Twitter's new feature prevents users from replying to tweets; how it works

Twitter witnesses endless conversations that start with a single tweet on a daily basis. One of the most requested features of all time has been an Edit button for tweets - an idea Twitter has found ridiculous in an attempt to keep tweets raw and impromptu. There's no saying if Twitter will change its stand on the edit button, but it sure is testing new features all the time. One such feature has been revealed by the platform and it could bring a new change to having conversations.

Limited replies

Twitter is currently testing a feature that limits replies to tweets. In a brief video explaining how the feature works, Twitter said users will be able to choose whether to allow replies from everyone, people you follow, or only people you @ mention. While some might think this goes against the very nature of the platform's openness, Twitter says it gives users "more opportunities to weigh in while still giving people control over the conversations they start."

If users choose to limit the replies to people they follow or the people mentioned in the tweet, the rest of the users won't be able to weigh in their thoughts into the conversation. However, users will still be able to like and retweet without restrictions.

Is the feature helpful?

Firstly, Twitter hasn't rolled out the feature yet, and in fact, we don't know if it will ever see light of the day. In any case, Twitter is testing the feature with a small group of people around the world on all of its platforms to get a sense of its use in a practical world.

But users reaction to the tweet announcing the feature is mixed. On one hand, the feature can help users prevent trolls and bullies from harassing and abusing on the platform. But on the other hand, it can encourage one-sided conversations without anyone correcting them in the tweet thread. Users can always choose to retweet with comments to share their views.

This is yet another feature focused on replies, which suggests this area is of great importance for Twitter. The company has rolled out features like hiding replies and it is also testing a new way to show threaded conversations. All this is an attempt to bring valuable inputs into the spotlight.