Twitter hints that the 140-character limit is coming to an end

Word is that it will be 10,000 characters, but that’s not set in stone. Sources tell Re/code that developers are playing around with the idea of expanding tweets when you click on them, keeping your timeline looking more or less the same.

Brevity may soon no longer be the soul of #wit.

However, some users took to Twitter to express their opposition to the new feature with the hashtag #beyond140.

Twitter has been searching for a way to add to its user base for some time now, with the company incorporating new features to do so. The service now has a new feature called “moments” – an alternative to the traditional timeline populated with news, entertainment and sports tailored to the user.

“What makes Twitter, Twitter is its fast, public, live conversational nature”.

Jack Dorsey, the company’s co-founder, who returned as chief executive in October, in a series of tweets did not say whether Twitter would expand the limit. According to the sources, there is a possibility for Twitter to change the character limit for tweets before launching the final product, which is referred to by insiders as “Beyond 140”.

Meanwhile, Peter Kafka of re/code asked Twitter COO Adam Bain, in an interview, whether the move signalled Twitter would be hosting articles. Last month, Twitter began experimenting with a new order that shows users the most relevant tweets first, instead of the usual format of displaying posts in reverse chronological order. “We’re continuing to explore ways to surface the best content for people using Twitter”, a company spokeswoman was quoted as saying.

For years, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) has distinguished itself from other microblogging sites with the character limit. “We’re not going to be shy about building more utility and power into Twitter for people”.

Some users, however, point out issues in extending the tweet count, such as an increase in potential spamming, which Twitter is now battling.