back to article Twitter hints at messaging moves

Twitter has issued a couple of big, meaty, hints that it wants in on instant messaging. The avian network already has a messaging service, in the form of “direct messages” that are sent between two parties but don't ever appear in public. Such messages, known as DMs among the Twitterati, aren't very widely used because most …

  1. A Non e-mouse Silver badge

    Didn't Facebook try to get everyone to use its service for messaging by giving all users an email address? How well did this take off with its end users...?

    Hint: It didn't. They dropped the service a while ago.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They also recently changed their facebook app so you require a separate messenger app to read and send messages to your friends. Most of the people I know who communicate via facebook messenger simply uninstalled the facebook app and created a shortcut to the mobile site, which lets you view the news feed and access the messages.

      1. Alastair Dodd 1

        Farcebook app

        The app is appalling and the messenger part of it hideous. I have dumped both now esp as they suck your battery dry too!

        Mind you I am this " close to closing my Facebook account anyway as they are a security weak, information hungry rights averse bunch of c*nts as it is.

      2. Lamont Cranston

        Facebook Messenger

        I recently installed this, to retrieve a message that I'd been sent. Suffice to say, I won't be keeping it on my phone.

        I think Twitter are barking up the wrong tree, here - what are they going to offer that an SMS doesn't already accomplish? WhatsApp (ugh, who named that?) is a good alternative to MMS, so maybe they're chasing that?

  2. Mark #255

    DM fail

    The failure I found with DMs was insufferably long delivery times. I'd send a DM to SWMBO, and she'd be notified of it (official Twitter clients for both of us) 30 minutes to an hour later.

    It would be marvellous if you're paying per-SMS but can find some free WiFi to scrounge; but the lack-of-instantness killed any claim to instant-messaging.

    Of course, it may have changed in the last 30 months.

  3. Jamie Jones Silver badge
    Trollface

    Direct Messaging failure reasons

    Don't they realise their users are in the wrong demographic?

    A typical twitter user is a narcissistic attention whore who thinks their anal dribblings are worthy of attention. They'd sooner' direct message' in public if it meant their list of stalkers went up.

  4. Pen-y-gors

    Excuse my ignorance...

    What can instant messaging offer that e-mail doesn't? If someone sends me an e-mail my mail app goes 'ping' very shortly afterwards - and it's not limited to 140 characters.

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