edit’ button which would allow users to fix typos in their tweets – but the idea has been the subject of a long-running (and heated) debate on the platform.
Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Dorsey said the company had to consider how people would actually be using an edit button, acknowledging that some people may want to use it to edit old tweets in order to appear to have said (or not said) something controversial.
“A lot of people want the edit button because they want to quickly fix a mistake they made. Like a misspelling or tweeting the wrong URL. That’s a lot more achievable than allowing people to edit any tweet all the way back in time,” Dorsey said.
The Twitter boss admitted that the lack of an edit button was something a lot of users saw as a “friction in the service” and said it was something he had been thinking about “for a while,” but added that it would take time to figure out. “We can’t just rush it out. We can’t make something which is distracting or takes anything away from the public record,” he said.
Twitter users have been debating the potential merits of an edit button for months – a debate which has elicited some very strong feelings on both sides. Some believe an edit button is an obvious feature to add and one which would be the answer to all of their Twitter woes.
WHY CAN’T WE EDIT TYPOS IN OUR TWEETS YET!?
— Ginger Wesson ❩ ➡️NYE 360 (@GingerWesson) November 11, 2018
*than. You'll know that the future of computers has arrived when we can edit tweets
— Dieter Bohn (@backlon) November 12, 2018
When is twitter gonna add an “edit” feature? I’m tired of deleting and re-typing my tweets when I misspell a word 😒
— Domino Harvey (@ThePurpleFlight) November 11, 2018
Ah but why doesn't @twitter allow us to edit tweets... ?Don't you just hate it when you realise a typo in your tweet but can't edit it or delete it because you got plenty retweets or likes? 🤦🏽♀️
— Jessica OS (@jessicacitifm) October 30, 2018
we can send a man to the moon but we can’t edit tweets
— tnv (@thenewviolence_) November 8, 2018
Others, however, are worried that an edit button would take away from “the whole point of Twitter” by allowing anyone to make changes to tweets that might otherwise get them in trouble.
this is the WORST idea ever.. y’all do understand that people will be able to edit viral tweets into whatever they want and it would literally ruin the whole point of twitter.. simply delete your tweets and retype them or leave them like they are. https://t.co/cYuVGOKuC1
— HOOD JOAN OF ARC (@umcornell) October 25, 2018
stop fucking asking for an edit button on twitter you dumbasses. you made typo so what. imagine all the people who could misuse the edit button to change their tweets and not be held accountable for their words after being called out. did you think about that you stupid fucks
— ashvin (@kidofcolour) October 25, 2018
However, some have suggested that an edit button might be acceptable with some caveats, like a time limit for editing, the inability to edit old tweets, and some sort of public indication that a tweet has been altered.
if there’s an edit button i think i’d be fine. or an option where you can only edit your tweets in the first 5 mins after posting
— anna (@wckd_nwt) October 25, 2018
Give the ability to only edit 5 minutes after the tweet is sent. Boom fixed.
— bitter gay (@SonielBinch) October 26, 2018
It should show the original
— DreamYoncé 🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺 (@dreamyonce3478) October 26, 2018
Edit history should be public
— Lou Gien (@not__lou) October 27, 2018
if twitter ever make this damn edit thing happen we better be able to see the edit history
— miskeen (@akhhmona) October 25, 2018
But then, what about retweets? Many prolific tweeters are also concerned that they could perhaps retweet something they agreed with, only for the original tweeter to trick them by changing the entire meaning a few minutes later. For example, imagine the horror, one user suggested, of ‘I love dogs’ turning into ‘I love Trump.’
I don’t think twitter could have an edit button cuz what if for example someone tweets “I love dogs!!” And it gets 6282739 retweets or whatever and then the person edits the tweet to say “I love Donald trump!!” I feel like that would happen a ton lol
— marcie (@thoughtsofmarce) October 22, 2018
Someone explained it perfectly to me the other day! We shouldn’t have an edit button because what if 4 example someone tweets “I love pickles” & u Retweet it (duh) & then suddenly they change it to “I hate pickles” & u don’t notice! Now u have that disgrace of a tweet on ur page https://t.co/ogxcR4Af9O
— Kathleen Lights (@KathleenLights1) November 1, 2018
Or send a notification to everyone saying “hey, so and so changed their tweet, this is what is says now, do you still choose to like and retweet”
— Your FiancGAY (@Magic_Pajamas) October 26, 2018
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