Twitter Tests Updated Format for Tweet View Count Display

Okay, everyone hates the new tweet view counts – or not so much hates them, as a concept, but hates the way that they’re displayed, which currently produces these types of double line stat summaries.

People also don’t like that views are displayed first, at the left of the tweet data display, and Elon himself has admitted that it’s not great, as yet.

Have no fear, improvements are coming – check out this updated tweet view format, posted by Twitter designer Andrea Conway.

As you can see here, this updated format wouldn’t display view counts on tweets in timelines (first image), but when expanded, you would be able to see the view count on any tweet.

Which seems better, though Elon seems pretty convinced that highlighting view counts specifically will help people better understand how much reach their tweets are getting, which, in turn, will encourage more tweet creation and activity.

I’m not sure that’s true. I mean, do you really want to know that a few thousand people saw your tweet, and not a single one of them felt compelled to give it a like? Not sure that’ll be the motivational boost that Elon expects – but then again, if you really like attention, and you want to ensure you get more of it, then knowing that lots of people are at least seeing your tweets could be a factor in keeping you tweeting.

It seems likely more trouble than its worth, with people looking to use this as a new tweet ratio, of sorts, with which to criticize you for your poor tweet engagement.

But it if were just another stat, and shown only in expanded tweet form, that could be better. Maybe.

We’ll have to wait and see what Twitter does next with the format.