Twitter gets easier for newbies

Rolls out Facebook-like suggestion tools

22 January 2010 13:17 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Perhaps with an eye on its poor retention rates, Twitter has announced new tools that are aimed to make it easier for Twitter virgins to get started on the micro-blogging site.

Twitter says it's making "the first of many changes here to help people ease into the twitterverse by finding and following accounts that interest them".

Naming challenges for newbies as finding accounts to follow that interest them, as well as finding friends and colleagues, if a new twitterer selects interests, Twitter will now show the users accounts that relate to that interest thanks to some new algorithms.

In addition, Twitter can help users find friends and colleagues by checking their address books, as well as the option to search for anyone - an existing tool, arguably.

"We've found that the power of suggestion can be a great thing to help people get started", says Twitter. Facebook, which has been using such tools for some time, would no doubt agree.

In related news, Twitter client maker Seesmic has just announced the launch of Seesmic Look, Twitter-approved software, that's said to be aimed at the mainstream market.

Full tags

Software, Online, Twitter, Social networking, Facebook