Twitter Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ====Trending topics==== {{Main|Twitter trends}} [[File:Twitter TT.PNG|thumb|Countries and cities with local ''trending topics'' in Twitter]] A word, phrase, or topic that is mentioned at a greater rate than others is said to be a "trending topic". A topic can "trend" because of an event that naturally prompts tweets, or through a concerted effort by users.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bloggers back media against youth league |url=http://www.journalism.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3103&Itemid=37 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718104406/http://www.journalism.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3103&Itemid=37 |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> These topics help Twitter and its users understand world events and the public's opinion on them.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Twitter Trends of 2009 |url=http://blog.twitter.com/2009/12/top-twitter-trends-of-2009.html |access-date=April 3, 2010 |archive-date=April 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429143913/http://blog.twitter.com/2009/12/top-twitter-trends-of-2009.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Twitter web interface displays a list of trending topics on a sidebar on the home page, along with sponsored content. Trending topics are sometimes the result of concerted efforts and manipulations by fans of certain celebrities or cultural phenomena, particularly musicians like [[Lady Gaga]], [[Justin Bieber]], [[Rihanna]] and [[One Direction]], and novel series ''[[Twilight (novel series)|Twilight]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter]]''. Twitter has altered the trend algorithm in the past to prevent manipulation of this type with limited success.<ref>{{cite web |last=Woollaston |first=Vicky |title=Justin Bieber fans beat Twitter 'block' |url=http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/top-stories/492646/justin-bieber-fans-beat-twitter-block |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122152133/http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/top-stories/492646/justin-bieber-fans-beat-twitter-block |archive-date=November 22, 2012 |access-date=January 20, 2012 |website=[[Web User]] |publisher=}}</ref> Twitter also censors trending hashtags that are claimed to be abusive or offensive. Twitter censored the #thatsafrican<ref>{{cite news |last=Weiner |first=David |date=June 21, 2009 |title=#Thatsafrican β When Twitter Went Racist? |work=Huffington Post |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/david-weiner/thatsafrican----when-twit_b_218673.html |access-date=April 3, 2010 |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019095337/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-weiner/thatsafrican----when-twit_b_218673.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and #thingsdarkiessay hashtags after users complained that they found the hashtags offensive.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 5, 2009 |title=Thingsdarkiessay causes a Twitter storm |url=http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/news/thingsdarkiessay-causes-a-twitter-storm-1.909053 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130094002/http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/news/thingsdarkiessay-causes-a-twitter-storm-1.909053 |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2012 |publisher=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]] |location=South Africa}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page