[Updated] Twitter App Testing Hiding Reply Numbers Behind a Tap

[Update: Twitter has clarified that only engagement numbers for replies are hidden in the test, and that they’re still viewable with a tap from the user. It’s also a very early experimental test that may well never make its way to users, while the camera update is on the way this week. The original headline on this article read “In a Highly Unpopular Move, Twitter Plans to Hide Retweet and Like Metrics, Killing Ratios” and has been corrected accordingly. Original article follows.]

Twitter has announced some major changes coming to the social media giant, including a serious crackdown on Nazis and hate speech, as well as new directives for preventing women against harassment. JUST KIDDING! They’re not doing any of that. Instead, Twitter is taking steps towards “better conversation” with a series of updates that no one asked for.

The first change they are implementing is regarding smartphone cameras. Users will now have more options to enhance and personalize their photo and video content, much like other social media channels like Instagram and Snapchat. The app’s new prototype “twttr” allows users to color code replies and rounded, bubble-shaped replies, in an effort to make them easier to read.

But these new updates also remove the engagement numbers for retweets and likes to the public. Keith Coleman, Twitter’s head of consumer products, said, “We’re also actually working on changing the product and changing the policies to improve the health of the conversations.” The move is part of an effort to subdue accounts spreading hoaxes and conspiracy theories, but in actuality what Twitter is doing is killing the phenomenon known as “ratioing.”

Getting “ratioed” describes a large discrepancy in replies vs. retweets on a given tweet. It’s often used to highlight a tweet’s unpopularity, i.e. if you have way more replies than retweets, chances are your opinion is unpopular. Here’s @Briligerent’s explanation:

If the Replies:RT ratio is greater than 2:1, you done messed up.

— Brian (@Briligerent) March 15, 2017

Many believe that the move is in response to complaints from high profile Twitter accounts, likes celebrities, billionaires, thought leaders, politicians, and our Twitter-loving president. Here’s what many users had to say on the subject:

Twitter is proposing to hide engagement metrics (likes/retweets) to make the site “friendlier” by removing the appearance of ranking.

Here is the truth: they find the concept of “the ratio” embarrassing to powerful people and embarrassing to be associated with.

— Alexandra Erin (@alexandraerin) March 13, 2019

if we cant ratio the powerful what can we do. if we cant visibly embarrass them online then literally what is the point of this site

— gamer wife (@bijanstephen) March 13, 2019

Twitter: Like this? (takes away stars)
Twitter users: NO GODDAMNIT BAN THE NAZIS
Twitter: Like this? (introduces threading functionality that never works)
Twitter Users: FUCKING NO AND ALSO DELETE TRUMP’S ACCOUNT
Twitter: Like this? (takes away the Ratio)
Twitter Users: MOTHERFU

— Scott Wampler™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) March 13, 2019

If folks are getting ratio’d, they should stop tweeting dumb shit. https://t.co/tv3S73crWd

— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) March 13, 2019

Only Twitter corporate stepping in and removing the ratio could break Howard Schultz’s astounding streak.

— Imraan Siddiqi (@imraansiddiqi) March 13, 2019

Right wingers & corncobs complained enough that @jack is gonna end the possibility of them getting ratio’d https://t.co/y28Pb1ryNF

— Patrick Fenelon 🌹 (@Patrick_Fenelon) March 13, 2019

Speaking of unpopular decisions and Twitter, CEO Jack Dorsey recently appeared as a guest on Ben Greenfield’s podcast. Greenfield is a notorious “fitness expert” who is also a vocal anti-vaxxer.

Thanks Ben! Great conversation, and appreciate all you do to simplify the mountain of research focused on increasing one’s healthspan! Grateful for you https://t.co/EDmhE3OKnk

— jack (@jack) March 13, 2019

Dorsey’s endorsement comes at a time when other social media giants like YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook are actively working to shut down anti-vaxxer pages and videos in light of preventable disease outbreaks sweeping the country. Even Amazon has pulled anti-vaxxer documentaries and literature from their collection. Great work, everyone.

(via NBC News, image: Pexels)

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