Twitter does not allow users to edit tweets - and likely never will. In spite of the popularity of the social media service, users have continuously, and often loudly, called for the option to edit tweets after they’ve been published. Twitter has continuously refused to provide the option - but why?
Besides the minimal character limit, the lack of an edit feature is one of the main user differences between Twitter and other social media sites. There are many reasons why people have continuously called for an edit button with the most obvious being an easy way to correct typos. While the introduction of an edit button would seemingly make Twitter a richer place for those who can’t stomach misspelled words, Twitter has stuck to its guns on this and so far avoided adding any variation of the feature.
With a new year now here, many might be wondering if this is the year Twitter will finally introduce an edit button. In fact, that was actually one of the questions directly asked during a recent video Q&A with Twitter co-founder, Jack Dorsey. In response to the question, Dorsey made it quite clear an edit button is not coming in 2020. While also adding “we’ll probably never do it,” suggesting the elusive edit button is unlikely to ever arrive on the micro-blogging platform.
Why Won’t Twitter Add An Edit Button?
Officially, Twitter says it won’t add an edit button as it wants to preserve the original Twitter feeling. Expanding on this, Dorsey explains the original premise behind Twitter was the ability to send an SMS type of message over the internet, and as is the case with SMS messages in general - senders cannot edit a message after it has been sent. Therefore, Twitter feels the best way to maintain its original SMS style and format is to prohibit the option to edit a tweet after it’s been sent out. Dorsey did explain that the company has toyed with variations of an edit feature, such as the option to edit a tweet for the first 30 seconds after sending. Although Twitter has so far come to the same conclusion that once a tweet is out there, it’s best just to leave it out there.
While many Twitter users want an edit button, another, and probably less talked about reason is preserving the content as it was originally sent. Social media sites have come under increased scrutiny lately for the way in which they have supported misinformation. By keeping the edit button out of the equation Twitter is able to distance itself from situations where someone tweets something and then changes the words or context after the fact. Preserving the content in this way allows any user, at any time, to see what someone originally said in its unedited form. On a positive note, typos can also sometimes add to the Twitter experience. After all, Twitter might not have ever be subjected to moments like Donald Trump's 2017 “covfefe” blunder if there was an edit button.
Source: Wired