Is Threads winning the war with X?(cjr.org)
cjr.org
Is Threads winning the war with X?
https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/threads_four_months_later.php
63 comments
Threads is not winning, it’s not even available in Europe. And that is because of Meta’s general practices regarding privacy. They have to change, but don’t seem to be willing to. Even after an incredible launch in the US they still not playing nice in the EU. Look at the absurdity of the Instagram subscription that popped up this week, just so much arrogance.
Not sure the availability of twitter in Europe is indicative of their compliance with EU privacy laws.
I think the plan is to replace europeans with bots that get defensive about low purchasing power by talking about free healthcare and work-life balance.
Do you mean the option to pay instead of seeing ads? I thought that was in line with what people wanted - pay if you want an ad free experience, watch ads if you want a free experience. What did I miss? (I only read the headlines this week)
The problem is not the ads, it's the tracking.
The paid option rids you of both. I’m not sure if GDPR allows a company to demand payment if you do not consent to tracking.
I have zero belief that meta is not tracking paid users, regardless of what they say or what the law requires. The entire history of the company is my evidence for this. It's like that story of the of the scorpion and the frog. The scorpion stings the frog; it couldn't stop itself.
Have you considered that there are places outside Europe?
At the rate Twitter is cutting moderation and spreading Hamas propaganda, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were banned from Europe altogether for DSA violations. Commissioner Breton already warned Musk.
Spotify wasn’t available for Americans for the longest time. Didn’t mean it wasn’t dominating globally.
Same thing with remittance apps like Transferwise or Remitly that was focused on a strategic market.
Same thing with remittance apps like Transferwise or Remitly that was focused on a strategic market.
> it’s not even available in Europe
Odd. I am in Europe and it’s clearly accessible.
Odd. I am in Europe and it’s clearly accessible.
It’s inconceivable to me that idiot journalist is asking the question of whether threads is dominating when it’s not even available to Europeans.
It’s beyond asinine and suggests some serious hubris.
It’s beyond asinine and suggests some serious hubris.
Lot of meta employees on HN haha
I resonated with Ezra Klein's "exodus shocks" concepts. With Musk at the helm of X, it just seems like there's the periodic random outrage that pushes people to at least try other alternatives (and maybe stop logging into X itself). Some of it sticks. I ended up with a Mastodon account and it just seems much more chill. YMMV I guess.
There's a step before that - with Musk owning Twitter, the 'market' has clearly seen opportunity for competition that did not exist before.
Twitter has been Twitter forever, and Meta never decided to compete with it directly. Until now.
Twitter has been Twitter forever, and Meta never decided to compete with it directly. Until now.
I’ve been using X the last two months and it’s been quite stable. I don’t see that as a reason to avoid it.
They seem to have lost people that I used to follow. Kind of a bummer because I don’t know where they migrated to.
Some interesting people left Twitter, but they mostly left social media entirely.
I don’t think anyone interesting is actually on threads. It seems to be a graveyard with only Instagram influencers posting boring influencer stuff.
I don’t think anyone interesting is actually on threads. It seems to be a graveyard with only Instagram influencers posting boring influencer stuff.
> I don’t think anyone interesting is actually on threads.
It depends on who you think is interesting, since some communities are a better match for Elon's X. My experience is that my Threads feed is already more interesting than my X feed.
It depends on who you think is interesting, since some communities are a better match for Elon's X. My experience is that my Threads feed is already more interesting than my X feed.
Yep. Bluesky is definitely not “winning”, but 3 or 4 fiction writers that I like moved there and now I find a nice place to be. To be honest, if one more cartoonist that I really like and post new art everyday on Twitter moved out of it, I would not use it anymore that about once or twice a month.
The way I'd say it is that Bluesky and Lemmy are "winning" for me. I wouldn't wish absorbing the eternal September from Twitter and Reddit on an enemy, let alone my own hangouts.
Compare
- https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=twitter.com
- https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=threads.net
- https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=twitter.com
- https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=threads.net
I tried threads and stopped. It occurs to me though that it’s possible Facebook is building a product not targeted at me.
