Swapping 140 characters for six seconds, Twitter has launched ‘Vine’ a video sharing app that lets users post up brief videos- with some risque results.
The app, currently available on Apple’s iPhone and iPad, is designed to be a simpler version of YouTube, letting users upload (and view) videos quickly.
The launch follow’s Twitters aquisition of Vine back in October 2012.
In keeping with the micro-blogging site’s 140-character limit, Vine is built around a similar style of abbreviation: Videos that users post can only be six seconds long, and are played back on a continuous loop.
Officials at Vine and Twitter are betting that the brevity of the videos will increase users’ video-making creativity.
“We believe that constraint inspires creativity, whether it’s through a 140-character Tweet or a six-second video,” said Dom Hofmann, Vine’s co-founder and general manager, in a blog post.
“Go make a scene. We think you’ll love it,” he added.
Twitter says Vine is available for free, worldwide, on the iPhone and iPod touch, and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. The micro-blogging site also said it is working to bring Vine to other platforms, but it did not provide further details.
Porn controversy
Within days of the app’s launch, its courted controversy as pornographic clips made their way onto the service, with one even featured as an ‘Editor’s Pick’.
In response, Twitter has said it has a two-stage complaints system which relies on users to initially report anything they deem inappropriate. Questionable content such as ”nudity, violence, or medical procedures” can be flagged within the app or on the website, the social company told Business Insider, at which point any future viewings will be preceded by a warning message.
The app has also frayed relationships with social networking rival Facebook. Within hours of Twitter’s launch of Vine, Facebook cut off access to its “find people” feature. When attempting to connect to Facebook, Vine users are left with an error message. Users who want to connect to friends on the social network will have to find a workaround.
Read the official Twitter blog announcement here
http://vine.co/blog