First there was this

Based on usage patterns and feedback, we’ve learned most people want to see when someone they follow replies to another person they follow—it’s a good way to stay in the loop. However, receiving one-sided fragments via replies sent to folks you don’t follow in your timeline is undesirable. Today’s update removes this undesirable and confusing option.

Perhaps it was because I’d had an Ethiopian beer with dinner but I had to reread that one at least a dozen times before I understood it. And even then I had to have three different bloggers explain it to me.

Then, came this

The engineering team reminded me that there were serious technical reasons why that setting had to go or be entirely rebuilt—it wouldn’t have lasted long even if we thought it was the best thing ever.

Oh, so it wasn’t a “usage patterns and feedback” thing at all but a scalability issue? I don’t have a problem with design solutions to technical problems, but don’t lie to me, man.

And now, finally, this

The problem with the setting was that it didn’t scale and even if we rebuilt it, the feature was blunt. It was confusing and caused a sense of inconsistency. We felt we could do much better.

That actually kinda makes sense, I sure wish you’d said that at the beginning.

I don’t envy @biz (ok, that’s a lie, I’m every shade of green with insane jealousy) or the job of having to placate the twittering masses, but I thought open, clear communication was a hallmark of this web thing he’s at the center of. I’m sure whatever the next feature you guys build is going to be great, just please don’t feel like you need to talk down to us about it. Thanks.