I use Twitter to follow several hyper specialized communities where the info is world class.
Threads was kinda entertaining stuff but felt low signal.
I’m not a huge instagram user though and that is way bigger than Twitter. If Meta builds instagram/tiktok for text it might be much worse for the sort of submissions HN finds interesting but also see more overall uptake.
I noticed Threads still massively outranks twitter in App Store ratings.
I use Twitter to follow several hyper specialized communities where the info is world class.
Threads was kinda entertaining stuff but felt low signal.
I’m not a huge instagram user though and that is way bigger than Twitter. If Meta builds instagram/tiktok for text it might be much worse for the sort of submissions HN finds interesting but also see more overall uptake.
I noticed Threads still massively outranks twitter in App Store ratings.
If there's anything with a low signal noise ratio it's Twitter. It's tuned so it's ideal for short meaningless bits of info and totally awkward for anything more because of the need to split it into multiple parts which have their own confusing reply threads.
There's a reason threadreader exists. Because Twitter just sucks at conveying anything more than "look what I just had for dinner". By design no less.
There's a reason threadreader exists. Because Twitter just sucks at conveying anything more than "look what I just had for dinner". By design no less.
Care to share some of these communities?
Really depends on your interest. So my list won't be of general interest. But I've found Twitter good for:
* Ukraine War coverage (less since Elon took over, he downranked it)
* Coronavirus: you can find a lot of scientists discussing new studies
* Business info/marketing etc: useful for company owners
Haven't found any of these on Threads yet. Threads actually blocks coronavirus searches and redirects to the CDC. So you can't easily find people you would follow on twitter.
* Ukraine War coverage (less since Elon took over, he downranked it)
* Coronavirus: you can find a lot of scientists discussing new studies
* Business info/marketing etc: useful for company owners
Haven't found any of these on Threads yet. Threads actually blocks coronavirus searches and redirects to the CDC. So you can't easily find people you would follow on twitter.
I didn't quite get what to compare here at first, but now I see it - the whole first page of twitter links are "1 day ago" or younger, while only the first link from threads is that recent.
Yeah it’s pretty telling…
The fifth most-recently posted thing on Threads is 77 days old.
On “X” it was a few hours ago.
The fifth most-recently posted thing on Threads is 77 days old.
On “X” it was a few hours ago.
Also
- https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=blueskyweb.org
Is there a way to get Mastodon linked news?
Is there a way to get Mastodon linked news?
This does not actually show posts made on bsky. Those would link to bsky.app.
However, there is currently no easy way to read bsky posts without an account. Although this is now a priority for bsky devs.
However, there is currently no easy way to read bsky posts without an account. Although this is now a priority for bsky devs.
Not easily. You could run through the big instances (mastodon.online/social, hachyderm etc etc) but there are quite a lot of reasonably large ones, and also some interesting people either use extremely niche ones or have their own single-user instance.
Based on Meta's other products, I've already decided I don't want to be on Threads. Facebook & Instagram content is too mind-numbing for me to imagine that Meta want to have a decent level of discourse on their platforms.
I have never been organically sent a link to something on Threads, so AFAICT it's not even winning the war with Mastodon.
I tried out Threads during its initial rollout and after seeing Gary V and some brands being insufferable on there, I knew it was DOA. They were trying to desperately to make it a thing.
Kinda like the title of this article…
> I tried out Threads during its initial rollout…
FWIW, the experience is completely different than it was during the gold rush. Even the algorithmic feed is surprisingly good once you mute a few morons.
FWIW, the experience is completely different than it was during the gold rush. Even the algorithmic feed is surprisingly good once you mute a few morons.
Not at the moment, as unfortunate as that may be. Same with Mastodon, BlueSky, Cohost, etc.
And the main reason for that is very simple; if there's an interesting new story, discussion, discovery, etc, it's still almost certainly going to be found on Twitter/X first. Or maybe Reddit, Discord, YouTube, etc.
