Twitter’s “Let’s Get Started” Box Blocked Some Users From Web-based Tweeting

As the LA Times has also reported, a random group of Twitter users are unable to send out tweets from the Web because they’re getting a “Let’s get started” content box in the spot where they’d normally be able to write and send a tweet. And these folks are none too pleased about the change, […]

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Twitter BirdAs the LA Times has also reported, a random group of Twitter users are unable to send out tweets from the Web because they’re getting a “Let’s get started” content box in the spot where they’d normally be able to write and send a tweet.

And these folks are none too pleased about the change, particularly because the “Let’s get started” box is sometimes showing up on the accounts of people who’ve been on Twitter for years.

Here are some of the tweets I’ve found by doing some Twitter searches. The first one below shows the box — which offers a step-by-step guide that should be for new users — appearing to someone who’s send out more than 50,000 tweets.

 

 

 

 

 

The steps shown above are similar to what Twitter asks new accounts to do. When signing up for Twitter, new users are forced to follow a minimum of five accounts — just like what’s indicated in the second checked item above. (Twitter suggests numerous popular accounts to make it easy, and then the user can unfollow any or all after the account setup process is complete.)

Of course, what should be showing there is the standard “Compose new Tweet…” box, right below the user’s basic profile stats.

twitter-compose-tweet

We’ve reached out to Twitter’s communications team for comment, but may not receive a reply at this hour. We’ll update this post if and when we learn if this is a bug or something else.

Postscript: Twitter did contact me about an hour after our story was published, but declined to comment on what was going on. I say “was” because it appears, at least from one of the users above, that the checklist has gone away and the “Compose new Tweet” box is back:

 

So, it seems safe to say that this was a temporary bug that’s now been fixed. With that in mind, I’ve updated the headline a bit, changing the word “Blocks” to “Blocked.”


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Matt McGee
Contributor
Matt McGee joined Third Door Media as a writer/reporter/editor in September 2008. He served as Editor-In-Chief from January 2013 until his departure in July 2017. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee.

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