On Monday, April 25, Elon Musk purchased Twitter, setting the internet ablaze. When the dust settles, it’s probable that some major changes will be enacted, but Twitter users can look forward to some exciting new features while we wait to see what Musk has in store for the 16-year-old social media network.
Users can now toggle closed captions (commonly abbreviated to CC) on or off at any time. This isn’t Twitter’s first CC functionality, but it appears to be the most useful, and this improved CC feature will complement other accessibility additions that Twitter is currently delivering.
This includes the highly anticipated ALT badge that allows input for image descriptions.
Another new feature for iOS users is the option to generate their own GIFs for the platform. Video can be shot in-app on your iOS iPhone and instantly turned to a GIF to “catch your vibe,” as Twitter puts it.
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Although there are no edit options that allow you to apply a filter or effects, this might be a wonderful asset for content makers who want to spend less time editing social media content outside of the app.
Musk may also be trying to speed up the adoption of the already-in-development Tweet Edits functionality, as he has already tweeted in support of it.
InĀ a release on the acquisition, Musk said, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.
“I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spambots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential ā I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”
What we do know is that Musk wants Twitter to encourage free speech from both sides, but it’s unclear exactly what that entails, given that there’s no factual evidence to suggest it doesn’t already.
He may also reconsider some user bans, like as those imposed on former US President Donald Trump and Infowars founder Alex Jones.
Given how many of people who have been banned from Twitter have a history of spreading false information, conspiracy theories, and radical opinions, it’s understandable that some current Twitter users are concerned about them returning.
In the past, buyouts of social media companies have failed miserably. Hopefully, Musk has taken the time to examine what happened to Tumblr following Yahoo’s acquisition and is prepared to learn from its mistakes, lest a mass exodus from Twitter occurs to a more hospitable environment.
With Facebook’s user base dwindling, Twitter’s potential transition or destruction could be the catalyst for us to move closer to Internet 2.0.
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