I've never seen such stories start out on Threads or other Twitter replacements. I've never learnt about a TV show, film, video game, web project, podcast, site, etc for the first time from a Threads post. The majority of official communications from government agencies and media outlets still end up on Twitter/X first, while the majority of indie/fan project related ones usually end up on something like Discord first.
If Threads wants to win, it needs to be the place where these announcements are made. The place where people go first to learn about things, not just where they're reposted a few days later.
It also needs to fix discovery a bit too. Twitter/X is already awful for discovery, but there is at least somewhat of a possibility I'll find a new creator who's work hasn't already gone viral. Or normal people to chat with who aren't celebrities in general.
Threads feels like it lacks that. It's better now sure, but 99% of the posts I see are from folks that already have thousands or followers or more, and usually from folks that are far more attractive than the norm to boot. The most interesting people are often not models or Instagram celebs, but it's the latter who get suggested to everyone on Threads.
And the main reason for that is very simple; if there's an interesting new story, discussion, discovery, etc, it's still almost certainly going to be found on Twitter/X first. Or maybe Reddit, Discord, YouTube, etc.
I've never seen such stories start out on Threads or other Twitter replacements. I've never learnt about a TV show, film, video game, web project, podcast, site, etc for the first time from a Threads post. The majority of official communications from government agencies and media outlets still end up on Twitter/X first, while the majority of indie/fan project related ones usually end up on something like Discord first.
If Threads wants to win, it needs to be the place where these announcements are made. The place where people go first to learn about things, not just where they're reposted a few days later.
It also needs to fix discovery a bit too. Twitter/X is already awful for discovery, but there is at least somewhat of a possibility I'll find a new creator who's work hasn't already gone viral. Or normal people to chat with who aren't celebrities in general.
Threads feels like it lacks that. It's better now sure, but 99% of the posts I see are from folks that already have thousands or followers or more, and usually from folks that are far more attractive than the norm to boot. The most interesting people are often not models or Instagram celebs, but it's the latter who get suggested to everyone on Threads.
Anecdotal for sure, but outside of maybe three threads I’ve seen on HN since the launch, I’ve heard almost zero about Threads. Nobody in my social circle (family, friends, and coworkers) has said a word about it.
I still see plenty of X threads shared, though.
(Disclaimer: I’m on neither platform. I used to be on Twitter prior to Tweetbot getting the axe, but not since then. Never signed up for Threads.)
I still see plenty of X threads shared, though.
(Disclaimer: I’m on neither platform. I used to be on Twitter prior to Tweetbot getting the axe, but not since then. Never signed up for Threads.)
You might be interested to know the Tweetbot people made an app for Mastodon: https://tapbots.com/ivory/
https://tapbots.social/@ivory
https://tapbots.social/@ivory
> that the app would not “do anything to encourage” the sharing of news
Sounds good to me. Funny how news folks complains both when social media shares their content and when it doesnt.
The hard reality is that news have become a cesspit of divisive toxicity. Hope threads - not that i would use it - keeps news out.
Sounds good to me. Funny how news folks complains both when social media shares their content and when it doesnt.
The hard reality is that news have become a cesspit of divisive toxicity. Hope threads - not that i would use it - keeps news out.
While I agree, news is what has kept twitter/x relevant. So it's also a death knell imho. I am open to being wrong. I just dont see threads in the wild and most people dont seem to know it exists. Yet just here on hn ive seen a dozen or more x links today.
I dont see it in the wild either, but then again i dont have many friends using tiktok or instagram either. The 100 mil user mark, even if only a small percentage is active is still large. And personally i’d prefer a “quiet” platform - one without politics, without scaremongering, just people sharing cool stuff (not necessarily tech) and having civil conversations about anything but politics.
Edit: Oh god ive opened the app and it’s full of pro palestine news (my comment is not about the topic itself but the presence of a huge number of news about it) mixed with random junk. Why have I done this.
