Tweet Media Could Put Photos, Video Into Your Twitter Stream

Twitter is reportedly testing a new feature called "Tweet Media" that would embed photos and videos contained in tweets directly in users' streams.

Mashable accessed the new option under Twitter's account settings and posted a screenshot of the Tweet Media setting:

The Tweet Media option came with this description:

By default, you'll only see images and videos shared by people you're following, and reveal those by people you're not. Check this box to see media from everyone on Twitter

The new setting was not fully functional when Mashable uncovered it and, shortly after, Twitter removed Tweet Media from the account settings page. However, later, in an official statement, Twitter told Mashable, "We're constantly exploring features and settings. What you saw was a small test of a potential consumption setting for inline media. We show inline media on our own iPhone and Android apps."

As Twitter noted, many mobile apps already display embedded media within tweets: for example, if user tweets a link to a Twitpic link, a small thumbnail of that image is shown below the tweet's text.

Would you want to see photos and video embedded in you Twitter stream? Part of what distinguishes Twitter is its 140-character limit. How would having pictures--"worth a thousand words"--change the social media platform? As Fast Company notes, "adding embeddable media to the stream has the potential to complicate the traditionally simple, 140-characters-of-text aesthetic of the network." Mashable muses that it could "radically change the entire Twitter experience." Would the inline media change Twitter for the better or worse? Weigh in below.

Quick Poll

Tweet Media would...

Make Twitter better.

Make Twitter worse.

Have no real effect at all.

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Comments

[BlaiddDrwg]

09:38 AM on 07/29/2010

You mean, people will be able to share photos with one another, and maybe even videos? Over a social networking website? In an updated feed of information that's easily accessed through your browser? NO WAY!!!

It's like Facebook, but less substantive! Perfect for when we're too distracted to even finish our...

[Ramon Nuez]

08:54 AM on 07/29/2010

Twitter strength come from its simplicity not complexity. They still have capacity issues -- the infamous fail whale. Perhaps more resources invested in better capacity planning would benefit Twitter more than inline media features. I have argued this many times -- it just feels as if Twitter is content just being the fire-hose. They are not really providing much more in the way of feature sets.

Take the reTweet feature. It would be great if I could add a hashtag, a word or two or even add a twitter handle. That -- to me -- is more important than adding inline media.

[ramram001]

06:34 PM on 07/28/2010

Hmm, that sounds oddly familiar. Wait! It's called TUMBLR!!!!!! DUH!

[uncc49er]

09:43 AM on 07/29/2010

The same venture capital behind both of them! Sparks Capital.

[Bruckley]

02:29 PM on 07/28/2010

Guess I'm outta the loop. I don't really care to know what my friends and family are doing every moment of the day, nor do I particularly want to share that information with them.

[shyles25]

01:44 PM on 07/28/2010

Oh I can't wait to see my timeline even more cluttered with retweeted pics and videos D:...

That being said, I can't wait to post videos and pictures :D

[BryanTheRegOps]

08:11 AM on 07/28/2010

Wait why is this a big deal? I have Ubertwitter on my Blackberry and it does that already. Its a really nice feature but big deal.

[speakeasy602]

07:42 PM on 07/27/2010

I like the way that most people use the API to show inline media, and I think if twitter continues to add functionality to their site, they will drive people away. Twitter made it this far based on simplicity and integration, they should keep it simple, and let the 3rd party app developers worry about the bells and whistles.

[Christian G McFadden]

11:09 AM on 07/28/2010

That's a new one. Adding functionality will drive people away? Really?

Regardless, you can plainly see they add it as an *option*. If you don't like it, don't use it.

[Max Bowman]

05:17 PM on 07/27/2010

My Twitter app thingy shows the pictures now....It would be nice if twitter just did it themselves (would save clicking over to another page when online), but this would be a catching up kinda thing for them. Still good to know they are exploring ways to improve.

[Descutner]

05:09 PM on 07/27/2010

This is hardly a new feature. People have been using second party applications to put pictures and video in the live feeds for a long time now. Twitter is always behind the times when it comes to features.

[Michael Mayer]

04:49 PM on 07/27/2010

I don't know a single person who uses twitter with any sort of seriousness or regularity.

[andrewjlederer]

07:43 PM on 07/27/2010

Then they must not exist.

[BryanTheRegOps]

08:11 AM on 07/28/2010

LOL!

[Whatnow]

09:47 AM on 07/28/2010

I think your right, I don't hear them either.

[Pectin]

11:49 PM on 07/27/2010

I do. A lot of people use it for business, I know bands who keep their fans in the know about gigs, and let's not forget the political machines that have been using it lately.
It's a tool, and used wisely, an effective one.

Most tweets are drivel, true, but that's a reflection on the one who posted it, not the tool itself.