Twitter Tests Long-Form Notes That Let People Go Beyond the Character Limit

The new blog post-esque feature lets writers share longer pieces of content, and include photos, videos, GIFs or tweets within their work.

Nina Raemont
June 22, 2022 1:01 p.m. PT
2 min read
Twitter logo on a phone screen, with a backdrop of multiple Twitter logos
Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Twitter revealed Wednesday that it is testing Notes, a blog post-adjacent feature that allows longer pieces of writing to be published on the social network.

The feature makes it easier for people to publish long-form writing without having to resort to the Twitter thread and segment out their thoughts across multiple tweets. Notes writers can also include photos, videos, tweets or GIFs within their content.

“As the platform for writers, it’s clear that Twitter is essential — from the proximity to an engaged audience, to the conversation around a writer’s work, to the community of readers (and, often, cheerleaders) that Twitter provides, to the critical role it plays in the livelihoods and careers of writers, on and off Twitter,” Twitter’s editorial director, Rembert Browne, said in a Note on the platform.

People can read Notes on and off Twitter, and you can find all of a persons’ Notes in the new tab on that person’s profile. A small group of writers in the US, Canada, UK and Ghana are part of the Notes test, Twitter said. The company didn’t indicate when Notes might be available more widely.

In April, Twitter revealed that it’s finally testing an edit button, a long-awaited request from anyone who has ever made a typo in a tweet. The platform has also kickstarted Twitter Blue, a paid subscription feature that allows subscribers to make changes to tweets, upload longer videos and read ad-free news.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is in the middle of a proposed $44 billion acquisition of the platform. Musk has said he wants to quash bots on the platform and get 1 billion users on Twitter.

First published on June 22, 2022 at 12:21 p.m. PT.

Culture
Internet Culture
Elon Musk Set to Speak to Twitter Staff for the First Time This Week
It’ll be the first time Musk has addressed Twitter’s employees since agreeing to buy the company.

Mark Serrels headshot
Mark Serrels
June 13, 2022 6:00 p.m. PT
Elon Musk speaking, dressed in a black sport coat and open-neck white shirt
Musk will meet with Twitter employees this coming Thursday.
Screenshot by CNET
Elon Musk is set to speak at a companywide Twitter meeting this week. It will be the first time he’s addressed employees of the company since agreeing to buy the company in April.

Twitter confirmed the news to CNET via a spokesperson.

The meeting is set to take place on Thursday morning, and Musk himself will be taking questions from employees, some of whom have reportedly been troubled by the potential acquisition. The deal has also been hampered by issues with data on the amount of bots on the platform.

Insider earlier broke the news of the upcoming meeting.

According to the Insider report, Twitter’s CEO, Parag Agrawal, announced the meeting on Monday, and it will be moderated by Twitter’s chief marketing officer, Leslie Berland. Twitter’s employees have voiced concern about Musk’s potential involvement on the social media platform. In an email, Agrawal reportedly stated the meeting would cover “topics and questions that have been raised over the past few weeks.”

Musk, who already runs electric-car maker Tesla and rocket builder SpaceX, has committed to buying Twitter for $44 billion.

See also: How Elon Musk Could Change Twitter

News
Social Media
Elon Musk’s $44 Billion Deal to Buy Twitter Gets Board Endorsement
The board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote in favor of the deal.

Attila Tomaschek headshot
Attila Tomaschek
June 21, 2022 1:32 p.m. PT
2 min read
Elon Musk on Twitter
Twitter’s board invited shareholders to a special meeting to vote on Elon Musk’s proposed $44 billion deal, but it’s still unclear when the vote will take place.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Twitter’s board of directors unanimously recommended that shareholders approve the $44 billion sale of the company to Elon Musk, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO struck a deal back in April to buy Twitter.

In a letter to investors included in the SEC filing, the board said it “determined that the merger agreement is advisable and the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and its stockholders.”

The letter didn’t specify when the vote will take place, but Bloomberg reported it could happen in late July or early August. Though the company’s share price is down considerably from the $54.20 per share that Musk originally offered, he continued to signal his intent to go forward with the deal in a meeting with Twitter employees last week, where he reportedly said he wants 1 billion users.

Twitter declined to provide additional comment.

The board’s recommendation wasn’t a surprise, since the group had already approved the deal, but it’s the latest step in an ongoing process that’s had its share of twists, turns and uncertainties. Musk earlier threatened to back out of the deal if Twitter couldn’t supply proof that less than 5% of the platform’s accounts were bots. He later accused Twitter of “actively resisting and thwarting” his request for information on bots, but the company reportedly agreed to provide the data.

The bot issue and shareholder approval are two of the three things that need to be resolved before the deal can be completed, Musk said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday at the Qatar Economic Forum. The third issue is whether the debt portion of the deal will come together, Musk said.

Musk also has signaled that he’d be open to a renegotiation of the terms of the deal, saying that a lower price isn’t “out of the question.” However, Twitter has indicated it doesn’t intend to renegotiate the deal that’s in place.

Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey in April expressed his support for the deal, saying Musk is the “singular solution” he trusts.

See also
How Elon Musk Could Change Twitter
Twitter Will Reportedly Provide Elon Musk With Bot Data: What You Need to Know
Twitter Seeks to Curb Misinformation During Periods of Crisis With Warning Notices
First published on June 21, 2022 at 7:22 a.m. PT.

News
SpaceX Fires Workers After Letter Calls Elon Musk an ‘Embarrassment,’ Report Says
The rocket company’s president reportedly said the letter, which circulated internally, made other employees feel “uncomfortable” and “bullied.”