Twitter recently dealt a devastating blow to its loyal users by unveiling a so-called “new” version of TweetDeck. In a tweet from Twitter’s support account, the company announced the launch of this supposedly improved platform, claiming that it would address the issues plaguing TweetDeck. However, there is one that shocks the heart: TweetDeck will soon become an exclusive feature for verified accounts, and the only way to access it is through a paid subscription to Twitter Blue.
Despite being in the preview stage for almost two years, this updated iteration of TweetDeck failed to live up to expectations. According to reliable sources within Twitter, all users will be forced to switch to the new version, causing many to be confused by the changes. Many individuals, including myself, have already experienced the frustration of using the old interface, with endless columns showing a frustrating “Loading…” message.
Twitter employees have provided an explanation for the problems with the previous version of TweetDeck, rejecting the theory that rate limits were the cause. It turns out that Twitter’s removal of legacy APIs to prevent data scraping is to blame for the issues. One employee clarified, “Rate limits only apply to the new TweetDeck and Twitter. Another employee emphasized that the problems “definitely have nothing to do with rate limits.”
The implementation of this forced switch will begin next week, causing a wave of requests from users begging Twitter not to continue. I can only hope that Twitter has made significant improvements since then, but my optimism is limited. It is sad to note that the official TweetDeck account has been silent since August.
When contacted for a comment, Twitter’s press email resorted to an auto-reply with a poop emoji—a completely disrespectful gesture that has been in place since March.
