Twitter is always the wild card in the mix. It seems like there’s a new feature or UX change every time you turn around. This week: Are they reviving dead features like Vine and Periscope?
Also, Meta’s Barcelona is coming together. What the heck is it? And is BeReal actually going to be a thing? The idea is there, but as user interest falls off they’re trying to get people back in the platform. Let’s check this week out.
1. Musk discusses resurrecting Vine, Periscope, and Fleets
They failed the first time. Would they work this time? Who knows. The climate online has certainly changed and Musks’s Twitter is a different beat entirely.
He’s hinted at it for a while, but again suggested that a form of the features was “inevitable.”
2. What is Bluesky and could it beat Twitter?
Jack Dorsey is taking another shot at a short-form, text-based information sharing platform. Bluesky is currently open by invitation only, but is gaining interest from power users. There is reportedly no video or direct message support right now. Just a 300 character limit.
From Reuters:
Unlike Twitter, Bluesky’s core framework allows for various customizations. “Instead of one site running the network, you can have many sites. It means you get a choice of provider, and individuals and businesses can self-host if they want,” it said in a blog post in October.
3. Twitter plans to allow publishers to grant paywall access on a per-article basis
This could be a win-win… or just an annoyance for people who already hate paywalls.
4. BeReal’s stripped down approach isn’t holding user interest
This one is an interesting experiment. The premise is strong, and clearly resonated with younger users who flocked to the app.
But, now they’re struggling to keep users engaged. From SMT:
Now, BeReal’s testing out new functionalities, like Spotify integration and multiple photos, to expand on its offering. But mostly, it feels like the ship has sailed, and it’s swimming frantically to catch up.
5. Meta’s Barcelona is evolving
The rumors have swirled since early last month, but here we are. Looks like Barcelona is taking shape.
