Who knew that we’d be longing for something beyond just short and sweet? It seems that 140 characters on Twitter are no longer enough; either we have more to say now or we’ve finally started typing full sentences. May 24, 2016, Twitter announced that it is working on changing the way that characters are counted.

It sounds like the 140-character count will now all go towards our message. What will change in the next few months?

• Usernames no longer counted towards limit – When replying on Twitter, @names will not deduct from our 140-character count. This is great news for those with long usernames.
• Enough room to show and tell – Media attachments will not count towards our character count, so go ahead describe that video or photo in more detail.
• Retweet yourself – We know you are your biggest fan, so go ahead retweet yourself, quote yourself, and make sure that your words get noticed. You’ll be able to add anything you missed the first time.
• No more .@ – Tweets that begin with a username will no longer need a period before that name. To reach all followers, tweets will simply begin with a username. We’ll be glad to see .@ go, because we prefer our periods at the end of sentences.

Why is Twitter doing this? According to Twitter project manager Todd Sherman “We’re exploring ways to make existing uses easier and enable new ones, all without compromising the unique brevity and speed that make Twitter the best place for live commentary, connections, and conversations.”

Thanks Todd. As for the changes, keep an eye out and get ready to say an extra word or two. Read the original announcement here.