Twitter Has Announced Communities Feature That Challenges Facebook & Reddit

Twitter announced the Communities feature. This is what some consider a challenge to Reddit, Facebook Groups, and Twitter.

Twitter announced they are slowly rolling out a new method for users to discuss favorite topics, called Communities. Communities are a class of individuals who share a common interest. The invitation to join a community is only for those who have been approved.

What are Twitter Communities?

Communities offer a way for people who have the same interests to meet and share their knowledge.

Twitter communities are visible to anyone who wants to view what is being said. Anyone can also report the community to anyone who isn’t a community member for violating rules.

Although anyone can read and comment on discussions in the Community forum, only members of that community are allowed to participate in those discussions.

According to the announcement, it was as follows:

“With Communities, moderators select the focus, set the rules, and invite those who will make the place a great place to talk.

Imagine Communities as places where people have the same interests and are open to having relevant conversations.

Twitter Communities is currently in testing mode.

The new Communities feature is currently in beta testing. It’s not yet fully developed and ready for use by everyone.

Twitter currently has some communities under test. In a few months, more individuals will be able to make communities.

Healthy Conversations

Twitter stated that Communities are a way for healthy conversations to be supported.

Twitter users raised concerns about the concept of communities. Some argued that it would lead to opinion silos, where everyone agrees. It creates an echo chamber, which reinforces and hardens opinions.

It is a political bubble, where everyone agrees with your views, and there are no other points of view. It seems that this is the end of rational thinking and constructive debates.

It isn’t an absurd idea. However, the Internet has a vast history of forming sections around topics and still consisting of contended discussions about the given topic of the community.

Reddit shows how communities can come together around a topic and not become echo chambers of the same opinions.

Reddit has neighborhoods that are organized around specific issues. One member commented on this observation.

Moderation of Communities

Moderators have the power to hide tweets that violate community rules. They are unable to remove members.

Twitter identified the following moderator responsibilities.

“Community moderators can hide tweets that violate Community guidelines. A Community member can report a tweet (1) to have it reviewed by a Community moderator if you believe that a Community Rule has broken, or (2) to have it reviewed by Twitter if a Twitter Rule violation is suspected.

Non-members are also able to report Community tweets they believe have violated Twitter Rules.

Note: Community moderators can remove members who don’t follow Community rules.

Examples of Twitter Communities

Twitter pointed out that only a handful are available right now.

Two communities are currently available on Twitter:

How to Build a Community

Any member who has a public Twitter account in good standing may join or create their community.

The Community feature is currently in a limited test mode. Potential community members must fill out the interest form found here.

Twitter Communities

Twitter’s new Communities feature an excellent way for it to get more like Reddit or Facebook. The community feature allows members to connect with like-minded people and share their interests in various topics.