BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Twitter has announced that it's trying to increase its tweet limit to 280 characters from the 140 it had started out with and the move seems to have ruffled tweeters, who have responded with ridicule and criticism.
"NO!!!!!!" cried a protesting user with the handle Denzel Mwiyeretsi. "The beauty of Twitter is fitting sense (and nonsense) into that character space. Don't mess up the core beauty of the app."
Another, Don Nowak, advocated contraction, not expansion: "If anything, reduce it to 70 characters."
U.S. President Donald Trump, an avid Twitter user whose tweets can mostly be guaranteed to kick up a storm, was immediately dragged into the discussion.
"Just because of Trump, it should remain at 140," weighed in a user with the handle Bora Bali. "He's creating enough damage with just 140. Imagine arming him with 280.:-P."
A cry went up to save Twitter with The Little Sad Pixie commenting: "We don't wanna (sic) another Facebook! #SaveTwitter."
Some have tried out the new limit. Mike Bird, one of them, gave his reaction in a graphic tweet: "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."
Some are pointing out that this is not the change they want. As Nick Baker explained: "Twitter users: Stop racists, stop hate crime, stop bots, we want a chronological timeline and an edit function... Twitter: 280 characters!"
An article in U.S. tech magazine Wired listed the six things "Twitter should have done instead of 280 characters." They include preventing harassment, getting rid of bots and editing.
Twitter's co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey answered the critical tweets with a tweet.
"We expected all the snark & critique for #280 characters. Comes with the job," Dorsey wrote, taking advantage of the relaxed space limit to drive his point home.
"What matters now is we clearly show why this change is important, and prove to you all it's better. Give us some time to learn and confirm (or challenge) our ideas."
