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If you listen to Zuckerberg's interview with Alex Heath it's clear what they meant. They are interested in breaking news, sports etc. They are just trying to a

If you listen to Zuckerberg's interview with Alex Heath it's clear what they meant. They are interested in breaking news, sports etc. They are just trying to avoid the platform turning into the polarising mess that Twitter is right now. And so they've been trying to position the app as more holistic than just politics and news. Hashtags and trending searches are next on their roadmap. And I suspect that there is some technical work on their part to upgrade the underlying Instagram platform to support more real-time updates to the feed. Once that happens news will inevitably become a bigger part of Threads.

DoesntMatter22 3y ago
Threads is dead at this point realistically
- threeseed 3y ago
  Not according to Zuckerberg [1]. He was happy with DAU numbers and planned to commit to the app long-term. Threads is contributing a huge amount of behavioural data to Instagram ad profiles so it may never need to run ads in order to provide significant value to the company. That's going to place X at a disadvantage over the long term. [1] https://www.theverge.com/23889057/mark-zuckerberg-meta-ai-elon-musk-threads-quest-interview-decoder https://www.theverge.com/23889057/mark-zuckerberg-meta-ai-el...
  - TheAceOfHearts 3y ago
    Instagram is also embedding Threads posts directly, with a link to open them in the app. I've gotten a few prompts while using Instagram to remind me to open Threads. However, every time I open the app it's basically a ghost town. I personally don't know anyone using it, so I just see a bunch of brand and celebrity posts. Threads feels more like a platform for brands than for regular people.
    - Gigachad 3y ago
      Almost everyone I know is using Bluesky now. I’ve yet to see anyone using threads.
      - vsnf 3y ago
        Must be nice to live in a bubble where Bluesky isn't gated behind a waitlist and your entire circle can move wholesale with ease.
        Gigachad 3y ago
        Access to invite codes is abundant in the furry community. Can just ask anyone you know for one.
        robbie-c 3y ago
        Network effects. Do you think Facebook would have ever taken off back in the 2000s if everyone had to get a code from a furry to join?
        Gigachad 3y ago
        From memory Facebook was gatekept behind needing to be a university student.
        rchaud 3y ago
        From 2004-2007. It's been a public square for the vast majority of its existence.
        numpad0 3y ago
        Waitlist is a distraction. Ask for a code from core("terminally online") Twitter users. I got mine on Nostr from someone not a furry. Perhaps you can ask around in the Fediverse.
  - fortyseven 3y ago
    Not sure where this optimism comes from, but alright.
    - threeseed 3y ago
      Because this is Meta we are talking about. They know how to build social networks. And they have the cash to keep Threads going for decades whereas X is in a financial hole. Linda is meeting with creditors [1] who are freaking out over the drop in valuation and she doesn't even know whether the company plans to be advertising or subscription driven. [1] https://www.ft.com/content/474b30e9-a726-4571-8475-9adabbbc8169 https://www.ft.com/content/474b30e9-a726-4571-8475-9adabbbc8...
      - yjftsjthsd-h 3y ago
        > Because this is Meta we are talking about. They know how to build social networks. Meta, the company currently named after their attempted pivot to a VR social network that utterly bombed? I'll certainly grant that they built one social network, but it is less obvious to me that they can repeat it on command.
      - brnt 3y ago
        > Because this is Meta we are talking about. They know how to build social networks. Not really. Zuckerburg got lucky once, the rest was purchased.
        rafark 3y ago
        You have to have a talent for that though. How many companies have made terrible purchases? Like him or hate him, Zuckerberg’s strategies have been great for his company. I don’t know about his VR business, but he’s like a Midas king when it comes to social media. Everything social media related he’s touched has turned into gold. Instagram and WhatsApp were already kind of big, but they’re were not the ubiquitous behemoths they are today. Threads could be his first big fail though.
        3y ago
  - marcus_holmes 3y ago
    But this is standard CEO-speak. He will remain completely happy with the app, committed to it going forward, and a personal power-user of it. Right up until the moment it's abandoned completely with no warning.
  - raverbashing 3y ago
    According to Zuck their "metaverse" is not dead neither, but I guess it's filled of legless people wandering around aimlessly
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
pfist 3y ago
I like the UI design of Threads and I’m trying to enjoy the app, but it keeps flooding my feed with desperate, attention-seeking women in suggestive clothing and positions. I never have this problem on X.
- somedude895 3y ago
