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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey today commented on the possibility of an edit button for tweets, suggesting Twitter is considering a feature that might let people go back and add clarifications or annotations to older tweets.

As shared by Recode, Dorsey said that right now, there's "no credible way" for people to "go back and clarify" their older tweets, a problem that Twitter wants to solve.
"How do we enable people to quickly go back or to any tweet, whether it be years back or today, and show that original tweet -- kind of like a quote retweet, a retweet with comment -- and to add some context and some color on what they might have tweeted or what they might have meant. By doing so you might imagine that the original tweet then would not have the sort of engagement around it. Like you wouldn't be able to retweet the original tweet, for instance. You would just show the clarification, you would be able to retweet the clarification, so it always carries around with it that context. That's one approach. Not saying that we are going to launch that but those are the sorts of questions we are going to ask."
Dorsey has been talking about adding some kind of edit feature to Twitter, something that most users on Twitter want, for months now, but no editing feature has materialized.

The clarification feature mentioned here isn't the type of editing option for typos and errors that people are hoping for, but it could let users add clarifications to tweets that will be seen by everyone, unlike a quoted tweet.

In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson said that if the feature is created -- and it's not guaranteed -- that it would be tested with journalists and newsmakers, giving them a way to clear things up if something inaccurate or incomplete is tweeted.

Article Link: Twitter Could Get Option for 'Clarifying' Tweets
 

otozuz

macrumors regular
Apr 18, 2010
203
576
Just use a normal edit button, and show edits that have been made in a small clickable link that shows a change log.

I see what you’re saying – that’s what FB does if I remember right – but I feel on Twitter a different and a bit more exposed approach could be useful, considering it’s a platform used as a digital podium by people in prominent positions. I can already imagine huge misunderstandings with people tweeting, getting comments and then changing their tweet. A simple “change log” like FB may be too subtle and even exploited maliciously.
 
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pdaholic

macrumors 68000
Jun 22, 2011
1,833
2,541
James Gunn could have really used this edit button a few months ago...
 

CarlJ

macrumors 604
Feb 23, 2004
6,971
12,133
San Diego, CA, USA
Orrrrrrrrr you could just give people the edit they were looking for. This seems like a very unnecessary solution to a pretty simple problem.
And that goes like this:
  1. Somebody tweets, "like/retweet this if you like puppies!"
  2. They get 50,000 likes and retweets.
  3. They edit the tweet to say, "like/retweet this if you like Hitler!"
  4. Then people get up-in-arms over all the celebrities / media-personalities / politicians / etc. who have now "liked Hitler". It shows up in all sorts of campaign ads, "my opponent likes Hitler! I have proof!".
Lots of room for all sorts of variations on this problem. Orrrrrrrrr you could just look at the tweet before hitting send, and make damn sure it really says what you meant.
 
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dannyyankou

macrumors G5
Mar 2, 2012
12,900
27,646
Westchester, NY
The problem with editing tweets is that if I retweet something, and someone edits it, the new tweet might not be something I agree with. I would only support an edit button if the app sent you a notification when a tweet you retweeted was edited, or if it just removes the retweet from your timeline altogether
 
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C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
The problem with editing tweets is that if I retweet something, and someone edits it, the new tweet might not be something I agree with. I would only support an edit button if the app sent you a notification when a tweet you retweeted was edited, or if it just removes the retweet from your timeline altogether
Or it could be something along the lines of what it's like in forums like this one where if you quote something then what was there at the time that it was quoted is what appears, even if the original gets edited at some point.

The likes are a little different, and for that some sort of history with an indicator that the information has been edited would probably be useful.
 

jsmith189

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2014
1,705
3,406
It's a hassle when a tweet is posted with an obvious typo. Being able to edit is very much needed. It doesn't always have to be about freedoms.
[doublepost=1550196738][/doublepost]I think part of the problem is that quoting a tweet can pass around the original, unedited tweet very quickly.
You don't seem to understand your rights. Your right to free speech gives you freedom from the government interfering. Twitter is not a government owned public utility. You have no right to speak there, just as you have no right to come into my house and announce your views, unless I invite you in. Follow Twitter's rules, or go set up your own service.
[doublepost=1550204960][/doublepost]And that goes like this:
  1. Somebody tweets, "like/retweet this if you like puppies!"
  2. They get 50,000 likes and retweets.
  3. They edit the tweet to say, "like/retweet this if you like Hitler!"
  4. Then people get up-in-arms over all the celebrities / media-personalities / politicians / etc. who have now "liked Hitler". It shows up in all sorts of campaign ads, "my opponent likes Hitler! I have proof!".
Lots of room for all sorts of variations on this problem. Orrrrrrrrr you could just look at the tweet before hitting send, and make damn sure it really says what you meant.
The problem with editing tweets is that if I retweet something, and someone edits it, the new tweet might not be something I agree with. I would only support an edit button if the app sent you a notification when a tweet you retweeted was edited, or if it just removes the retweet from your timeline altogether
[doublepost=1550208413][/doublepost]
Yeah, exactly this.

