New social network threads
“ Thread ” It is a series of messages in computing, containing closely related information.
In April, META announced the launch of its new social platform competing with Twitter.
Threads was officially launched on Thursday, July 06, 2023.
This launch was a real success: the social network amassed 10 million new subscribers in 7 hours, and nearly 30 million users in 24 hours.
It then took only 4 days to reach the 100 million mark, a record.
It is not yet available in Europe, due to data protection legislation and no date has yet been announced.
So what exactly is Threads?
A standalone application that will be closely linked to Instagram, it has many similarities to Twitter.
It will highlight rather textual messages, even if the sharing of videos and photos will be possible, the goal being to create discussions around current topics, trends etc. as well as real-time discussions.
Threads will allow you to publish up to 500 characters of text.
“Threads is a place where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you’re interested in to the trends of tomorrow. Whatever topic you’re interested in, you can join us and connect with your favorite content creators and like-minded ones or even build your own base to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
Here’s what the app description says.
How will Threads work?
Meta has focused on simplicity to make this new network extremely easy to learn.
Streamlined interface, using the codes already well known from Meta platforms.
The close relationship between Threads and Instagram is at the heart of their strategy.
In its operation, Threads is directly linked to Instagram. Users will be able to log in from their Instagram account, keeping their username and even contacts, import their bio and profile picture.
Since the two apps are linked, you won’t be able to delete your Threads account without also making your Instagram account disappear.
With its two billion active users, Instagram offers Threads an extraordinary launch pad, hence the rapid success of its launch in more than 100 countries in early July.
Threads or Twitter?
As you can see, Twitter and Threads are very similar .
There are still some differences to note.
Threads allows you to publish longer messages than Twitter.
It doesn’t just show you posts from people you follow, but you’ll also find yourself in the recommended posts feed of other users you don’t know.
Threads was forced to opt for this operation at its launch to give users time to follow enough accounts, and to develop their network.
This is therefore likely to change in the coming months.
Threads does not use hashtags, unlike twitter, and it is subject to a much stricter moderation policy than its competitor.
It is also not possible to send private messages to another person.
The timing to launch Threads has been thoughtful and it falls very well.
Since the arrival of Elon Musk at the head of Twitter, the social network has undergone a set of changes that have degraded the user experience.
Especially with its new Twitter Blue formula, Twitter has paid for many features that were previously free.
The management of the platform seems fragile in recent months and Elon Musk has been criticized for his decisions several times.
Will Threads, Twitter’s main competitor, manage to dethrone it?
It will be necessary to be patient to discover this new social network and its digital fallout.