My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica: Twitter's new 10,000 Character DM Limit - How to grow @Twitter in untapped Developing World Markets

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Twitter's new 10,000 Character DM Limit - How to grow @Twitter in untapped Developing World Markets

“Our users will now have the flexibility to write longer and express themselves in a more natural and comfortable way.........There's a lot of events unfolding, and a human tendency to want to share that in the world and that's where direct messaging comes in. This is another great opportunity to spark the conversation” 

Twitter's Product Manager for direct messages, Sachin Agarwal, commenting to CNET News on their DM Character limit increase

Fans of Twitter, I have great new for y'all!

Twitter has increased the DM (Direct Message) limit from 140 characters to 10,000 characters as reported in the article “Twitter on an iPad. Now you can send 10,000 character DMs”, published Wednesday 12 August 2015 by Alex Hern, The UK Guardian.



For those Twitter faithful with good memories, Twitter had upped the character limit to 140 characters back in June 2015 as reported in my blog article entitled “@Twitter removes 140 character limit in DM – Group IM more like real conversations in Smartphone-Era”. 

This latest character books mean you can write a short essay of a message in DM as noted in “Twitter finally drops the 140-character limit from direct messages”, published August 12, 2015 By Casey Newton, The Verge, half of the Facebook's Messenger character limit of 20,000. 

But why?

Twitter possibly going IPO - Exit Jack Dorsey as Square goes IPO

Twitter's Interim CEO Jack Dorsey is allegedly getting ready to launch their IPO (Initial Public Offer) on Wall Street as noted in “Chat away: Twitter removes 140-character limit for direct messages”, published August 12, 2015 by Terry Collins, CNET News

So goes the speculation based on his submission of paper to the Securities and Exchange Commission for his other company Square as reported in the article   “Square files for IPO, say reports, in new wrinkle for Dorsey, Twitter”, published July 25, 2015 by Edward Moyer, CNET News

Albeit not confirmed either from Twitter or from Square, Jack Dorsey has publicly tweeted that he’s buying more stock in Twitter, which logically implies an IPO is in the works:


Twitter in the meantime is seeking a fulltime CEO as noted in the article “Twitter wants a CEO who can make a 'full-time commitment'”, published June 22, 2015 by Terry Collins, CNET News, suggesting that Jack Dorsey's reign in the Interim position will come to an end.

After all, he'll need to focus more on his current pet project, Square, as he prepares to battle Apple Pay, now completing its invasion of the US of A after a successful invasion of Britain as noted in my blog article entitled “250,000 merchants in Britain accept Apple Pay - Why Bitcoin is more secure as Eight banks except HSBC and Lloyds on the Bandwagon”.

Twitter's Project Lighting - How Social Media News can grow Twitter in untapped Developing World Markets

Truth be told, they need to break into markets such as China, South Korea, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Africa to boost membership and become profitable. 

One of their latest enticing offers that might break the ice in these countries is Project Lighting as explained in the article “Twitter hopes to electrify new users with news-tracker Project Lightning”, published June 18, 2015, by Dara Kerr, CNET News



An initiative to bring breaking News to Twitter followers, this looks a lot like Facebook Newswire.

Facebook Newswire  is a Social Media News service that started in April 2014 to evaluate breaking Social Media news from around the world as reported in my blog article entitled “Facebook launches FB Newswire with Verified News from Storyful - Facebook's a bonafide Social Media Newspaper coming soon to a Oculus Rift Smartglasses near you”. 

Interestingly, the company that partnered with Facebook, Storyful, has now partnered with Google in June 2015 to launch YouTube Newswire to verify eyewitness videos as the real deal as reported in my Geezam blog article entitled  “YouTube launches YouTube Newswire to verify Eyewitness Videos”.

Knowing Twitter and the fact that they have Vine Videos and Periscope as detailed in my blog article entitled “@sxsw @AppMeerkat vs @Twitter’s @periscopeco – How Periscope submarine-like launch sunk the Meerkat Destroyer” , they'll probably also feature Videos as part of Project Lighting.

Also, Project Lightening may involve a partnership with Storyful, an announcement that wouldn’t surprise many persons!

They've got a long way to go to beating Facebook, who are clocking 1.5 billion monthly active users as reported in my blog article entitled “@Facebook vs Mobile Social Networks - @globalwebindex says Mobile Social Networks are for Private Groups of Friends”  vs Twitter's 316 million monthly active users. 

So while Twitter struggle to stay relevant and break into, until then you can enjoy sending mini serial novellas to your friends and family. 



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