  I don‘t use Instagram often, but I recently met a girl irl who wanted to connect. I open the search in the app and it instantly recommends exclusively girls showing off their bodies, even though I only follow friends otherwise. It was quite embarrassing.
  - xena 3y ago
    Then you probably want mastodon. Chronological feeds are the only option there!
  - te_chris 3y ago
    Stop looking at thirsty girls on the gram then. In my experience it shows you more of what you look at.
    - JD557 3y ago
      As a very casual Instagram user, I had a similar experience to the parent comment (not so much now). From what I can tell, this is the way Instagram recommendations treat cold start users. It was only when I started liking stuff that they went away.
    - dividedbyzero 3y ago
      It's showing me a lot of luxury handbag influencers that obviously target a very different demographic. I'm absolutely sure I never looked for anything like that (I follow mostly science/scientist accounts and comics and I'm male). I also keep getting ads for commercial pilot insurance and I'm definitely not in that demographic either. Instagram's recommendation model seems to work well if you fit a common categorization well (women interested in luxury handbags perhaps), and utterly break down when you don't. I'm a software engineer, I don't need specialty carts to move Boeing aircraft engines.
andreygrehov 3y ago
> They are just trying to avoid the platform turning into the polarising mess that Twitter is right now. What if that is the actual state of the country and Twitter is just reflecting it?
- goatlover 3y ago
  And what if Twitter is partly causing it (along with other media).
  - malermeister 3y ago
    It's both, in a feedback loop from hell.
  - somenameforme 3y ago
    You can also go the other way. There's always going to be the possibility of a chicken/egg type question, but it seems clear that a lot of the insanity and division started to happen about the time people started trying to control (and started caring so much about) what other people say and think. It just feels like there was this sudden flip of a switch where suddenly there was this idea that if you control 'the message', you can control what people think, and a certain group of people vigorously pursued this. It's not hard to see how this is going to drive people into deeply divided groups. You immediately end up with an in-group and an out-group, both with good reason to avoid the other. And then in this division, both groups characterization of the other drifts further and further from reality, further cementing such divisions. This site [1] demonstrating the scale of the perception gap among various groups is quite telling. I don't think it was like this, at all, not that long ago. [1] - https://perceptiongap.us/ https://perceptiongap.us/
    - nonrandomstring 3y ago
      > It just feels like there was this sudden flip of a switch where suddenly there was this idea that if you control 'the message', you can control what people think, and a certain group of people vigorously pursued this. I locate this moment quite precisely. It was when either Richard Perle or Donald Rumsfeld responded to a journalist's live TV question about 'the reality' in Iraq II, and said "We control reality". That was when narrative paradigm took a dark turn in the West and I see the PNAC as taking internal psyops to a whole new, overt level. All politicians _know_ this, but you never _say it_ !! Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle and company publicly burned the precious veneer of good faith. They didn't just want to construct the Iraq War, they needed to rub our noses in the blatant cheek of it. That was the birth of "post truth" for me. After that it naturally followed that every organisation, business, or individual could legitimately construct their own "narrative reality" through social media or whatever, without any regard for facts.
sph 3y ago
They want to avoid recreating the polarising mess that is Twitter... by copying Twitter wholesale?
basisword 3y ago
>> They are interested in breaking news, sports etc. They are just trying to avoid the platform turning into the polarising mess that Twitter is right now. They're right to do this too. I enjoyed Threads drama free for a few days. The first time I saw a post from a journalist - it was drama. Complaining about how important news is and how it's morally wrong of Meta to not be prioritising it. So obviously self-serving too.
- bagels 3y ago
  The irony, people whine when shown rage bait, people whine when not shown rage bait.
is_true 3y ago
I don't think people at Meta think that "polarizing" is bad, is an easy way to drive engagement
- throwaway894345 3y ago
  It’s at least a plausible market opportunity—a way to differentiate themselves from Twitter and capitalize on the people who are repulsed by Twitter’s rage peddling (although the rage peddling cooled down a bit post-acquisition, especially with Community Notes, but platform culture doesn’t change overnight even if the algos and features improve slightly).
  - is_true 3y ago
    I think polarization is something that changes between societies, I now live in a society that is polarized by the politicians themselves and for sure you see a lot of interactions in posts about politics.

