Request for Feedback Brings Twitter Deluge of 5000+ Tweets within three days

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey publicly apologized to the tech community at the Flight conference last week, promising a more open, more inclusive platform for web and mobile app developers. TechCrunch commentators and San Francisco mobile app developers at the conference reported that Dorsey requested the public to submit suggestions via tweet with the hashtag #HelloWorld. Within three days that request prompted over 5000 tweets.

#HelloWorld tweets from mobile app developers have for the most part been focused on common predictable gripes common not just to developers but any regular user of the Twitter platform: the ability to edit Tweets, a variable character limit, and improved search functions to name a few. From a mobile app developer perspective, API rate limits and token restrictions along with requests for increased public APIs and beta application access have been recurrent themes.

So here goes. @Twitter Remove 3rd party token limits. Give 3rd party devs access to private API’s like group DM’s & moments #helloworld

— Ged Maheux (@gedeon) October 21, 2015

Spokespeople at Twitter have indicated that the Moments feature has been subject to much of the feedback. It will be interesting to see whether or not any major changes to Moments and similar Twitter products and features are attributed back to the community via their blog or elsewhere.

Wether or not the #HelloWorld request is simply putting a nice face over big speed bumps like the “API handcuffs” incident perpetrated by Twitter’s Michael Sippey in 2012 remains to be seen. For the time being, it’s promising to see the company taking steps towards turning over a new leaf when it comes to web and mobile app developer relations. As they continue to expand their products and services to boost engagement, Twitter stands to gain a lot from fostering an open and positive relationship with the tech community.