Twitter's goal for the next year is to be simpler and easier to use

With the introduction of curated Moments, it's clear that Twitter is trying very hard to not only keep its existing userbase, but also to make its product easier to use, especially for newcomers. At the Code/Mobile event in Half Moon Bay, Twitter's SVP of Product Kevin Weil confirmed that vision by saying that the next 12 months will be about making the product simpler for casual users. This, he says, won't be good for just new folks, but will also improve the utility and functionality of Twitter for everyone. One potential way for Twitter to do that would be to increase the 140 character limit in tweets, which was a rumor floating around last week. While Weil wouldn't comment on it, he did say "We're not shy about changing something that's at the core of Twitter."

There are some issues with Twitter that Weil says are difficult to change. Responding to a question from the audience on whether we'll be able to edit our tweets in the future, he said that's a difficult thing to implement, because of Twitter embeds and retweets potentially messing that up. But he was a lot more positive about improving DMs, or Twitter's direct messaging. On building more utility into DMs, he said "We have some great ideas. Stay tuned."

And as for whether Twitter will ever be sold? "Twitter is a force in the world," he said. "It'll remain an independent company."