September 14, 2010 8:22 PM

Twitter Grows Up; Adds Pictures and Video

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Tech Talk

Twiter is rolling out several changes over the next few weeks that, among other things, will let users embed video, pictures and maps for the first time.

Twitter co-founders Evan Williams (left) and Biz Stone, speak just before Williams announced the new Twitter.com

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET)
Although Twitter's raised about $160 million in venture capital since its inception, this is the first time that management has plowed some of that money back into upgrading the site's design. For a service that now hosts 90 million users each day, the changes also take Twitter one big step away from its spartan, 140 character beginnings and sets it on a path toward become a more user friendly website.

The changes are also designed to appeal to marketers by making it easier to navigate through Twitter, which can sometimes get confusing amid the conversation clutter that now prevails on the site. That has been a particular turn-off to potential Internet advertisers. While they may be licking their chops in anticipation of tapping into Twitter's huge audience, they have been less enamored of the chaotic look-and-feel.

One possible source of complaint: the new Twitter.com interface takes up more screen space and that might elbow out the more elaborate backgrounds with pictures and text some people have chosen for their background pages. The changes also may put a hurt on a cottage industry of websites, including the likes of Seesmic and Tweetdeck, that have grown up along Twitter to help make the user experience less confusing.

Forrester analyst, Augie Ray, wrote that the changes made for a "faster, easier and more engaging" user experience. "While any change in interface can cause complaints from long-time users (just ask Facebook), I believe the new Twitter.com will meet with strong user acceptance. As the new design is rolled out, users will have the opportunity to accept it or return to the original design, but I think many will embrace the intuitive new functionality."

Here's an explainer page Twitter put up along with an accompanying video. User warning: the background music may get annoying after 3.5 seconds, but until the changes go live, this is the next, best way to see what the new and improved design will look like. (Also, if you're interested in the blow-by-blow from the press conference that Twitter execs held this afternoon, blogger Robert Scoble recorded the press conference)


Add a Comment
by SocialSpy September 16, 2010 3:27 AM EDT
This was something I was expecting. When you post on Facebook with a photo or video it looks so good compared to a Twitter Post which looked rather boring. This improvement will lift the anti.
http://socialtrafficespionage.com/blog
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