Twitter Rolled Out Fleets And Twitterati Mocked Them For Copying Instagram’s Homework!
There are lots of things that Tweeple want from the microblogging platform, Twitter. An ‘Edit’ button, for starters. Or weeding out troll accounts more effectively than it does now. What nobody was asking for were tweets that would disappear after 24 hours, à la Instagram Stories and Snapchat. And yet, here we are. Twitter has rolled out their new feature ‘Fleets’, which is basically them copying Instagram’s homework, which was originally copied from Snapchat! With this move, Twitter joins Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp in the 24-hour stories fam. Tch tch, don’t we have enough already?
So what is Fleets? If you’ve updated your Twitter app, you’ll see circles with profile pictures appear on the top of the feed. Brands and influencers have already begun using this feature, which is precisely the same as Instagram stories. You can add photos and videos with text on top, and they last for 24 hours. Perfect for those who wished there was a way to share fleeting thoughts that didn’t deserve to occupy permanent residence on their Twitter profiles.
Testing, testing…
We’re testing a way for you to think out loud without the Likes, Retweets, or replies, called Fleets! Best part? They disappear after 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/r14VWUoF6p— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) June 9, 2020
Twitter had announced ‘Fleets’ back in March, and India is one of the first few countries that gets to try it before it is rolled out for everyone else. Now if opinion has been asked so graciously, it shall be given, right? But desi Twitter, like Baburao from Hera Pheri, has a style of its own. When they give feedback or opinion on something, it often is via trolls and memes, and is likely to feel like a harmless smack across the cheek that’ll hurt for a fleeting moment but will mostly be hilarious!
Did the Twitterati like Fleets? Did they hate it? Did they want something more? Let’s hear from the horse’s mouth, shall we? From demanding other, much needed features like a chronological timeline to meme-ing it, here’s what Twitter thought!
#fleets feature on twitter…🤭🤭🤭 pic.twitter.com/4RDi3VMVK3
— UmdarTamker (@UmdarTamker) June 9, 2020
Same shit, different app.
#Fleets #Stories pic.twitter.com/EJHuxtQnTn— A v i n a s h (@Black_Wayfarer) June 9, 2020
This is how Twitter got the idea for its new update#fleets pic.twitter.com/TWXGn48WiP
— Sir-Kid (@ooobhaishab) June 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/pappi__boss/status/1270390168109887489?s=20
https://twitter.com/Alisa_Kher/status/1270443439465906181?s=20
https://twitter.com/badtamez_memer/status/1270406048726147074?s=20
In year nearer future MS office May also looks like 🤪
#fleets pic.twitter.com/DoyLuRBiOK
— Ankit Mehta (Sandesh News) (@ankit_anchor) June 10, 2020
When Twitter add #Fleets pic.twitter.com/CYE4hGuS89
— Gulshan Laassi (@gulshanlassi) June 9, 2020
But bruh, what about the ‘Edit’ button?
https://twitter.com/Intrepid_SK/status/1270393523867725830?s=20
And a few other things that needed to be improved….
There's no need for fleets on twitter. Instead focus more on hate speech abuses, sexual harrasment and actual rape and death threats to various women of twitter. That'll be enough. #FleetsFeedback
— Anand (@atavist_13) June 10, 2020
#FleetsFeedback FFS take it away, not only is it annoying to see the circles on the top and distracting , it is a DM disaster. Nobody wants insta in twitter else we will be there. Bring on the Edit button
— 🇵🇸 پربھا 🏳️🌈 (@deepsealioness) June 9, 2020
Dear @Twitter I didn’t need #fleets. I don’t miss having a feature like this when I tweet. What I do miss is having the ability to edit small mistekes in tweets that I post without having to delete them & post corrected versions. Thanks muchly #FleetsFeedback
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 9, 2020
There were also some who didn’t get the feature, and their disappointment was palpable!
https://twitter.com/abey_saaayli/status/1270434217705553920?s=20
Those who didn't get #fleets on twitter. 😹😹😭 pic.twitter.com/uJRLEcZyFu
— जज़्बात🥀 (@jazzbatt_) June 9, 2020
Have you tried Fleets? What’s your take on it? Drop those fleeting thoughts now!
Monisha beta, fleets bolo, stories is so middle class. https://t.co/HnBjIafGK2 pic.twitter.com/Nho0nE5kUk
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) June 9, 2020
And meanwhile, Twitter, please ‘Edit’ button ka thoda dekho na?
