You can start tweeting again. Twitter Inc. has confirmed that the technical glitch of a software update that affected several users from Europe, Middle East, North America and Africa for more than 6 hours has already been fixed.
In an update posted by the microblogging site, it announced that it has already resolved the intermittent issue that inhibits users from accessing the site between 00:40 and 06:50 (PST). It further explained that the problem was due to a change in an internal code that has already been reverted, thus resolving the glitch.
Users started reporting the blackout on Tuesday at around 8:30 am that intermittently reappears on some smartphones before 11 am. The site constantly shuts down, with images and videos unable to appear and play.
Over half of the reports came from those using the website, although both iOS and Android app users also filed some complaints. Even Tweetdeck, Twitter's client app, also experienced the same interruptions the entire day.
Some users, who may have not been affected or the issue has already been resolved, tweeted about the interruption using #twitterdown. Several others still reported experiencing blackout even after the announcement. Nevertheless, there is no direct way to find out whether the service has been fully reinstated.
The recent problem marks the social networking site's longest blackout in a decade. It has previously experienced crashing problems before including Apple's live event in 2008, where it was too heavy for the server, and its latest major decline in service in 2014 with the social media site down for about 45 minutes.
According to social media expert Warren Knight, with Twitter still struggling to attract some members, the recent crash is not good for its image. However, he said the company should have no difficulties bouncing back.
"Any downtime for a technology brand is negative, and as quick we complain we quickly forget and go back to our daily habits," he said.
