5 ways Twitter can save itself starting today

Deal with trolls

Trolls are nothing new on the internet, but the instant nature of Twitter is making harassment seem like a much bigger problem than before. The likes of the GamerGate controversy and celebrities reporting problems bring such harassment to the forefront, and to the detriment of Twitter's reputation. With the recent news of the formation of the Twitter Trust and Safety Council, now is the perfect time for the firm to make a firm stand against abuse.

Twitter will benefit from input from over 40 organizations, including the Samaritans, Feminist Frequency, and Anti-Bullying Pro, for determining how best to tackle harassment and abuse on the site.

Details haven't been provided on how this will be implemented, but we're hoping it starts with a stricter code of conduct and more helpful Twitter support, which has frequently come under fire for not going far enough.

Give us clarification on beyond 140

Rumors of Twitter removing its 140 character limit have been around for a long time. Increasing the limit for Direct Messages from 140 characters to 10,000 characters last year only fuelled the fire. Traditionalists aren't happy but, potentially, it's a feature that could work.

Tweets would still only display 140 characters but offer some way of expanding the tweet to reveal the rest of the content - much like how Twitlonger currently works, but natively.

It'd expand the potential for discussion, but at what cost? Twitter's current 140 character limit is perfect for SMS Fast Followers - users who view tweets only through text messages - a service that's particularly important in developing countries that have limited access to high-speed internet. Expansion could lose the service valuable users in some countries.

What's next?

Whatever comes out of the today's earnings call, two things are certain: many Twitter users will dislike at least one announcement, and change is necessary to sustain any level of growth.

The two issues sound at odds with each other, but when attracting new users remains stagnant, something requires a change. Facebook might frequently attract criticism every time a new feature is added, but with its success continuing to grow, it's time for Twitter to take some inspiration.

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