Twitter may indulge our vanity by showing view counts for tweets

Twitter isn't supposed to be a popularity contest, but let's be honest -- many of us get a little thrill from new favorites and followers. It may be a good thing, then, that Twitter is experimenting with view counts on tweets. While Twitter's ad partners have had access to this data for a while, the test lets regular social networkers (albeit just a handful) see how much interest there is in what they say. The company isn't commenting on the dry run, but we wouldn't assume that a full-scale launch is coming. While view counts might encourage participation after well-received posts, they could also crush the self-esteem of newcomers. Not everyone can attract as many eyeballs as a celebrity or a politician, after all.

[Image credit: Lydia J, Twitter]