Is Twitter abandoning its TIMELINE? Social network experiments with listing posts by relevance instead of chronological order

  • Social media platform has been experimenting 'out of order' tweets
  • A number of Twitter users have reported changes to their timelines
  • The changes have provoked an unhappy response from Twitter users

By RYAN O'HARE FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

Something strange may be going on in your Twitter timeline - some feeds are no longer being listed by the time they were posted.

Instead of tweets appearing in the familiar chronological order that has made Twitter so popular, some users have noticed their timelines are filled with tweets out of chronological order.

The social media platform, which has 320 million monthly active users, has confirmed it is 'experimenting' with a new way of listing tweets in users' feeds.

Instead of the longstanding chronological timeline, some users will have their tweets displayed in order of relevance.

Social network Twitter has confirmed it is experimenting with listing posts on users feeds by relevance ratther than in chronological order. The changes has generated a mixed reponse from those users who have noticed their timelines are effected by the trial

Social network Twitter has confirmed it is experimenting with listing posts on users feeds by relevance ratther than in chronological order. The changes has generated a mixed reponse from those users who have noticed their timelines are effected by the trial

The trial comes in the wake of a period of slow user growth on the social media platform.

But the changes to the timeline has provoked a mixed response from Twitter users, from outright confusion to one Twitter user even threatening to send the social media company the contents of her cat's litter box.

Liina Potter, a spokesman for Twitter, confirmed that some users may be affected by the trial, but did not specify how many.

Some users (like the one pictured above) have been left confused by the changes to their timelines, saying they are struggling to get to grips with the new way of listing posts by other users

Some users (like the one pictured above) have been left confused by the changes to their timelines, saying they are struggling to get to grips with the new way of listing posts by other users

Twitter has said it is exploring ways to 'surface' the best content for people using the social media network. However, some users have struggled with the changes (pictured)

Twitter has said it is exploring ways to 'surface' the best content for people using the social media network. However, some users have struggled with the changes (pictured)

She said: 'Yes, this is an experiment. We're continuing to explore ways to surface the best content for people using Twitter.'

The timeline change follows Twitter's controversial decision to change its 'favorite' function from a star to a heart earlier this year. 

In addition, Twitter brought in new features to allow users to see stats on their tweets and to post polls.

Some Twitter users have reacted angrily to the proposed changes, including one who threatened to send the contents of her cat's litter box to the company's headquarters (pictured)

Some Twitter users have reacted angrily to the proposed changes, including one who threatened to send the contents of her cat's litter box to the company's headquarters (pictured)

Twitter, which has 320 million active monthly users, has been attempting combat a period of slow user growth on the social media platform. But the reaction from users suggests this tweak may be unpopular

Twitter, which has 320 million active monthly users, has been attempting combat a period of slow user growth on the social media platform. But the reaction from users suggests this tweak may be unpopular

Others have compared the experiment to unpopular changes implemented by Facebook (pictured)

Others have compared the experiment to unpopular changes implemented by Facebook (pictured)

The changes look set to continue. 

At a conference in July, Twitter's chief executive, Jack Dorsey said: 'You'll see us continue to question our reverse chronological timeline and all the work it takes to build one by finding and following accounts.'

THE CHANGES TWITTER HAS MADE IN 2015

Among many tweaks, Twitter added polls this year

Among many tweaks, Twitter added polls this year

In June this year Twitter announced big changes, with former chief executive Dick Costolo standing down and handing the reigns to the platform's co-founder, Jack Dorsey. 

While the social network reportedly has 320 million monthly active users, it is dwarfed by Facebook, which reported 1.55 billion monthly active users at the end of September. 

As for the other big players, LinkedIn has reported 400 million users, but only a quarter of these are believed to use the platform on a monthly basis, while Google+ could have up to 300 million monthly active users.

Twitter has made numerous tweaks to its platform throughout 2015, starting with the introduction of a 'While you were away' feature in January. The change was said by the  notifying users of popular tweets they may have missed.

In October, the network added polls to allow users to garner opinion from followers and the wider Twitter community. 

However, despite multiple tweaks for a better user experience, analysts hint that the fundamental nature of the platform may not lend itself to advertising, and that growth of new users will continue to be sluggish.


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