[ti:Twitter Launches ‘Fleet’ Messages that Disappear in a Day] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Twitter has launched a new feature that lets users [00:05.16]post tweets that disappear after a day. [00:11.20]The social media company calls the new tweets "fleets." [00:17.16]The word fleet is an adjective meaning very fast or quick. [00:24.60]Fleets can be sent as written messages, pictures or videos. [00:31.92]Twitter says it decided to add the feature [00:35.72]after some users expressed concerns [00:39.92]about the current tweeting system. [00:43.96]"Some of you tell us that tweeting is uncomfortable [00:48.52]because it feels so public, so permanent," [00:52.92]the company said Tuesday in an announcement on its website. [00:58.12]Some users also feel a lot of pressure [01:02.36]to receive large numbers of likes and retweets, it added. [01:09.52]Fleets cannot be retweeted and will not have likes. [01:14.84]The only way a person can answer or comment on a fleet [01:19.84]is by sending the user a direct message. [01:23.68]This prevents any back-and-forth communication [01:28.04]between users from becoming a public discussion. [01:33.80]"To help people feel more comfortable, [01:37.24]we've been working on a lower pressure way [01:40.60]for people to talk about what's happening," Twitter said. [01:46.40]Fleets were launched "so everyone can easily join the conversation [01:52.36]in a new way – with their fleeting thoughts." [01:57.64]The new Twitter feature comes long after other social media services [02:03.88]– including Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram [02:08.60]– added the ability for users to send disappearing messages. [02:15.40]Such messages have become increasingly popular with social media users [02:22.00]looking for smaller groups or more private messaging. [02:28.64]The company had been testing the feature in Brazil, Italy, [02:33.84]India and South Korea before launching it worldwide. [02:40.60]"Those new to Twitter found fleets to be an easier way [02:45.76]to share what's on their mind," the Twitter statement said. [02:50.24]"Because they disappear from view after a day, [02:54.68]fleets helped people feel more comfortable [02:58.24]sharing personal and casual thoughts, opinions, and feelings." [03:05.60]However, some Twitter users who experimented with the feature [03:11.28]said they were worried that the tool [03:14.16]may create new possibilities for online abuse. [03:20.40]For example, they said fleets could permit [03:24.04]the sending of unwanted direct messages. [03:28.96]The feature also permits fleet writers [03:32.36]to "tag" people who have blocked them. [03:36.56]A Twitter official told Reuters news agency [03:40.28]it was listening to suggestions from users [03:44.20]and would work to fix safety concerns like the blocking issue. [03:51.56]Twitter and other social media companies are under pressure [03:56.40]to do a better job of preventing abuses [04:00.40]and limiting the spread of misinformation on their websites. [04:07.44]Another new Twitter feature set to launch to all users next year [04:13.00]is the "voice tweet," an audio recording [04:17.08]that takes the place of a written message. [04:21.28]The company's product designer, Maya Gold Patterson, [04:25.92]said many users feel Twitter's 280-character message model is too limiting. [04:34.32]"And sometimes tweeting isn't the right way of communicating [04:39.68]at the moment," Patterson said. [04:43.00]"So we were interested in exploring how audio [04:47.76]could help add an additional layer to the public conversation." [04:53.68]The feature has been tested in recent months. [04:58.64]Twitter also confirmed plans to launch a live audio feature, called "Spaces." [05:07.08]This tool will permit users to talk in public, group conversations. [05:13.84]It is similar to Clubhouse, a social service [05:18.80]in which users are invited to hold conversations in voice chat rooms. [05:26.28]I'm Bryan Lynn. [05:28.48]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM