Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced that X, formerly known as Twitter, will reintroduce showing headlines in preview cards with web adresses.
Musk mentioned in a post on X that, in an upcoming update, the company plans to overlay the title in the upper portion of the image on a URL card. However, no specific timeline for rollout or an example of the card’s appearance was provided.
The announcement comes just less than two months after X stopped displaying article headlines in October.Musk floated making a change to X to axe all article headlines back in August, saying that it would greatly improve the site’s aesthetics. Following this announcement, the company implemented the decision, discontinuing the display of headlines in October.
However, headlines in preview cards are making a comeback now. As a result of the change, users were required to click or tap on the URL card to discover the title or read the headline on X.To adapt to this change, publishers began crafting their own headlines on images and sharing the link separately or incorporating the headline within the image of the generated preview card.
Meanwhile, the X and SpaceX owner recently expressed his aspiration to transform the micro-blogging platform into a leading dating and job recruitment site, emphasizing increased video live-streaming for sports as well as political events. In a recent meeting with X employees and CEO Linda Yaccarino, Musk highlighted a focus on evaluating individuals based on their past posts on the platform.
Musk mentioned that he wants X, formerly Twitter, to compete with various apps like LinkedIn, FaceTime and even dating apps.The reintroduction of headlines will be welcomed by many users who found it difficult to quickly scan through their feeds without them. It will also be beneficial for publishers, who rely on headlines to attract clicks to their articles.
However, some users may prefer the cleaner look of the platform without headlines. Additionally, the change could lead to an increase in the number of misleading or inflammatory headlines, as there will be less space for context.
Overall, the reintroduction of headlines is a positive change for X. It will make the platform more user-friendly and beneficial for publishers. However, it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks of the change, such as the increase in misleading headlines.
Philips Babatunde