Comments on: Dear Twitter. Can I have the half conversations back please? http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/ One marketer, one blog, many words Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:06:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ladymeag http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-350 ladymeag Wed, 13 May 2009 16:35:20 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-350 That's the thing - it was the default. Twitter had it as a default setting and then claimed that "not many people were using it" (they say 2% or less) and took away the option. If something is a default setting, many of your users are not going to change it. However, the ones that do change it are going to be your power-users. Those people know how to use the service and have picked the way to use the service that works best for them. They will also be the most vocal about liking or disliking your service. These are the people that are the "tipping point" for your service - they will invite new friends and push those people to use the service (I've been known to pressure regular mass-texters or joke-texters to join Twitter if they want to keep sending me stuff like that) or be very vocal about how you used to have a great service but they don't see the value anymore. That’s the thing – it was the default. Twitter had it as a default setting and then claimed that “not many people were using it” (they say 2% or less) and took away the option. If something is a default setting, many of your users are not going to change it. However, the ones that do change it are going to be your power-users. Those people know how to use the service and have picked the way to use the service that works best for them.

They will also be the most vocal about liking or disliking your service. These are the people that are the “tipping point” for your service – they will invite new friends and push those people to use the service (I’ve been known to pressure regular mass-texters or joke-texters to join Twitter if they want to keep sending me stuff like that) or be very vocal about how you used to have a great service but they don’t see the value anymore.

]]> By: Stephen Dann http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-349 Stephen Dann Wed, 13 May 2009 12:31:17 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-349 That's one of the problems I had with the statement of "We looked at how people were using the service and removed this feature". Default it to off if they must, but let it be there for the people who wanted to use it, and were using it. That’s one of the problems I had with the statement of “We looked at how people were using the service and removed this feature”. Default it to off if they must, but let it be there for the people who wanted to use it, and were using it.

]]> By: Stephen Dann http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-348 Stephen Dann Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:49 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-348 The hashtag's sitting pretty atop the trending charts. I wonder if they're going to revise the "Small change" statement before they fix the problem? The hashtag’s sitting pretty atop the trending charts. I wonder if they’re going to revise the “Small change” statement before they fix the problem?

]]> By: Riff http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-346 Riff Wed, 13 May 2009 07:33:11 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-346 I believe the users who found it confusing were probably the masses of people who signed up to follow what some celebrity was saying. I'm sure it makes sense to the Twitter folks, who would rather not constant complaints/requests from the masses about it. This doesn't explain why it's not an opt-in feature, though. Those of us who have a clue can quite easily change settings to suit our preferences. I believe the users who found it confusing were probably the masses of people who signed up to follow what some celebrity was saying. I’m sure it makes sense to the Twitter folks, who would rather not constant complaints/requests from the masses about it. This doesn’t explain why it’s not an opt-in feature, though. Those of us who have a clue can quite easily change settings to suit our preferences.

]]> By: ladymeag http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-345 ladymeag Wed, 13 May 2009 04:41:05 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-345 This *was* an option before - people had the choice to pick which way they received at replies. The only thing Twitter has done is remove an option that many of us used and liked. On the Twitter Blog, Biz Stone calls it an "undesirable" and "confusing" feature. I wonder who they consulted to come up with that! Everyone I know has an idea how to change their settings and if they had all @replies enabled, they enjoyed that functionality, myself included. This *was* an option before – people had the choice to pick which way they received at replies. The only thing Twitter has done is remove an option that many of us used and liked. On the Twitter Blog, Biz Stone calls it an “undesirable” and “confusing” feature. I wonder who they consulted to come up with that! Everyone I know has an idea how to change their settings and if they had all @replies enabled, they enjoyed that functionality, myself included.

]]> By: ECS Dave http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-344 ECS Dave Wed, 13 May 2009 04:05:46 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-344 Besides blogging about it... try this: http://getsatisfaction.com/twitter/topics/we_want_all_replies_reinstated Be Well! @ECS_Dave Besides blogging about it… try this:
http://getsatisfaction.com/twitter/topics/we_want_all_replies_reinstated

Be Well!
@ECS_Dave

]]> By: Edna http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-343 Edna Wed, 13 May 2009 04:01:28 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-343 Agreed! However, in the title you misspelled conversations as "conservations" =) Agreed! However, in the title you misspelled conversations as “conservations” =)

]]> By: Dee Tenorio http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-342 Dee Tenorio Wed, 13 May 2009 03:39:39 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-342 I have to agree with you, Stephen. Twitter would become completely pointless without half-convos and I'd hang up my tweets, sad but off to other pastures. I have to agree with you, Stephen. Twitter would become completely pointless without half-convos and I’d hang up my tweets, sad but off to other pastures.

]]> By: Brady http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-341 Brady Wed, 13 May 2009 03:37:46 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-341 Hear hear! Comment on http://help.twitter.com/requests/293770, they might take some notice if there's a big enough buzz. Hear hear! Comment on http://help.twitter.com/requests/293770, they might take some notice if there’s a big enough buzz.

]]> By: Courtney Dax http://stephendann.com/2009/05/13/make-the-conversation-optional/comment-page-1/#comment-340 Courtney Dax Wed, 13 May 2009 03:31:21 +0000 http://stephendann.com/?p=381#comment-340 I wholeheartedly agree with what Stephen says. Bring it back!!! I wholeheartedly agree with what Stephen says. Bring it back!!!

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