Twitter Tests 'Translated' Hashtags
The Twitter bird logo is on an updated phone post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2013.
Image: Richard Drew/Associated Press
By Todd Wasserman 2014-08-01 13:18:58 UTC
Trying to make its experience more palatable to new users, Twitter is testing hashtags with explanations of their meaning.
The trial, spotted by The Wall Street Journal, provides a concise translation of trending hashtags. For example, #ointb is rendered "Orange Is the New Black" for the uninitiated:
The WSJ, which spotted the trial in the UK, also saw translations for #smh (shaking my head), #tbt (Throwback Thursday) and #mantud (Manchester United, the UK soccer team). However, other trending topics, like #MH17 for the downed Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 didn't get the same treatment.
See also: Twitter Needs to Monetize You, Even If You're Not on Twitter
Reps from Twitter could not be reached for comment. The company's standard line for such efforts, though, is that it's always testing various features.
For Twitter, the impetus for such a feature might be the fact that the service often confounds and frustrates new users. Hashtags, a convention that is used both for trending topics and witty asides, is one of the elements that may be limiting growth and further adoption.
BONUS: The Illustrated History of Twitter
Topics: hashtags, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter