Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom just took the stage at the LeWeb conference and is speaking directly to this morning's controversial change that removed Twitter card support. Right off the bat, Systrom made it clear that "we will always be integrated with Twitter in a way that you can tweet out from Instagram to Twitter," but he also acknowledged that the change is "really confusing" and offered his apologies to any confused users. Systrom also wanted to make it clear that the change wasn't due to Facebook policy; he said that "this isn't actually a consequence of us getting acquired."
Additionally, Systrom claimed that "we have a really good relationship with Twitter," despite recent evidence to the contrary — he specifically denied the possibility that Instagram's removal of Twitter cards was a tit for tat response to Twitter blocking Instagram from using its friend-finding API.
Systrom simply believes that the change is "the correct thing for our business to do at this time" — Instagram's CEO wants people to use the new web client on Instagram.com because he thinks it is a better user experience, and noted that "not many people know what Twitter cards are." Thanks to the major revisions Instagram has made to its web properties over the last few months, the company now wants to direct users to "where their content lives originally." He's definitely painting this change as something that will improve the experience for users and doesn't seem to think that the change will be a negative for Instagram's large user base.
Comments
Next article, Twitter CEO says…
By UncleBobbings on 12.05.12 10:19am
This is such a first world problem. I dont even know what Twitter cards are.
I’m sure we’ll be fine.
By HumanEvan on 12.05.12 12:39pm
1) Twitter cards are the things that let you see content inline with your twitter feed. Without Twitter card integration, you need to click the link and visit a separate web page to view the images.
2) Lots of people in developing countries have cheap smartphones, and many people who don’t still access and use Twitter online.
3) This isn’t really about privilege. This is about a tech company making a stupid, self-serving decision. All of the platforms involved are free, and global.
Anyway, my guess is we’ve got maybe a month before we start seeing advertisements on the Instagram.com pages. I think Systrom is catching heat from Facebook’s board for not having a monetization strategy, and there’s no way to build advertising into inline content. By forcing people to visit Instagram.com, they get eyeballs on all that lovely blank space surrounding your picture.
By gogadgetgo on 12.05.12 1:17pm
Oh, I was unsure of what the cards were also, truth is if it doesn’t card I don’t click the link unless it’s to an article…
By YozMan on 12.05.12 9:04pm
Why just don’t name topic like “Apple removes twitter from Instagram” oh…the verge staff
By misterxmedia on 12.05.12 3:46pm
Twitter CEO says: “At least we have a Windows Phone app, these instagram peeps are amateur hour”.
By Ardentra on 12.05.12 12:40pm
this is’t → this isn’t
By latlong on 12.05.12 10:21am
Funny, because Instagrams Twitter sync wasn’t even working last night. I had to manually tweet to the post, not really a big deal… but still :P
By josh.hofer on 12.05.12 10:25am
I don’t get it, what’s he apologizing for, it was their choice to do that.
By svucinic811 on 12.05.12 10:25am
Nobody wants to “go to Instagram”. It is not a freaking social network. I just want to quickly see linked photos that people tweet. And they are stupidly making this core experience worse.
By acidboy on 12.05.12 10:30am
By randomaccount12312 on 12.05.12 10:36am
I agree with your point but citing Wikipedia?
By cgimusic on 12.05.12 11:04am
By randomaccount12312 on 12.05.12 11:15am
When will get to the point when people accept that Wikipedia is a mostly legit source of information?
By BranFlake30 on 12.05.12 12:07pm
Never, hopefully.
By AngryRussian on 12.05.12 12:59pm
I’m sorry but your a clown for that statement. Anyone with half a brain can verify if what is being said is accurate. All you have to do is click on the citation links to see the source link.
From there you can read the article in full and YOU can be the judge if you want to go with the information that was presented on wikipedia.
I feel so sorry for your lack of knowledge.
By seanpat05 on 12.05.12 1:08pm
[citation needed] much, brah?
By AngryRussian on 12.05.12 5:07pm
You see the citations after each sentence? click the links and you will get your source links.
An if you are going to criticize him for using wiki, I guess you never looked to the website for information? If so you are a blatant hypocrite since if you use the site, you look for facts. Facts that may or may not be able to be verified.
By seanpat05 on 12.05.12 1:07pm
Talk about being lazy.
By seanpat05 on 12.05.12 10:38am
So because YOU think it isn’t a social network, it isn’t a social network? Alright then…
By roessnakhan on 12.05.12 11:23am
It’s a social network. People post photos, when you follow them it appears in your feed, people can comment and show support with the heart button… what’s not social and networky about that?
By tomflack on 12.06.12 12:55am
My question is what’s going to happen to desktop and mobile apps that still allow inline viewing. If they plan on doing this, they’re going to have to be fair and inconvenience everyone.
By randomaccount12312 on 12.05.12 10:33am
“Instagram’s CEO wants people to use the new web client on Instagram.com because he thinks it is a better user experience”
Except that users want to interact on Twitter, especially those without Instagram accounts (or even if they aren’t logged in on the desktop).
By neshcom on 12.05.12 10:35am
An how long does it take for you to type your username and password on a desktop?
Talk about lazy.
By seanpat05 on 12.05.12 10:39am
Because that’s a great experience when you’re on Twitter & someone’s Instagram account Tweets out an upload… Quite your Twitter app, login in the Instagram website to the view the ‘card’ rather than a badly cropped raw image where you were already browsing on Twitter
By UncleBobbings on 12.05.12 10:55am