Twitter's test operations continue with a new feature that helps users identify different hashtags before sending out tweets.
Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service, is continuously innovating and streamlining user experience. In the latest revelation, first spotted by the Wall Street Journal, the social networking site is testing a new feature that comes in handy for those who find it difficult to find the right hashtag.
Sometimes it can be tricky to find the right hashtag unless you are familiar with the tricks and trades of using the site. Certain hashtags are abbreviated like #tbt, #rt, #oitnb, #smh and many more. Not being able to find the correct hashtag means the tweets are sent elsewhere and users miss out on the discussions by other Twitter users.
For instance, if you are tweeting about the latest episode of "Orange is the New Black," the popular Netflix series which has sparked social media conversation, using the hashtag #oitnb will get you connected with others who are watching and tweeting about the popular series. To help users get there, Twitter will explain these shortened hashtags among many others with the new feature.
Twitter is currently testing the feature on its iPhone app and it is unknown if and when the feature will reach users on other platforms.
Hashtags are a way for Twitter users to mark topics and keywords, which can be used by others to join conversations on the same subject. Anyone can create hashtags with the symbol "#" followed by a cluster of letters without spacing. With the help of hashtags, users can locate subjects and tweets of their interest without following specific people.
The Wall Street Journal listed a couple of popular hashtags and their explanations given by Twitter. Twitter expanded #tbt (Throwback Thursday), #smh (Shaking My Head), #oitnb (TV series "Orange Is The New Black"), #lol ("League of Legends," the popular online game), #manutd (Manchester United, the soccer team), #hhldn (Hacks/Hackers London, a small media/technology event) and #rt for Russia Today.
Twitter's new move is seen as a way to make the site more user-friendly. The company also tested other features like "Retweet with comment" and Tweet embeds, to boost its user-base of 271 million monthly active users.
