Twitter is testing threaded messages and a status indicator

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Twitter is looking to be more conversational according to Sara Haider, Director of Product Management for the social media app. A tweet from the executive, which was re-tweeted by co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey, shows screenshots displaying two new features that Twitter is testing. One is the use of reply threading, which shows indented responses to tweets in a color coded enclosure.

The second feature being tested is a status indicator that tells users whether someone is currently on Twitter. This shows up in the form of a green dot on the user's profile picture. A status indicator on a site like Twitter could easily be misused though, and responses from several members was not positive. Some were concerned about their privacy, and said that they hoped that the status indicator would be an optional feature. Others, who might consider themselves targets of certain individuals or groups, felt that the green dot would open up their accounts to be blasted by mean spirited tweets, or worse.

There is no indication that Twitter plans on doing anything more than floating these two new features like a trial balloon, to see which way the wind is blowing. For now, it seems that threaded messages gets a thumbs up, the status indicator gets a thumb down.