4 ms·

I believe Threads active users are artificially conflated with Instagram and Facebook. In all my circles, I don't know anyone who uses Threads

cogman10 2y ago
That's my guess. By having either of those accounts you automatically got a threads account.
- changing1999 2y ago
  True. But you don't become an active monthly user. Unless there are some shenanigans happening, which is highly likely. I think I visited Threads by accident several times by clicking posts in IG, that were apparently Threads posts embedded directly into IG as a growth hack (my speculation).
- kiitos 2y ago
  You have to create a Threads account explicitly, it's not automatic from an Instagram or Facebook account.
criley2 2y ago
In all my circles, I don't know a single "X" user. Not even one. Anecdotes are funny like that. Facebook monthly active users: >3 billion Instagram monthly active users: >2 billion Threads monthly active users: ~275 million If they're cheating, they're doing a poor job of it.
- emidoots 2y ago
  When you post on Instagram, there are opt-out features that will 'automatically share to your Threads account too' and you can see Threads notifications in the Instagram app and such .. so I think it's reasonable to assume they are leveraging the Instagram user-base a bit.
  - changing1999 2y ago
    Just double checking - there is an opt-out feature that cross-posts all IG posts to Threads?
    - kiitos 2y ago
      No, there isn't, at least not by default. You have to explicitly create a Threads account.
      - slimsag 2y ago
        ...and once you have a threads account, the UI in instagram pushes you to one-click accept cross-posting everything to Threads
  - threeseed 2y ago
    Threads is literally built on Instagram so of course they are leveraging it. But that's very different from saying that Threads MAUs aren't specific to that platform.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
minimaxir 2y ago
Most people in my circle have given up on Threads (even pre-Bluesky mass migration)
nabla9 2y ago
I have reasons to believe your belief is incorrect. Thread's app downloads, number of posts etc. match the MAU numbers. In all my circles is unreliable argument.
- dnissley 2y ago
  Yes, it's the same argument that people have been making about facebook being dead when it's hitting all time highs.
- zeroonetwothree 2y ago
  In my circles no one voted for Trump but well here we are.
- lynndotpy 2y ago
  I'm not asking you to make any epistemologically unsound leaps, I'm not making an argument. tThis is just my impression. In general, if you're going to rely only on numeric metrics, then you'll be giving up a lot of other helpful information. You need to use non-numeric information to tell you if "number of posts" should be more meaningful than a HackerNews stranger saying "these are the vibes I get, anecdotally." Numbers are pretty appealing because we have a lot of simple and consistent tools for working with them, but we also know the number of posts on Threads are artificially gamed, because Instagram and Facebook crosspost to Threads by default for anyone who has an account. But it's still my guess. English is my only fluent language and I don't know even 1000 people. Threads could be wildly popular and I could be blissfully unaware. Again, I'm not asking you to make any epistemologically unsound leaps.

cogman10 2y ago

That's my guess. By having either of those accounts you automatically got a threads account.

changing1999 2y ago
True. But you don't become an active monthly user. Unless there are some shenanigans happening, which is highly likely. I think I visited Threads by accident several times by clicking posts in IG, that were apparently Threads posts embedded directly into IG as a growth hack (my speculation).
kiitos 2y ago
You have to create a Threads account explicitly, it's not automatic from an Instagram or Facebook account.

criley2 2y ago

In all my circles, I don't know a single "X" user. Not even one. Anecdotes are funny like that. Facebook monthly active users: >3 billion Instagram monthly active users: >2 billion Threads monthly active users: ~275 million If they're cheating, they're doing a poor job of it.

emidoots 2y ago
When you post on Instagram, there are opt-out features that will 'automatically share to your Threads account too' and you can see Threads notifications in the Instagram app and such .. so I think it's reasonable to assume they are leveraging the Instagram user-base a bit.
- changing1999 2y ago
  Just double checking - there is an opt-out feature that cross-posts all IG posts to Threads?
  - kiitos 2y ago
    No, there isn't, at least not by default. You have to explicitly create a Threads account.
    - slimsag 2y ago
      ...and once you have a threads account, the UI in instagram pushes you to one-click accept cross-posting everything to Threads
- threeseed 2y ago
  Threads is literally built on Instagram so of course they are leveraging it. But that's very different from saying that Threads MAUs aren't specific to that platform.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

minimaxir 2y ago

Most people in my circle have given up on Threads (even pre-Bluesky mass migration)

nabla9 2y ago

I have reasons to believe your belief is incorrect. Thread's app downloads, number of posts etc. match the MAU numbers. In all my circles is unreliable argument.

dnissley 2y ago
Yes, it's the same argument that people have been making about facebook being dead when it's hitting all time highs.
zeroonetwothree 2y ago
In my circles no one voted for Trump but well here we are.
lynndotpy 2y ago
I'm not asking you to make any epistemologically unsound leaps, I'm not making an argument. tThis is just my impression. In general, if you're going to rely only on numeric metrics, then you'll be giving up a lot of other helpful information. You need to use non-numeric information to tell you if "number of posts" should be more meaningful than a HackerNews stranger saying "these are the vibes I get, anecdotally." Numbers are pretty appealing because we have a lot of simple and consistent tools for working with them, but we also know the number of posts on Threads are artificially gamed, because Instagram and Facebook crosspost to Threads by default for anyone who has an account. But it's still my guess. English is my only fluent language and I don't know even 1000 people. Threads could be wildly popular and I could be blissfully unaware. Again, I'm not asking you to make any epistemologically unsound leaps.