The Threads thread

[Free]

We need to discuss Meta's new Twitter clone.

Maybe a good place to start:

The algorithmic anti-culture of scale

Here's what 24 hours inside of Threads has been like

www.garbageday.email

And so, for the last couple days, I have only been seeing the raw machinery of Threads. Its algorithm is just blasting me with random posts and, every so often, it tries to show me more of a particular user I click on or spend too long reading in the feed.

My verdict: Threads sucks shit. It has no purpose. It is for no one. It launched as a content graveyard and will assuredly only become more of one over time. It’s iFunny for people who miss The Ellen Show.

 

[Khamon]

Need to discuss SRSLY or for entertainment value? My view is the latter at this point. Thinking to close my Twitter handle and will likely not have a Threads account unless it’s automatically attached to Meta’s Facebook service.

That said, I do understand the user safety and privacy implications that we need to consider so that we can advise people accordingly. Most won’t listen. We still should inform them.

 

[Essence Lumin]

I have never cared about twitter except maybe I would like to click a link if someone posts one here. I care less about threads since it is not possible to click a link as it is not available on a pc.

 

[Archer]

For the past 7 years I've relied on Twitter for my news analysis and editorial entertainment. I was worried about what I was going to substitute for that, given the other apps were grossly lacking both in usability and the folks I like to follow. Then Threads seemed to come out of nowhere and ALMOST EVERYONE I follow on Twitter showed up there lol. I signed up and I hate it.

It is just close enough to Twitter to pull you in, but then it pisses you off by showing 90% people you don't follow. Much like Instagram of course, which irritates the hell out of me. If no one I follow is posting, well then just show me their old posts, not posts from hundreds of accounts I don't follow. Geesh.

But it has caused me to log out of my Twitter account and not go back to it, so it has had that benefit.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Hmmm...I went over to Spoutible after my unfortunate incident with Twitter and a few folks I follow are there. Am I in the wrong place? I wonder how their privacy is rated vs Threads run by Meta? Upon signin at Spoutible, it looks to be darn near a Twitter clone.

 

[Sid]

I was on Facebook and Twitter. I didn't like them. I don't think that algorithms should decide what is good for me and what not.
Wading through tons of bogus and fake news.... no thanks. So I canceled both and now I live happily ever after without social media.
It is so relaxing not to read them any longer.

I don't think I will join another one any time soon,

 

[Zaida Gearbox]

I thought Spoutable looked promising. I just don't know why Zuckerbutt thinks anyone will use this Threads because Facebook is already enough of a shit show. Instagram is successful because it was successful before Zuck bought it.

 

[Free]

I just don't know why Zuckerbutt thinks anyone will use this Threads because Facebook is already enough of a shit show.

Someone on The Verge is calculating registered accounts on Threads may pass 100 million before the day is out. You know what P.T. Barnum said.

 

[Zaida Gearbox]

Someone on The Verge is calculating registered accounts on Threads may pass 100 million before the day is out. You know what P.T. Barnum said.

I just don't get it. I haven't checked i tout and I don't plan to.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

I just don't get it. I haven't checked i tout and I don't plan to.

It's quite simple the mass! Facebook has 3 billion active users, so easy to pull some to the new shiny thing. And reg. the other alternatives: people want simple apps which can scale a lot - they want a big island, not a fragmented sea scattered with small archipels. Most just consider Mastodon&co. as too complicated to get on. The more interesting number will be how many of these new accounts will stay long time active.

And I am sure that Facebook will carry out the old embrace, extend and extinguish method which Microsoft perfected decades ago here with ActivityPub. I wouldn't bet a penny that Threads will still have that access available after 2-3 years.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Hmmm...I went over to Spoutible after my unfortunate incident with Twitter and a few folks I follow are there. Am I in the wrong place? I wonder how their privacy is rated vs Threads run by Meta? Upon signin at Spoutible, it looks to be darn near a Twitter clone.

Spoutible is basically Twitter without the algorithms and Twitter's bullshit. Look me up next time you're on. I'm @kat_helendale there.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

I just don't get it. I haven't checked i tout and I don't plan to.

I created an account there (first I had to create an Instagram account since I didn't have one) and took a look around. It's pretty much what I expected. I might post more regularly there, not sure yet.

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

So, he's scrambling to find something useful for all those 'metaverse' engineers to do?

Hard pass. I never liked twitter in the first place. It's a transaction log for people. A firehose of chaotic data, and I've never found it particularly helpful trying to sift through it for anything.... relevant or useful.

I wish instead of announcing changes, people kind of focused more on something like a profile page. "This is me, the important people in my life are: [...], I'm good at: [...], I like: [....], my priorities these days are: [....]

Maybe that's what AI will be able to help with eventually.... "Go read X's twitter/facebook/insta history and give me a run down of what topics I should stick to or avoid when we meet up next month... "

 

[Isabeau]

I liked Twitter to follow news and local reporters and such, and liked the format. Unless they (news sites) start using threads, or Spoutible, etc. I’m not that interested. Also, since Facebook will stop posting Canadian news sites… less interesting for me.

Anyway, FB sucks and I’ve never been into it.

 

[Soen Eber]

I'm going to wait for things to shake out before getting too heavily into social media, although I'll probably join Mastadon sooner or later, and see what the wisdom of the crowds points to. I'm also pondering whether it's worth getting a VPN to point me someplace in Europe just so I can get that level of privacy protection by default.

META: No way. I will run from it, screaming in terror. No, you can't bribe me with Walmart gift certificates or two for one Gatorade coupons.

 

[Noodles]

I thought Spoutable looked promising. I just don't know why Zuckerbutt thinks anyone will use this Threads because Facebook is already enough of a shit show. Instagram is successful because it was successful before Zuck bought it.

I am pretty sure that at least half the users are there because they hate Musk's Twitter.

 

[Noodles]

I'm going to wait for things to shake out before getting too heavily into social media, although I'll probably join Mastadon sooner or later, and see what the wisdom of the crowds point to. I'm also pondering whether it's worth getting a VPN to point me someplace in Europe just so I can get that level of privacy protection by default.

FWIW, I have been pretty satisfied with PIA (Private Internet Access) as a VPN. I have had a paid subscription for like 5 or 6 years now, or more maybe.

 

[Free]

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

So, he's scrambling to find something useful for all those 'metaverse' engineers to do?

Hard pass. I never liked twitter in the first place. It's a transaction log for people. A firehose of chaotic data, and I've never found it particularly helpful trying to sift through it for anything.... relevant or useful.

I wish instead of announcing changes, people kind of focused more on something like a profile page. "This is me, the important people in my life are: [...], I'm good at: [...], I like: [....], my priorities these days are: [....]

Maybe that's what AI will be able to help with eventually.... "Go read X's twitter/facebook/insta history and give me a run down of what topics I should stick to or avoid when we meet up next month... "

I hate twitter, but do like a lot of individual users. There are a lot of good political commentators and artists who use it. If they move to threads, I'll follow them on threads. To paraphrase what someone once said about reddit: "I don't care about the platform, I'm just a content sponge. If the content creators move, I'll move."

 

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

See....this is why Google+ needed to become a thing and actually popular so we wouldn't have to choose between Zuck and Musk.
/me collapses into a fetal position in a corner and cries.