Twitter set to expand its tweet character limit from 140 to 10,000

image credit – darnell.tv

The 140 character limit for tweets is going to be a thing of the past. According to a report in Re/Code Twitter is considering increasing its tweet character limit to 10,000 characters.

Thanks to a new feature called “Beyond 140” that Twitter is reportedly building, tweets will be longer, something that appears to be following the route the social media platform took last year to extend the character limit for its Direct Messages.

However, the same report has also stated that 10,000 character limit could be changed before the launch which doesn’t have a fixed date but is is expected to be in the first quarter of 2016.

The news of this change has been trending on Twitter under the hashtag #Beyond140 with mixed reactions from Twitter users. Some view the new change as a drastic move that affects the core aspects of twitter as a short, rapid tool while others see it as an opportunity to expand on thoughts through longer Tweets.

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter has issued a statement explaining the vision behind this move, citing observations around people’s tweeting habits, as well as the way in which the team at Twitter “won’t shy away from building more utility power” into the social media platform.

This change will have its own challenges that Twitter will have to figure out, though. There is the risk of spam becoming rampant on the micro-blogging platform, and the Twitter team has to figure out whether this change will optimise engagement for users who have been accustomed to the Twitterstorm effect that comes with multiple users just sharing a crisp, quick thought.

Do you think introducing this 10,000 character limit is a welcome move?