The Falkland Island Twitter account reports — hopefully in jest — that tensions with Argentina are high thanks to Twitter’s test of 280-character tweets:
Argentina reportedly very concerned at the prospect of @Falklands_Utd having 280 characters on twitter to dispel their #Falklands claims.
— Falkland Islands (@falklands_utd) September 28, 2017
Thanks, Jack! You ready to start a war over this?
So far, response to the increased size has been pretty negative — and that’s before Argentina re-invades:
Speaking as one of the small group of people who've been selected to test the 280 character limit, please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please change it back you dreadful people.
— Mike Bird (@Birdyword) September 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/lauraewaddell/status/912993569174114305
https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/912929993973485568
140 character Twitter: Ray Bradbury
280 character Twitter: Stephen King https://t.co/dLxpvcN49B— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 28, 2017
Maybe the death of UK citizens on the Falklands, too. Others are jealous they weren’t included in the test:
I don’t have the 280 character limit and it’s making me very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very sa
— Buddy Handleson (@BUDSTER925) September 27, 2017
Me: 280-character tweets are the dumbest thing ever.
Also me: *checks for the 50th time today to see if I can do them yet*
— James Breakwell, Exploding Unicorn (@XplodingUnicorn) September 27, 2017
And apparently there’s a hack available to allow for longer tweets even if you aren’t one of the chosen few to test it out:
How to write 280-character tweets right now https://t.co/Ap3zaQo1ln pic.twitter.com/ouH1vzyK5F
— CNET (@CNET) September 28, 2017
Which reportedly works:
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/913054397739012096
President Trump, however, is not in Twitter’s test group:
Twitter co-founder: Trump is not in the test group for 280-character tweets https://t.co/N4DHhH25nB pic.twitter.com/Nr3Rcpuw0I
— The Hill (@thehill) September 27, 2017
Michelle Malkin did find a way to use the extended length for something nice:
Testing out Twitter's new 280-character limit:
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.-by Robert Frost
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) September 28, 2017
And this from the Oregon Zoo is pretty good:
Otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters otters pic.twitter.com/WAKrKTQDYS
— Oregon Zoo (@OregonZoo) September 27, 2017
Twitter, despite the snark and threat of war, defended the test:
Can’t fit your Tweet into 140 characters? ?
We’re trying something new with a small group, and increasing the character limit to 280! Excited about the possibilities? Read our blog to find out how it all adds up. ?https://t.co/C6hjsB9nbL
— Twitter (@Twitter) September 26, 2017
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