Now, you can choose who can reply to your tweets
In a bid to give users more control over their conversations, Twitter has started rolling-out a feature to limit replies on tweets. The option, which is being tested with a limited number of users, will let you choose who can reply or comment on what you share on the popular micro-blogging service. Here is all you need to know about it.
Twitter has long been struggling with the mess of trolls
Since its inception, Twitter has enjoyed a certain level of openness in comparison to other social media platforms. People can clearly share their thoughts on Twitter and then have open conversations around the same. But, the thing is, these conversations often turn ugly, drawing trolls that can flood an otherwise innocuous thread with unwanted slurs and abuses.
This is where new reply controls come in
To tackle this problem and help people keep their conversations meaningful, Twitter is bringing the option to limit tweet replies. The feature, first spotted earlier this year, lets you give reply permissions to Everyone, People You Follow, or Only People You Mention in a post. If you choose the latter two, the reply option will be greyed out for everyone outside the chosen category.
Here's how it will work
People will still be able to see tweets
While the new setting will limit replies, it will not hide the tweet in question from those not permitted to reply, like what we see on Facebook. They could still see the whole conversation, like it, retweet it, and see the fact that the original poster of the tweet has allowed reply permissions to a select group of people only.
Testing with a small percentage of users
The option to limit replies is being tested with a limited group of people - a small percentage of Twitter's global user-base - on Android and iOS. However, there is no surety over the feature's widespread roll-out, as Twitter is still exploring how to give people more opportunities to weigh in conversations while ensuring more control at the same time.
Other Twitter features aimed at improving conversations
In addition to this, Twitter is experimenting with a few more features aimed at improving conversations such as a warning alert that tries to stop you from sending a harmful reply and a button that lets the original poster hide harmful replies.
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