Hot Topic
Long reads
Tweetdeck, which lets you display multiple Twiitter accounts (or multiple views of one account) across one deck on your monitor, has long been the choice of power users on the social network.
In a blog post today*, Twitter said it is phasing out the Adobe Air (PC), Android and iPhone app versions of Tweetdeck from May (you'll still be able to use them, they will just receive no patches or updates, so will likely be increasingly flakely from that point).
The initial reaction from Tweetdeck fans has been outrage.
However, Twitter is keeping on the web browser version of Tweetdeck, and its Chrome extension app.
NBR has formerly tried then passed on the browser version, which was clunkier and less fully-featured than the dedicated Air app (and in fact, NBR has had a dual Air installation, clinging to the original version of Tweetdeck as well as the post-Twitter upgrade which removed filtering and other features).
But checking in today, the browswer version if very lookalike, and NBR won't miss endless Air updates.
But there's no excuse for another Twitter move: Facebook integration is also being phased out - no doubt part of the tit-for-tat war that's being going on since Facebook bought Instagram, then removed support for direct posting to Twitter.
Twitter bought Tweetdeck for around $US40 million in mid-2011. Cynics see Twitter moving to disarm and de-feature third-party clients.
* With an apparent lack of irony, the blog post is on Posterous, the blogging site bought by Twitter in March last year. Posterous is being shut down on April 30.
NBR staff
Wed, 06 Mar 2013
Wed, 06 Mar 2013
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
GLOBAL TECH WRAP: Twitter killing off Tweetdeck app
27806