Tipping Pitches: Technology: RT @You: What's the Big Deal?

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Technology: RT @You: What's the Big Deal?



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Alright, so yesterday I wrote a blog entry in response to the many complaints about the new Twitter web retweet system, providing a proposed solution.

On second thought, what's the big deal?

While initially I saw the complaints having much more merit than the lame Facebook users' complaints for the sake of complaining, I have since changed my mind.

This is partly due to Twitter CEO Evan Williams' recent blog entry, Why Retweet works the way it does.

The truth is, though, that I didn't really need Evan's blog entry to tell me why it works the way it does. I already understand the many benefits. It's a great tool.

The new Retweet will ensure proper attribution. It will ensure the original message stays in tact. It will ensure that authors of particularly popular tweets are recognized.

It provides structure. And Twitter users hate structure.

But I did get why some wanted to continue to provide comments along with the retweet. That's fine. That's why I made a recommendation to make a slight tweak. And Twitter has left the door open to making such a change.

In the meantime, who cares? If you don't like it, continue to retweet the old fashioned way.

The bulk of complaints have to do with not being able to provide your own comments. It seems to have very little to do with being able to read others' comments.

So if your comments are really that important -- or if you think that others will freak if you don't provide any -- continue to retweet the way you always have.

Is it that difficult? Does this lack of change really require a Twitter revolt?

In all likelihood, this change is only Phase 1 of several enhancements to the tool. This is the bare bones version. They'll add on cool things down the road that people are screaming for.

So let the record show that I like this new change (even if I haven't yet been granted access to it). And whenever I feel that the message I'm going to retweet requires my incredibly insightful 20 character intro, I'll retweet the way I've always done it.

Done and done.

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