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0 pointsymolodtsov2y ago0 comments

> I don't see any sign Meta understands what made Twitter great

Well, Elon definitely doesn't.

> the fact that they're heavily branding it with Instagram, using Instagram logins etc suggests to me that they're just looking for another angle to vacuum up user data

They're using the most popular social network which they happen to own, which already has pre-built social connections for most people who might want to try Threads. Almost none of my real-life friends are on Twitter, most of them have active Instagram accounts.

> when was the last time Facebook successfully launched a new standalone social app

It doesn't really matter, what pays off is being able to run experiments faster. Also, despite all of this they don't have a reputation for killing working products. They either dead before this or become good. Applying the past experience doesn't necessarily provides a good estimate for Threads's future.

0 comments

afavour2y ago

> They're using the most popular social network which they happen to own, which already has pre-built social connections for most people who might want to try Threads

For sure. And I’m not writing off Threads being a popular app, just the notion that it’ll displace Twitter. To me Twitter is in a different social space than Instagram: the town square rather than the pub with my friends. Even if I move all my pub friends to sit in the town square it won’t be the same thing.

DANmode2y ago

If they separate and build it out sufficiently, it could look and feel like a different social space altogether.

zarzavat2y ago

Threads may be very popular among the existing Instagram user base, but the question is whether Twitter users are going to switch.

Elon’s understanding of Twitter is poor, but Zuck’s may be worse. After all, there’s a reason that Twitter users have been on Twitter and not on Facebook all this time. Facebook is a byword for a locked down, unpleasant social network experience.

Twitter gets all the headlines because it’s becoming shittier, but Facebook has been consistently shit for a very long time and Zuck hasn’t seen fit to do anything about that.

kalleboo2y ago

All my IRL friends are on both Twitter and Instagram, but use them for different things due to the differences in content, UI and algorithm. From where I stand I don't see people identifying as "Twitter users who have rejected Facebook" but rather just people who go whenever the action is

Moldoteck2y ago

that totally depends of discoverability and engagement. Bluesky is close to Twitter but doesn't have Meta resources, Warpcast for now is more like Twitter for crypto and decentraland, Mastodon got a lot of traction but also a lot of people leave it bc of discoverability problems. If threads will be close to Twitter with it's own spin, maybe it'll succeed

TRiG_Ireland2y ago

My recent surprise has been discovering that the online parkour community mostly lives on Instagram. I'm not sure why I find that odd, but I do.

alfiedotwtf2y ago

Beat me to it. Yeah, Twitter's toast after this Slashdot/Digg/Reddit migration

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