I don't think anyone is suggesting just a free for all edit button. There are obvious dangers with that.

Put a time limit on it. Give the user 280 seconds (to match the character count, just for fun) to realise their mistakes/typos/whatever, and THEN lock it up. They could also introduce an edit history function, so everyone can go back and see, if they really wanted to, what the original tweet/s were. That way the public tweet that people are seeing is the correct version the user intended, but also holds them accountable for what was said previously.

Annotations and/or clarifications just seem overly convoluted, unless he's just trying to say edit without saying the WORD edit, like someone else suggested.
 
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pika2000

Suspended
Jun 22, 2007
5,587
4,902
This is probably to accommodate the companies that seems to always mistakenly posted their marketing materials through twitter on iPhone (Huawei, Samsung, OnePlus, etc) :D

Imo it’s not a good idea. Considering current news media consider mere tweets as facts and spin 140 characters of statement into whatever their agenda is, this editing can create havoc as the frequency of fake news will certainly skyrocket.
 

TrowaNY

macrumors member
Aug 21, 2014
32
24
I think if you edit a tweet it should lose the likes and retweets accumulated, but retain the place in the timeline (date and time) of the original tweet.
 
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2499723

Cancelled
Dec 10, 2009
812
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If you’re worried your tweets are going to be misconstrued to the point of needing to add clarification, maybe that late night ‘brilliant’ contribution to human consciousness you thought up wasn’t so spectacular after all.
 

HacKage

macrumors 6502
May 14, 2010
499
906
The clarification could only work if it added something at the bottom of the original tweet saying something like "edit: what I really meant was". The ability to fully edit a tweet would be a disaster imo. You would have journalists and news agencies going back and changing the contents of tweets constantly rather than having to argue their case or admit they were wrong.
 

H3LL5P4WN

macrumors 68040
Jun 19, 2010
3,381
3,951
Pittsburgh PA
They way this is described, I rather like the way it would be implemented.

Too bad it wasn't created before "hamberders" was illegally replaced.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
This is probably to accommodate the companies that seems to always mistakenly posted their marketing materials through twitter on iPhone (Huawei, Samsung, OnePlus, etc) :D

Imo it’s not a good idea. Considering current news media consider mere tweets as facts and spin 140 characters of statement into whatever their agenda is, this editing can create havoc as the frequency of fake news will certainly skyrocket.
Seems like simply not including unrelated extraneous information like what device/app was used to post an update would be a more rational and rather straightforward and intelligent approach when it comes to something like that.
[doublepost=1550245730][/doublepost]
If you’re worried your tweets are going to be misconstrued to the point of needing to add clarification, maybe that late night ‘brilliant’ contribution to human consciousness you thought up wasn’t so spectacular after all.
People are able to edit all kinds of things, including posts on forums like this one...and the planet keeps on spinning as usual.
 

fairuz

macrumors 68020
Aug 27, 2017
2,486
2,589
Silicon Valley
Idk what I'm missing. What's wrong with just responding to the original?
[doublepost=1550289675][/doublepost]
Orrrrrrrrr you could just give people the edit they were looking for. This seems like a very unnecessary solution to a pretty simple problem.
Doesn't work well with the rest of the site, especially if people start retweeting or responding to your edited posts.
 
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entropys

macrumors 65816
Jan 5, 2007
1,226
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Brisbane, Australia
I think this is a covfefe of an idea.

Seriously though, just prevent edits once someone has commented or retweeted on the tweet. Or just don’t share vacuous thoughts.
 

SeaFox

macrumors 68030
Jul 22, 2003
2,617
953
Somewhere Else
I think part of the problem is that quoting a tweet can pass around the original, unedited tweet very quickly.

People will just have to be more careful about what they say the first time then. They will be free to clarify their position later, but someone can still have a quote of your initial statement.

... kinda like how speaking works in real life.
 

bozzykid

macrumors 68020
Aug 11, 2009
2,428
491
Doesn't work well with the rest of the site, especially if people start retweeting or responding to your edited posts.
Somehow Facebook has managed to survive by allowing editing. I think Twitter will somehow manage. Based on what many are saying, the reason we aren't seeing an edit feature may just be due to poor backend design.
 

fairuz

macrumors 68020
Aug 27, 2017
2,486
2,589
Silicon Valley
Somehow Facebook has managed to survive by allowing editing. I think Twitter will somehow manage. Based on what many are saying, the reason we aren't seeing an edit feature may just be due to poor backend design.
Because on Facebook it's only your friends or groupmates responding.
 

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,503
"Between the Hedges"
Personally, I'm not a fan of an edit button, for all of the reasons already listed
I have, on occasion tweeted something with a missing word, etc. and my solution was just to delete the tweet and publish a new corrected one
If you want to clarify, then quote tweet your original tweet and clarify away

I see it far more likely for abuse than use, and in spite of best intentions to the contrary, people will always find ways to circumvent the safeguards
 
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