DoesntMatter22 3y ago

Threads is dead at this point realistically

threeseed 3y ago
Not according to Zuckerberg [1]. He was happy with DAU numbers and planned to commit to the app long-term. Threads is contributing a huge amount of behavioural data to Instagram ad profiles so it may never need to run ads in order to provide significant value to the company. That's going to place X at a disadvantage over the long term. [1] https://www.theverge.com/23889057/mark-zuckerberg-meta-ai-elon-musk-threads-quest-interview-decoder https://www.theverge.com/23889057/mark-zuckerberg-meta-ai-el...
- TheAceOfHearts 3y ago
  Instagram is also embedding Threads posts directly, with a link to open them in the app. I've gotten a few prompts while using Instagram to remind me to open Threads. However, every time I open the app it's basically a ghost town. I personally don't know anyone using it, so I just see a bunch of brand and celebrity posts. Threads feels more like a platform for brands than for regular people.
  - Gigachad 3y ago
    Almost everyone I know is using Bluesky now. I’ve yet to see anyone using threads.
    - vsnf 3y ago
      Must be nice to live in a bubble where Bluesky isn't gated behind a waitlist and your entire circle can move wholesale with ease.
      - Gigachad 3y ago
        Access to invite codes is abundant in the furry community. Can just ask anyone you know for one.
        robbie-c 3y ago
        Network effects. Do you think Facebook would have ever taken off back in the 2000s if everyone had to get a code from a furry to join?
        Gigachad 3y ago
        From memory Facebook was gatekept behind needing to be a university student.
        rchaud 3y ago
        From 2004-2007. It's been a public square for the vast majority of its existence.
      - numpad0 3y ago
        Waitlist is a distraction. Ask for a code from core("terminally online") Twitter users. I got mine on Nostr from someone not a furry. Perhaps you can ask around in the Fediverse.
- fortyseven 3y ago
  Not sure where this optimism comes from, but alright.
  - threeseed 3y ago
    Because this is Meta we are talking about. They know how to build social networks. And they have the cash to keep Threads going for decades whereas X is in a financial hole. Linda is meeting with creditors [1] who are freaking out over the drop in valuation and she doesn't even know whether the company plans to be advertising or subscription driven. [1] https://www.ft.com/content/474b30e9-a726-4571-8475-9adabbbc8169 https://www.ft.com/content/474b30e9-a726-4571-8475-9adabbbc8...
    - yjftsjthsd-h 3y ago
      > Because this is Meta we are talking about. They know how to build social networks. Meta, the company currently named after their attempted pivot to a VR social network that utterly bombed? I'll certainly grant that they built one social network, but it is less obvious to me that they can repeat it on command.
    - brnt 3y ago
      > Because this is Meta we are talking about. They know how to build social networks. Not really. Zuckerburg got lucky once, the rest was purchased.
      - rafark 3y ago
        You have to have a talent for that though. How many companies have made terrible purchases? Like him or hate him, Zuckerberg’s strategies have been great for his company. I don’t know about his VR business, but he’s like a Midas king when it comes to social media. Everything social media related he’s touched has turned into gold. Instagram and WhatsApp were already kind of big, but they’re were not the ubiquitous behemoths they are today. Threads could be his first big fail though.
        3y ago
- marcus_holmes 3y ago
  But this is standard CEO-speak. He will remain completely happy with the app, committed to it going forward, and a personal power-user of it. Right up until the moment it's abandoned completely with no warning.
- raverbashing 3y ago
  According to Zuck their "metaverse" is not dead neither, but I guess it's filled of legless people wandering around aimlessly

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

pfist 3y ago

I like the UI design of Threads and I’m trying to enjoy the app, but it keeps flooding my feed with desperate, attention-seeking women in suggestive clothing and positions. I never have this problem on X.

