Twitter Launches New Homepage That Emphasizes Following Others, Deemphasizes Sharing

Twitter’s new homepage is all about following others, but doesn’t even mention the fact that you can post status updates yourself.

It’s always been hard to explain to new users what Twitter is all about and the company itself never did a very good job at this either. Now Twitter is making a new attempt at explaining itself. The company just launched a new homepage that explains the service to new users as a place to find “instant updates from your friends, industry experts, favorite celebrities, and what’s happening around the world.” The previous iteration of the homepage told users that Twitter was a place to “discover what’s new in your world” and promised “easy, free, and instant updates.” Given Twitter’s drive to make the service more mainstream, it makes sense that the new homepage doesn’t make any mention of Twitter as a place where you can post updates yourself.

The new homepage features a map in the background, sign-up and sign-in forms, as well as a search box. It’s clear that Twitter wants to appeal to mainstream users here and while some early adopters will greet this new emphasis on celebrities and industry experts with the appropriate amount of snark, it is likely the right way to go for Twitter. Most people don’t want to share their own thoughts publicly after all, but are more than happy to hear the latest news from Justin Bieber, Oprah and Kanye West.