Please kill the replies feature Twitter, it really sucks
Written on 11th September 2008
6 COMMENTS 
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Ok, so I have the urge to keep track of when people mention my username on Twitter. Call it vanity, call it the need to stay in touch with other human beings. Ever since Twitter decided to stop sending SMS updates outside North-America and India, I depend on the replies function to see updates about me. At least, that would be the ideal case. After all, the replies function is designed to notice Twitter users whenever an other user refers to you. But in reality, the replies feature sucks. Really bad.
I think it only shows me 60 percent of the times my name is mentioned. You think I’m exaggerating? Compare the screenshot below with the search results on Twitter Search. If you take a good look, you’ll notice some messages from Twitter users @edial, @polledemaagt and @jaapstronks didn’t make it to the replies tab. For what reason? Only Biz and Evan know…
Eureka! The solution!
So here’s a thought. Just a simple one. Why not grab the RSS of the search results and show it on the replies page? I mean, the search feature (Summize’s product) works just fine, so why not use that as the replies feature?
Maybe there are some developing issues I’m missing here. If so, please tell me. Because now I’m tortured by the thought that an annoying problem can be easily solved, but nobody does it.
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By Jeroen Mirck on Sep 11, 2008
My problem with Twitter is the missing replies with your name further on in the message (and not @atthebeginning). Twitstat.com has a mobile application that shows you quite accurately all replies, but also those messages in which you are also mentioned: the ‘Ego-button’. Just follow this link: http://www.twitstat.com/m/index.php?mode=ego
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yeah there are ways to get passed it, Twitstat is one of them, but doesn’t it make more sense if Twitter fixed it?
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By Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten on Sep 11, 2008
Yeah, it looks like a reply is only a reply if the message STARTS with @username. If @username is casually mentioned in the tweet Twitter doesn’t consider it a reply but just name dropping.
Took me a while to get used to that too…
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that just doesn’t make sense. If I want to grab a beer with Jeroen, David, you, I have to send three separate messages to make sure it ends up in your reply tab. I’m surprised they still get away with that.
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By David Petherick on Sep 11, 2008
The replies feature is not just an ‘ego-button’ – it’s the ability to hear what people are saying to you, and what they are asking you. This is a fairly fundamental element of why people use twitter in the first place.
I’m still amazed that twitter are not developing mobile tools, and instant awareness, search and ‘alerting’ services to monetise their platform, but are content to let other developers create services. The removal of free SMS alerts in certain countries was an opportunity to introduce charged services which was simply thrown away – along with the goodwill of many customers who loved this way to keep in touch.
A company that discards revenue opportunities, and provides many others with revenue streams, but has none of its own, makes me scratch my head.
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By Sam Hamilton on May 30, 2009
If you are tired of facebook or twitter but want a way to connect with artists and musicians then you should check out http://www.putiton.com
If you are tired of facebook or twitter but still want to connect with your friends then pick up the phone…
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