Twitter has been observing that there is a broad range of conversations on the platform but Twitter as an entity hasn’t done enough to connect people whose interests lie in the same things. Recognizing the above Twitter has started testing Communities. “Communities” is “a way to easily find and connect with people who want to talk about the same things you do.“

Tweet To Your Community

There are some conversations that aren’t for everyone and Twitter understands that. Hence, upon joining a community users can Tweet directly to that group instead of to all their followers. As for joining the conversations and replying, only people who are a part of the same community are allowed to do so. While users can Tweet only to their Community for a focused conversation, Community pages and timelines will be publicly available so that anyone can read, Quote Tweet, and report Community Tweets. 

“We want to continue to support public conversation and help people find Communities that match their interests, while also creating a more intimate space for conversation.” says Twitter in their blog.

Creating, Moderating, and Finding Communities

Communities will have moderators who will decide the focus of conversations along with creation of the Community rules. The moderators will also invite people who will make the Community a great place for conversation. “Think of Communities as places created for conversation where the vibe and tone is set by people who share the same interests and want to have relevant conversations. Moderators set the Community rules and can also invite others to moderate their space to keep things on track and focused.” says Twitter.

Presently the Community creation is limited but in the coming months, Twitter will allow more people to create Communities for a smoother experience. Currently the Communities that are in the testing phase are around topics surrounding popular conversations on Twitter. Twitter says that the examples include dogs, weather, sneakers, skincare, and astrology, with many more to come, “reflecting more of the thriving and niche discussions on Twitter.“

Supporting Healthy Conversations in Communities

Here’s what Twitter is doing to make Communities feel healthy initially, with more to come:
(Source: Twitter)

  • Communities are publicly visible so everyone can see what’s being discussed.
  • All Communities and their members must follow the Twitter Rules. Both members and non-members of Communities can report any potential violations of the Twitter Rules to Twitter.
  • All moderators have to continuously meet our eligibility requirements, including not violating the Twitter Rules. As we open up Community creation and moderation to more people, we’ll continue to refine eligibility requirements. As we test initially, Community moderators are approved by Twitter.
  • Adapting our Twitter Rules and enforcement actions to keep people safe with Communities. This includes developing ways to proactively identify potentially problematic Communities, new reporting flows, and bespoke enforcement actions.

If you are interested in creating communities, you can let Twitter know by clicking here.