Twitter’s timeline secret is out: new algorithm puts the best tweets first

Much like Facebook, which gives you the option to see the most recent stories or “top stories”, the feature is opt-in, which should calm at least some of the people down who were freaking out about this proposed change when word leaked last weekend.

THE MAIN CHANGE — Twitter has been showing tweets from people and organizations you follow in chronological order, with the newest tweets up top. Underneath that, you’ll see tweets from the accounts you follow in reverse chronological order, just like before.

It’s been a tough few months of headlines for Twitter, with layoffs in October, the departure of four executives last month, slumping stock prices and even a revolt from some users who protested a controversial change to the site’s timeline feature with the #RIPTwitter hashtag. “When you think of Twitter, it is not where you want to be if you want to be an innovative user of social media”. The new feature will allow a subscriber to view the tweets that are deemed to be more important to him/her right at the very top of the user’s timeline.

The change to the timeline – as the homepage is known – is also created to appeal to advertisers by giving more prominence to tweets that advertisers pay for to promote products. CEO Jack Dorsey sent out a tweet indicating that this would not happen. Underneath it they will see the traditional reverse-chronological timeline.

He said that those who used the feature tended to tweet and retweet more often.

“Twitter’s team will be turning on the feature for everyone in the coming weeks, Jahr said, and will make it clear with a timeline notification”.

Twitter has been struggling to make itself more attractive to users beyond its core base of journalists, celebrities, sports figures and other influencers.

PAST CHANGES — This isn’t Twitter’s first tweaking of its timeline.

Twitter is also expected to name as many as two new board members.

Twitter said it had an average of 320 million monthly active users in the fourth quarter, the same as in the previous quarter.

Ahead of its fourth quarter and full year earnings release on Wednesday, Twitter has made a decision to upend the service as we know it!

Twitter has been under pressure from investors to increase its user base, as well as its revenues.

There is no set number of tweets that are being presented as part of this selection, as this depends on a number of factors, including the people a user follows and their tweet volume.