User:TwitterTrends/sandbox

Trending topics became trackable and organizable with the introduction of hashtags in August, 2007 by Chris Messina, who wanted to improv

= Twitter Trends = For a word, phrase, or hashtag to trend, Twitter uses an algorithm that is designed to target a sharp spike in mentions rather than sustained usage of a tag. A tag, or hashtag (#), is used before a word or phrase used in tweets to mark them as relating to a topic, so that people can follow the conversation and view other tweets that use the same tag. On one’s twitter page, “Trends for You” lists trending hashtags that are personally tailored based on who the user follows, their interests, and their location. The hashtag was first introduced in August, 2007 by user Chris Messina.

History of Twitter Trends
Trending topics became easier to track and organize with the introduction of hashtags in August, 2007 by Chris Messina, who wanted to improve “contextualization, content filtering, and exploratory serendipity”. Messina took direction from similar uses of the pound symbol he’d already seen on other sites like Jaiku and Flickrwhen designing the hashtag for twitter. Initially, users were not eager to adopt Messina’s hashtag idea. Some users felt the hashtag was aesthetically displeasing, should not have more than one use on the platform, or they simply did not see a purpose for them. Co-founder Evan Williams felt the hashtag was too “nerdy” to go mainstream. Eventually, Twitter adopted the hashtag which led to Twitter’s creation of the Trending List. Hashtags have evolved since they were first introduced to Twitter. First, the hashtag was limited as one had to follow a tag to view tweets in real time that included the tag. Now, users see hundreds of hashtags on their timelines, they can search for hashtags in the search bar, and join hashtag conversations by clicking on it to view other tweets that use the same tag. Using hashtags to follow Twitter trends help users follow current events like national disasters and sports events. The trending page allows for a large group of people to coordinate conversations in a sensible and easy-to-follow manner. The website Trendogate was created to archive Twitter Trends. The earliest archived trends on the website in the United States include #IsiahWashington, #StraightOuttaCompton, and #JerryBrown.

The Trending List
Twitter’s trending list is determined by an algorithm, which finds and ranks trending tags for each user. The algorithm searches for tags that are popular in the current moment. These tags do not have to be a hashtag; a word or phrase can also appear on the list. Additionally, similar tags are often grouped together and counted towards one tag. To use a tag and make it count towards the trending algorithm, a user must tweet using the tag or retweet another tweet using the tag. Liking a tweet that uses the targeted tag will also signal the algorithm of a trending topic.

Promoted Trends are a type of trend that appear on the trending list that are paid for. As opposed to “organic” trends, promoted trends are paid for by an organization or campaign and are clearly marked as “Promoted by [advertiser]” on the trending list.

Twitter’s trending list can be curated according to the preferences of each individual user. Users can change between lists on the mobile app by tapping the settings icon and toggling the “Trends for you” switch. On the web browser, users can select the “Change” option. Then users can search for trends from a specific location.

Personal Trends
The default trending list for Twitter users is a list that is specially curated, known as the “Trends for you” list. This list tracks and collects tweet data from a user’s location, who they are following, and their general interests (determined by searches and activity on Twitter). The information goes through an algorithm that sifts through tags and ultimately personalizes a list tailored to the user.

Location-Based Trends
Twitter users can opt to switch from personalized trends to more concrete trends based on their location. Users can search for a specific location - a city, state/province, or country - and will be shown tags that are in high use within the specified area. Twitter’s algorithm collects data from users within the area and provides trends that are relevant and localized to the area.

Worldwide Trends is the most popular among the trending lists that users can elect to use within the location-based trending list settings. The worldwide trending list is the least personalized list offered because the Twitter algorithm analyzes data from all of Twitter and creates a list of top trends that is uniform across the world.