Edit: Oh god ive opened the app and it’s full of pro palestine news (my comment is not about the topic itself but the presence of a huge number of news about it) mixed with random junk. Why have I done this.
I would recommend you try giving mastodon at least a shot. What I like about it is you can join a server for a specific topic, browse it, and it will be 95% chill posts about the topic.
I tried mastodon but it seems to be on the other extreme - too quiet. Perhaps i should look for more servers.
The "news folks" just want someone to give them money. When social media posts links to news, and doesn't pay them, they complain. When social media doesn't post links to news, and doesn't pay them, they also complain.
If Twitter and Facebook paid them billions of dollars (for what?), the news folks wouldn't care if they post links to news.
If Twitter and Facebook paid them billions of dollars (for what?), the news folks wouldn't care if they post links to news.
the weirdest thing about Threads, for me, is how much it sucks at threaded posts. replying to your own post on threads doesn't give it any priorities in the UI over other replies, so you can't actually make a thread on Threads. you get your one post, with 240 characters or whatever the limit is, and that's it. anything you try to add to it is getting hidden.
it seems to be full of engagement bait, and generally satisfies my need to scroll through a feed of random stuff for a little while, but as far as any actual useful content it's pretty light.
it seems to be full of engagement bait, and generally satisfies my need to scroll through a feed of random stuff for a little while, but as far as any actual useful content it's pretty light.
Do there exist clients that can seamlessly read, cross-post, and reply to multiple social media networks? Something like an RSS feed reader with a unified timeline of posts from any number of networks. Do X and Meta’s terms of service even allow third-party clients there days?
I follow some accounts on both Twitter and Mastodon (as a backup in case the account leaves Twitter or is blocked) so such a client would need some smarts to de-duplicate posts that other people are cross-posting.
I follow some accounts on both Twitter and Mastodon (as a backup in case the account leaves Twitter or is blocked) so such a client would need some smarts to de-duplicate posts that other people are cross-posting.
I’m waiting for this before I really start using bluesky; there are some interesting people on it, but I can’t deal with the client. If Ivory supported it, that’d be enough to get me to use it.
Threads promised ActivityPub support, and the UI is clearly designed with federation in mind, yet it still hasn't arrived. How so?
I’d say they’re trying to figure out an approach which won’t just lead to them being insta-blocked by ~all major instances. They could probably throw something over the wall tomorrow, but they have enough cryptospammers, TERFs, and other undesirables that it would be futile (most instances block very aggressively for cryptospammers in particular; IIRC some instances briefly blocked mastodon.social for that when its moderation fell behind). I’m not sure how they’ll square that circle, honestly.
It was built by a very small skunkworks team and they are struggling to catch up with all the features required by a service with 100M+ users. Large bureaucratic corporations like Meta don’t usually turn on a dime.
The one account that I read on threads hasn't posted an update in months. Their twitter is still really active. I'd say this is true for basically everyone that I read on twitter.
Does betteridge apply? Yes... yes it does.
Does betteridge apply? Yes... yes it does.
If you are already using twitter, most of your follows are not gonna move to threads because of network effects, the ones that moved exclusively are easily forgotten and likely they have low follower counts and will not sacrifice their network unless they really really hate Elon for some weird reason
There's a faulty assumption here that you must optimise for number of followers.
On Twitter, I personally observed an inverse relationship between my happiness and follower count. The more people that followed me, the less I enjoyed my time on twitter.
Besides, there's plenty of other reasons to not use website other than disliking the owner "for some weird reason".
On Twitter, I personally observed an inverse relationship between my happiness and follower count. The more people that followed me, the less I enjoyed my time on twitter.
Besides, there's plenty of other reasons to not use website other than disliking the owner "for some weird reason".
The more the price of apples increased, more people got divorced.
Plenty of folks I follow for the war in Ukraine are posting to multiple sites now and that makes me leaving Twitter that much easier should the time come. Posting to multiple sites also increases their network at the same time.
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Lol, when I read the title it took me a second to even remember what "threads" was...
And the obligatory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...
And the obligatory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...
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