The most popular social networking and micro-blogging website, Twitter.com is going to implement new authorizations rules for desktop applications.

According to Twitter officials- there are over 250,000 applications built using the Twitter API including websites, desktop and mobile applications. TweetDeck, Seesmic Desktop Twitter for iPhone, Twitter for Blackberry are few of them. To get access your Twitter account and use it to read and post Tweets it require authorization first. From August 31, all applications will be required to use “OAuth” to access your Twitter account.

What’s OAuth?

• OAuth is a technology that enables applications to access Twitter on your behalf with your approval without asking you directly for your password.
• Desktop and mobile applications may still ask for your password once, but after that request, they are required to use OAuth in order to access your timeline or allow you to tweet.

What does this mean for me?

• Applications are no longer allowed to store your password.
• If you change your password, the applications will continue to work.
• Some applications you have been using may require you to reauthorize them or may stop functioning at the time of this change.
• All applications you have authorized will be listed at http://twitter.com/settings/connections.
• You can revoke access to any application at any time from the list.

Besides Twitter is also introducing its own URL shortening service t.co which wraps links in Tweets with a new, simplified link. The service is available on certain accounts that have opted-in to the service right now. It is expected to roll this out by the end of the year for everyone.

Courtesy: Twitter