Following a disappointing uptake in new users, Twitter have announced a number of changes to their platform to try to encourage people to use it.

Probably the most significant change will be that photos, videos and gifs will no longer be included in the 140 character limit.  On a similar vein, usernames will also be exempt from the limit.

Tweets beginning with an “@” sign will now be visible to all followers and you will, in future have the ability to retweet and quote yourself.

I think in particular the exemption of multimedia and usernames from the character limit is an interesting idea, meaning every one of the 140 characters can be used for useful content.

I look forward to seeing the response to these changes and whether they will indeed signal a change in fortune for Twitter.