Recently, Twitter changed its interface to a bigger and bolder version. Users could opt-out, but now everyone must use this interface for web viewing of the social networking site.
The problem: Twitter has different users than other social networks. They are often people resistant to change, middle aged, or international. New Twitter requires a larger amount of computer resources and is often confusing for many, leaving prized demographics in the dust.
Let Twitter know that you want to have the option of reverting to the older interface.
We, the undersigned, are loyal users of your microblogging service. As such, we have noticed that our tweeting experience has been changed to the newer platform automatically. While many of us have simply adjusted, others have serious issues with the new interface that are reducing our number of visits and/or the quality of those visits, and some of them are:
- Difficulty in noting if one has new messages and irritation with the new DM layout. One may simply forget new messages are there, and then become confused by the new process, which involves conversations versus a simple timeline.
- The New Twitter's resource heaviness, meaning that those who have older machines and/or limited connectivity or low internet speed have trouble effectively viewing profiles and new tweets.
- The 2-column view is too busy, particularly when viewing retweets. Some folks simply want to see if something has been retweeted instead of reading every conversation that may or may not have anything to do with said tweet. The 2-column layout bothers a lot of users for this and other reasons.
- List access. Before, lists (yours or others) were out in the open. Now, you need to go to a profile and then hunt for 'lists' and click twice. And profiles are harder to get to now as well. Instead of simply clicking a name and winding up on their page, it opens (with view of only 3 tweets) off to the side and then you have to go to a profile from there.
- Twitter is not Facebook. Users generally do not spend hours and hours online daily. Many want to hop on, catch up on the latest news, tweet a few buddies, and get back to their day. All of the extra clicks to do something a single click did previously does grate on these busy people.
These are a few of the reasons that some Twitter users are no longer fans of the website-based experience. While we're not asking for you to completely revert to the original interface, we request that the opt-out that was available until early August, 2011 be restored so we can enjoy the Twitter that we have known and loved for the past 5 years.
Thank you for your time;
