The micro-blogging website Twitter is reportedly developing a new product that could allow users to create tweets longer than the current 140-character limit. Executives of the social network are considering excluding the user handles (alias or nickname) or links from the character count, or allowing the publishing of full articles.
Re/Code reported the new product in the works. Twitter might allow users to publish complete articles or notes in their tweets instead of just linking to them. Meanwhile, the cap of tweet text would likely stay at 140 characters.
It could also be argued that Twitter already allows users to exceed the 140-character limit. That is by excluding article previews, tweets embedded in other tweets, and photos, according to Slate.
Excluding full articles in the character count would not technically up the limit. In fact, the tweak's effect would be less noticeable, and would allow publishers to share their articles without Twitter users needing to load a large website to get the whole story.
Twitter is considering the change to tweet lengths while co-founder Jack Dorsey struggles to boost growth. Its second quarter monthly average users grew at the slowest rate since the company went public. That was in 2013.
Many Twitter designers and users have argued that the company should drop the character limit. It might allow it to compete better with Facebook, which allows unlimited character posts.
The social media company has already ditched the 140-character limit for direct messages. It will also allow users to buy products through tweets.
For years Twitter has considered boosting its character limit. However, under Dorsey it has become a hot topic.
The social network's stock prices ticked up on the New York Exchange on Monday. However, it has already dropped nearly 30 percent this year, accorindg to Toronto Sun.