somedude895 3y ago
I don‘t use Instagram often, but I recently met a girl irl who wanted to connect. I open the search in the app and it instantly recommends exclusively girls showing off their bodies, even though I only follow friends otherwise. It was quite embarrassing.
- xena 3y ago
  Then you probably want mastodon. Chronological feeds are the only option there!
- te_chris 3y ago
  Stop looking at thirsty girls on the gram then. In my experience it shows you more of what you look at.
  - JD557 3y ago
    As a very casual Instagram user, I had a similar experience to the parent comment (not so much now). From what I can tell, this is the way Instagram recommendations treat cold start users. It was only when I started liking stuff that they went away.
  - dividedbyzero 3y ago
    It's showing me a lot of luxury handbag influencers that obviously target a very different demographic. I'm absolutely sure I never looked for anything like that (I follow mostly science/scientist accounts and comics and I'm male). I also keep getting ads for commercial pilot insurance and I'm definitely not in that demographic either. Instagram's recommendation model seems to work well if you fit a common categorization well (women interested in luxury handbags perhaps), and utterly break down when you don't. I'm a software engineer, I don't need specialty carts to move Boeing aircraft engines.

andreygrehov 3y ago

> They are just trying to avoid the platform turning into the polarising mess that Twitter is right now. What if that is the actual state of the country and Twitter is just reflecting it?

goatlover 3y ago
And what if Twitter is partly causing it (along with other media).
- malermeister 3y ago
  It's both, in a feedback loop from hell.
- somenameforme 3y ago
  You can also go the other way. There's always going to be the possibility of a chicken/egg type question, but it seems clear that a lot of the insanity and division started to happen about the time people started trying to control (and started caring so much about) what other people say and think. It just feels like there was this sudden flip of a switch where suddenly there was this idea that if you control 'the message', you can control what people think, and a certain group of people vigorously pursued this. It's not hard to see how this is going to drive people into deeply divided groups. You immediately end up with an in-group and an out-group, both with good reason to avoid the other. And then in this division, both groups characterization of the other drifts further and further from reality, further cementing such divisions. This site [1] demonstrating the scale of the perception gap among various groups is quite telling. I don't think it was like this, at all, not that long ago. [1] - https://perceptiongap.us/ https://perceptiongap.us/
  - nonrandomstring 3y ago
    > It just feels like there was this sudden flip of a switch where suddenly there was this idea that if you control 'the message', you can control what people think, and a certain group of people vigorously pursued this. I locate this moment quite precisely. It was when either Richard Perle or Donald Rumsfeld responded to a journalist's live TV question about 'the reality' in Iraq II, and said "We control reality". That was when narrative paradigm took a dark turn in the West and I see the PNAC as taking internal psyops to a whole new, overt level. All politicians _know_ this, but you never _say it_ !! Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle and company publicly burned the precious veneer of good faith. They didn't just want to construct the Iraq War, they needed to rub our noses in the blatant cheek of it. That was the birth of "post truth" for me. After that it naturally followed that every organisation, business, or individual could legitimately construct their own "narrative reality" through social media or whatever, without any regard for facts.

sph 3y ago

They want to avoid recreating the polarising mess that is Twitter... by copying Twitter wholesale?

basisword 3y ago

>> They are interested in breaking news, sports etc. They are just trying to avoid the platform turning into the polarising mess that Twitter is right now. They're right to do this too. I enjoyed Threads drama free for a few days. The first time I saw a post from a journalist - it was drama. Complaining about how important news is and how it's morally wrong of Meta to not be prioritising it. So obviously self-serving too.

bagels 3y ago
The irony, people whine when shown rage bait, people whine when not shown rage bait.

is_true 3y ago

I don't think people at Meta think that "polarizing" is bad, is an easy way to drive engagement

throwaway894345 3y ago
It’s at least a plausible market opportunity—a way to differentiate themselves from Twitter and capitalize on the people who are repulsed by Twitter’s rage peddling (although the rage peddling cooled down a bit post-acquisition, especially with Community Notes, but platform culture doesn’t change overnight even if the algos and features improve slightly).
- is_true 3y ago
  I think polarization is something that changes between societies, I now live in a society that is polarized by the politicians themselves and for sure you see a lot of interactions in posts about politics.