Why Does Twitter Have Cricket Playing Boys as Its Background Image?

I second Amit; I have lived in Muscat for about three years and I am less than a kilometer away from the grand mosque. As soon as I saw the image for the first time, I knew it was the grand mosque. Oman has a significant population of expatriates from cricket-playing nations like Brits, Indians, Pakistanis, Bengalis, and Sri Lankans.

Research into the Background Image

Thanks for the A2A. This is something I always thought about when I saw the image, and finally, this question prompted me to do some research.

This image is not from India or any other test-playing nation. Instead, it appears to be the image of Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman. Initially, I thought it might be from somewhere in India, but after a bit of searching, I landed on this blog: Twitter Cricket Sign-In Page. After closely comparing the architecture of the mosque and the background hills in the two images, I am almost certain that the building in the Twitter homepage image is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman.

Interestingly, Twitter, being a US-based company, might not have initially chosen this image. However, after testing different browsers and reloading the homepage with different cookies, it turned out that this is only one of at least three images that Twitter uses as its homepage background.

Twitter Homepage Background Images

Here are the three distinct themes currently being used as Twitter homepage backgrounds:

Nature: Images that emphasize natural landscapes and environments. Modern Life/City: Cityscapes and modern urban environments. People or Countryside: Images featuring people in various settings or countryside scenes.

The combination of these themes aims to represent the diverse Twitter population more accurately than a group of young cricketers. However, it is likely that the majority of frequent Twitter users are logged in via their mobile devices or web interfaces, meaning that the homepage images they see before logging in or after logging out are not of great importance to them.

Representing Twitter's Community

Even though the current combination still may not fully represent Twitter's community well, a theme focused on conversation or human interaction would be more fitting. The cricketers in the background by themselves do not provide a good fitting representation of Twitter's global and diverse user base.

For users who do see the homepage background, it is more likely to be part of a multi-step onboarding process. As such, Twitter may not prioritize the display of such images and is content to show them only before users log in or after logging out.

Conclusion

Keeping these insights in mind, it’s not surprising that Twitter uses cricket players as its background image. However, the choice of theme is crucial in reflecting the true spirit of the platform. While current themes like nature and cityscapes may do a better job, future changes could see more interactive and engaging imagery that truly enhances the user experience.