Twitter Rolls Out Communities, a Feature Similar to Subreddit so Users Can Bond Over a Specific Topic

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 08 September 2021, 04:09 pm

Twitter's new feature called Communities is designed to make it easier for users to connect with others based on their shared interests.

Users will be able to join the hubs and tweet directly to those included in the community to talk about a specific topic instead of generally tweeting to their regular followers. The tweets will still be public, but the replies will be limited to the community members.

Twitter Communities Feature

The Communities will be user-generated, but the social media company said that it will be limited, so most users will have to wait for months before forming their own groups.

The Communities will focus on popular topics on Twitter, including skincare, celebrities, astrology, weather, dogs, and fashion.

The test for the feature will begin on Sept. 8, and it will pop up at the bottom of the screen for iOS or in the side menu for PC users.

Also Read: How to Use Twitter's New Quote Tweet Feature?

Android users will be able to read the community tweets as well, but the functionality is to follow like a dedicated app tab and the ability to join and participate in groups.

Communities will be created and maintained by moderators. They will have the ability to invite other users to the group through DM, and they can also remove any content within the group.

For now, users can only join a group via invites, but it may change in the near future, and Twitter may make it easier for users to find places to hang out.

David Regan, Twitter Staff Product Manager, said that some conversations are not for everyone, so they launched Communities so people can talk about the things they want to talk about.

Regan added that they want to continue to support public conversation and help people find groups that match their interests while creating an intimate space for conversation.

When it comes to user-driver community spaces, like subreddits on Reddit, moderation is a challenge. Twitter stated that any user would be able to read, report and even quote the content in a Community. Users don't have to be a member to flag harmful content.

The social media company also stated that it is currently working on reporting flaws and new enforcement actions to immediately identify issues on the platform.

Twitter's Feature Update

The introduction of Communities came after Twitter announced that it would make changes on the platform to cater to more creators.

Recently, Twitter rolled out Super Follows, a paid subscription tool that lets creators show exclusive followers private content.

Twitter also rolled out Ticketed Spaces, a tool that lets creators sell tickets for audio rooms.

The platform is also testing a feature called Tip Jar, a payment feature that will let users send money to their favorite creators.

Communities is a pretty big departure for the platform, which is now reimagining the site as it pushes to be more dynamic and safe for community building.

Creating groups based on specific topics makes it seem like the social media company is going in the same direction as Discord or Reddit, where everything revolves around interest-based communities.

Those platforms are having issues of their own with moderation, but its interest-based communities have proven to be a hit with users who get to form online bonds with people based on what they like.