Twitter, now called X, has recently experienced several unexpected changes. The takeover in October 2022 and the subsequent rebranding have triggered these changes. These updates have enjoyed different degrees of reception, with many issues arising from these additions. Because of this, there are many questions about the social media platform’s integrity. But is Twitter broken?
Despite multiple reports from mainstream media outlets about Twitter’s decline, the social platform isn’t entirely on a downward spiral. Of course, the recent additions to the platform have triggered a lot of negative responses. Some of these responses have emanated from the intermittent outages that have also characterized the social platform. So, this article discusses whether X is still functional or not, and even more.
Is Twitter Not Working? What Is This Site’s Performance Status?
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, aka X, in 2022 triggered a wave of reforms that drastically affected the platform’s performance. While the company implemented these reforms, user reports indicated that there were regular instances of downtimes. Others even asserted that the platform had lost its functionality. But how true is this? Is X, formerly called Twitter, not working?
Although Twitter, now called X, has recently faced several downtimes and cut-outs, the platform is still online. Most of these recent downtimes have emanated from the new features and rebranding the company has performed since then. For instance, the Twitter rate limits in July 2023 persisted briefly before giving way.
Regarding general downtimes, the social media service experienced reducing outages that were also increasingly short. For example, based on user reports, the outage in October 2023 only lasted for 40 minutes. But before then, users of the microblogging site also reported irregular hitches here, which were sometimes exclusive to specific locations.
Besides that, introducing the X Premium or Twitter Blue subscription service limited unverified accounts from certain premium features. Of course, only premium subscribers could access all the additional features that the new ownership implemented. So, the platform isn’t working as it had previously worked for other users.
While some users have threatened to leave the platform due to these recent changes, many others have remained. These recent events have also triggered the emergence of many other competitor websites seeking to replace the platform. However, the differences between Twitter and these other sites have worked to its advantage, retaining its unique user base.
Overall, Twitter is not exactly broken or faulty. These recent additions only aim at expanding the platform’s purpose.
Which Occurrences and Features Make Twitter Appear Broken?
Since the platform switched hands, several occurrences and features have given Twitter bad press. While the owners have mostly implemented these features to foster their aims for the platform, several indicators have pointed out otherwise. Some of these changes, which include reading limits and unreserved verification of users, have made the platform appear quite faulty.
The Emergence of Twitter Reading Limits
The social media giant X, formerly called Twitter, limited how much content users could view per day. These Twitter reading limits allowed users to access specific numbers of posts based on their subscription status. This means that verified users could read more posts than unverified users. Of course, this was just one of the disparities between the two classes of users.
At first, the reading limits allowed new unverified users to view 300 posts daily, with older unverified users accessing 600. Even then, verified users could view 6,000 posts a day. Subsequently, the social media company updated these figures, providing new unverified accounts access to 400 posts daily. Following this update, older unverified users could access 800 posts, while verified users could read 8,000 posts.
Following the owner, Elon Musk’s announcement, there was a lot of backlash. This was despite his explanation that the move aimed at dealing with system manipulation and extreme levels of data scraping. Again, the platform raised the reading limit before eventually lifting it entirely.
These reading limits also applied to other areas of the social media website’s usage. It greatly limited the platform’s usability, making the service appear broken while still active. As a result, Twitter users met a “Rate Limit Exceeded” prompt as soon as they reached their daily limit.
Inability To View Posts Without an Account on X
Initially, people could view posts on Twitter without signing into accounts on the platform’s web version. The website’s Explore page permitted browsing and searches but with limited accessibility. Many people used the platform this way, and this feature allowed them to access useful content without divulging their identities.
However, the platform’s web version no longer allowed people to view posts without logging into their accounts. User reports indicate this change occurred when the platform implemented its rate limits. From then, all the links to Twitter pages redirect users to the sign-up page, prompting account creation. Again, this update targeted third-party interference to prevent data scraping activities.
To many users, this update also appeared to have emanated from a component failure, especially at first. People who had previously browsed the platform without accounts saw the web pages redirect, prompting a sign-in. Of course, they had questions regarding the platform’s functioning and whether Twitter broke down. But unlike the reading limits, this update has persisted.
Extended Character Limits
For someone who has not used the platform for some time, the new character limits appear like Twitter is broken. This is because one of the most prominent updates has been the expansion of Twitter’s initially slim post-character restriction. In 2017, people could only post 280 text characters, double the previous 140-character limit.
