Twitter launches custom timelines to cut down on information overload

New feature will allow organisations and individuals to create feeds of tweets concerning anything from live TV to breaking news

Twitter's IPO last week saw the company's share prices jump by 73 per cent in the first day of trading. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson )

Twitter has introduced custom timelines, a new feature that allows individuals to curate custom feeds of information using tweets selected from the public sphere.

“This means that when the conversation around an event or topic takes off on Twitter, you have the opportunity to create a timeline that surfaces what you believe to be the most noteworthy, relevant Tweets,” writes Twitter’s Brian Ellin.

Example uses from Twitter include a custom stream to accompany US reality TV show ‘The Voice’, with host Carson Daly creating a feed of fans’ reactions.

The new feature is currently rolling out slowly as Twitter tries to educate people on how to use it via streams curated by public figures and institutions. Each stream can be embedded in a website and comes with its own permalink to share the content.

As well as collecting the thoughts of random tweeters to provide a commentary on live TV, custom timelines could also be used to create archives and record eye witness reactions to breaking news.

The feature can also create custom timelines automatically using set parameters based on anything from keywords being used to who is tweeting.

US politics website Politico for example has created an “Energy Insider” hub that monitors American energy policy by sorting tweets into three streams: reporters, ‘influencers’, and lawmakers.

Custom timelines may not be of much interest to the average users, but they will give many organisations a far easier tool to collect and sort through the vast amounts of information provided by Twitter.

By cutting down on the leg work needed to sort the wheat from the chaff the company will be hoping to put Twitter in front of more internet users and build upon its reputation as a functional tool in the age of digital information overload.

However, not everyone will be happy with the news. A website named Storify has been providing similar features since 2010, and it's likely that Twitter will cannibalize some of their user base by offering the same functionality, but within the TweetDeck software.

Storify co-founder Burt Herman has commented on the situation to AllThingsD, noting that the company has a "strong relationship" with Twitter and that they will be "exploring how we can incorporate the Custom Timelines into Storify, which lets you collect media from all social networks and anywhere online,"