There's a feature that people on Twitter seem to constantly be crying out for. It's a feature that could fundamentally change how Twitter works for some and it could make the platform more manageable for others. And so far, Twitter has refused to make it happen. That, now, might be changing.
No, I'm not talking about making tweets editable. I'm talking about new suggestions that Twitter is working on the ability to unmention yourself from a Twitter thread. And yes, we need a better term than unmention.
Clunky wording aside, being able to remove yourself from a conversation sounds like a great idea and while most people might be badgering Twitter to add an edit button, I'd wager that for some this could be the better addition – because sometimes we all get stuck in the middle of a conversation that we don't need to be part of.
When that happens, notifications are overbearing and the list of mentions in Twitter apps gets out of control. It isn't just a problem for those with millions of followers, either. I have around 3,500 depending on when you look and it happens to me, too. I was in the middle of more than 20 tweets the other day – none of which I needed to see. I could have avoided all of those with a tap – if unmentioning was a thing.
Soon, it might be.
Sometimes you want to talk, and sometimes you just ... don't.
Check out these early concepts that could help control unwanted attention on Twitter.
Feedback, especially at this beginning stage, is invited (and wanted)! 🧵 pic.twitter.com/6SpzqiwFlLSometimes you want to talk, and sometimes you just ... don't.
Check out these early concepts that could help control unwanted attention on Twitter.
Feedback, especially at this beginning stage, is invited (and wanted)! 🧵 pic.twitter.com/6SpzqiwFlL— Dominic Camozzi (@_dcrc_) June 14, 2021June 14, 2021
That could be transformational for those with large Twitter followings. Much more so than an edit button that people can work around already by deleting and re-tweeting. There's no such workaround for a tweet storm that you don't want to be involved in – bar the nuclear option of blocking people.
Whether this unmention feature will ever arrive, I don't know. I do know that I have my fingers crossed almost as much as I did while I was waiting for my Twitter profile to be verified.
But that didn't happen, either. Maybe I should treat myself to a new computer to cheer myself up – there are some iMac deals worth checking out, at least.