But during the platform’s reform from Twitter to X, it implemented new limits around what users could post. In February 2023, the social media platform announced that Twitter Blue subscribers could share up to 4,000 text characters. This value was over 14 times more than the initial 280-character limit. Non-subscribers were not part of this update and could not enjoy the feature.
Shortly afterward, the social media company upped the character limits again. This time, subscribed users could share posts with up to 10,000 characters. But it didn’t end there; the social media service eventually increased that value to 25,000. Again, this addition did not sit well with many proponents of the traditional platform.
Since people mostly considered X or Twitter a microblogging platform, expanding its post limit seemingly went against its tenets. Well, the new ownership has another objective in mind. The initial aim has been to turn the social platform into the Everything app. This app would perform roles that exceed its traditional goals to act as the town hall and proponent of public discussion.
The extended character limit was just one of the first additions. The platform subsequently increased its video-sharing capabilities, allowing subscribed users to share videos up to two hours long. Overall, browsing the app now offers a significantly different experience compared to using the app a while back.
How Different Is the Elon Musk Twitter Era? Is Twitter Broken Now?
Before the social media platform’s takeover in the latter months of 2022, the platform had carved a well-defined niche. Its principal aim was fostering quick conversations via short messages, which people mostly sent back and forth. Of course, the platform played its role excellently. However, the platform has greatly varied since it changed hands. So, people often wonder how different the Elon Musk Twitter era is.
The Boom of Media Content
Initially, posts on X, formerly called Twitter, mostly consisted of text, only with minimal levels of media files. This phenomenon occurred due to the prevalent nature of the platform, which greatly tilted toward quick-fire conversation. Of course, users could also share pictures and videos. But they could only share four pictures in a single tweet. Also, they could only post 140 seconds of video.
All these limits and features propelled the platform toward its majorly conversational role among its counterparts. Simply put, the tweets users shared mostly consisted of short text content. However, Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform prompted a change in direction for the social media service. The additional features that now characterize the app push for a more diverse functionality.
For example, boosting the video limit from 140 seconds to two hours has prompted video creation. Because of this, several people have even brought their talk shows to the platform. Besides that, the Twitter algorithm pushes media content to perform better, reaching more people than bland text.
The Revamped Verification Checkmark
In the past, the verification checkmark on Twitter indicated authenticity, notability, and activity. However, Elon Musk’s tenure as platform owner has changed how this feature works. Introducing the Twitter Blue or X Premium service allows users to obtain verification by paying a subscription fee. This means that any user can obtain the mark at any time of day.
In addition, the app has differentiated the verification check marks. The blue mark is a generic verification, while the gold and gray check marks are for official and multilateral or government organizations.
Ads Revenue Sharing for Creators
Like other social media platforms, X, aka Twitter, serves ads to users while they browse the platform. The app first started showing ads in 2010 when it rolled out its promoted tweets and promoted account feature. Since then, the ads feature has evolved, allowing even larger corporations and brands to promote their businesses, products, and services.
But after Elon Musk took over the social media network, the company implemented its Ads revenue sharing program for creators. This program allowed subscribed users to earn from the ads that the platform served in their post comments. In the first phase of the payouts in July 2023, the platform reportedly paid $5 million.
Encouragement of Citizen Journalism
Another major difference on the platform since Musk took charge of the app is the prevalent mode of journalism. Initially, platform users relied on mainstream media outlets for their news updates. However, the rapidly declining trust in the mainstream media and the opportunity for others to fill up has prompted this phenomenon.
Elon Musk has continually encouraged users to share relevant news updates to the platform. Since the takeover, many people have used this app to break news, growing their accounts. However, this phenomenon has come with several downsides. For example, people can more effectively promote false narratives and information.
These changes to X or Twitter’s usage and functions do not indicate a breakage in the app’s performance. Hopefully, this provides an answer if you ask questions like “Is Twitter broken?” But while using the platform, you may need to clear your profile by removing multiple posts simultaneously. However, a third-party service would suffice since the app does not support this action. TweetEraser is an effective option.
At TweetEraser, our application allows users to clean their profiles by deleting multiple posts without breaking a sweat. This app also lets them import their archives and perform complex deletion tasks. Since it does not push promotions, it is ideal for use. Start filtering and cleaning your Twitter timeline today!
