Meta unveiled Threads on Wednesday to rival Twitter, aiming to target users looking for an alternative to the social media platform owned and frequently changed by Elon Musk. The new offering is billed as a text-based version of Meta's photo-sharing app Instagram that the company says provides "a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations".
"Our vision is that Threads will be a new app more focused on text and dialogue, modelled after what Instagram has done for photo and video," the company said.
Threads is closely integrated with Instagram, another platform owned by Meta. Instagram users will be able to log in with their existing user names and follow the same accounts on the new app. New users will have to set up an Instagram account.
It is positioned as a text-based version of Instagram, offering a separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. This integration creates a seamless experience for users who are already active on Instagram. Posts are limited to 500 characters, which is more than Twitter's 280-character threshold, and can include links, photos and videos up to five minutes long.
Users can post mostly text-based messages to a scrolling feed, where people who follow them and whom they follow can reply. However, Threads does not currently support direct messaging, a feature that Twitter offers.
There are buttons to like, repost or quote a "thread", and counters showing the number of likes and replies that a post has received.
Threads also emphasises safety measures, such as enforcing Instagram's community guidelines and providing tools to control who can mention or reply to users.
Capabilities of Threads
Posting Text-based messages: Users can post text-based messages on Threads. These messages can be used to share thoughts, updates, news, or engage in public conversations.
Sharing photos and videos: In addition to text, Threads allows users to share photos and videos. Users can upload and post visual content to enhance their posts and engage with their followers through visual media.
Real-time updates: Threads focuses on providing real-time updates, allowing users to share and receive immediate updates from their connections. This creates an environment for timely conversations and discussions.
Following and followers: Users can follow other accounts on Threads and have their own followers as well. This enables users to curate their feed and see updates from the accounts they follow, while also allowing others to see their own posts.
Engagement features: Threads provides features for engagement, including the ability to like, repost, or quote a "thread." Users can interact with posts by showing their appreciation, sharing them with their own followers, or adding their comments through replies.
Privacy Controls: Threads offers tools and settings for users to control their privacy and manage their interactions. Users can specify who can mention or reply to them, giving them a level of control over their conversations and interactions.
How similar are Threads and Twitter
Threads and Twitter share some similarities in terms of their basic functionalities and the nature of their platforms. Here are some similarities between the two:
Text-Based Posts: Both Threads and Twitter allow users to post text-based messages. Users can share their thoughts, opinions, news, and updates through short messages on both platforms.
Public conversations: Both platforms facilitate public conversations where users can engage with each other by replying, liking, and sharing posts. These conversations are visible to other users who follow the participants.
Follower-following model: Threads and Twitter both operate on a follower-following model. Users can choose to follow other users and see their posts in their feed. Similarly, users can have their own followers who can see their posts.
Engagement metrics: Both platforms provide engagement metrics for posts, such as likes, replies, and shares. Users can see how their posts are being received and interacted with by others.
How is Threads different from Twitter
Threads and Twitter have some similarities, but there are also notable differences between the two platforms. Threads aims to provide a text-based, real-time conversation platform with a focus on visual content, while Twitter offers a broader microblogging experience with direct messaging capabilities.
Focus: Threads is primarily focused on real-time updates and public conversations, whereas Twitter serves as a microblogging platform where users can share thoughts, news, and updates in short messages.
Visual content: While both platforms allow users to post text-based messages, Threads is an extension of Instagram and allows users to post photos and videos as well. Twitter, on the other hand, primarily focuses on text-based posts with limited support for images and videos.
Direct messaging: Threads does not currently support direct messaging, which is a key feature of Twitter. Twitter users can engage in private conversations through direct messages, while Threads is more focused on public conversations.
Account integration: Threads is closely integrated with Instagram, requiring users to have an Instagram account in order to sign up. Users can import their Instagram followers and follow the same accounts on Threads. Twitter, on the other hand, operates as a standalone platform.
Character limit: Threads allows posts of up to 500 characters, which is significantly more than Twitter's 280-character limit. This provides users with more space to express themselves in each post on Threads.
Data privacy: Threads has raised some data privacy concerns due to the extensive personal information it could collect, as highlighted in its data privacy disclosure. Twitter has its own data privacy policies and practices.
Why Zuckerberg launched Threads?
The exact motivations behind Zuckerberg's decision to launch Threads may involve a combination of factors specific to his strategic vision for Meta and its platforms. Here are some possible reasons behind the move:
Filling a gap: Mark Zuckerberg saw an opportunity to create a platform that specifically caters to the need for real-time updates and public conversations. By launching Threads, he aimed to provide a space where users could engage in immediate discussions and share timely updates.
Leveraging user base: Instagram, as one of the largest social media platforms, already had a massive user base. By launching Threads as a companion app to Instagram, Zuckerberg could leverage the existing user base and provide them with additional features and functionality, thus increasing user engagement and time spent within the Instagram ecosystem.
Diversification: Zuckerberg has been known to explore and launch various products and services to diversify Meta's offerings. By expanding beyond the core Facebook platform and investing in apps like Threads, he aimed to broaden the company's portfolio and capture different user demographics and preferences.
Competition: Zuckerberg may have seen Threads as a way to compete with Twitter and capture a portion of its user base. Twitter has faced challenges and user frustrations due to frequent changes and controversies. Zuckerberg may have seen an opportunity to provide an alternative to users who were dissatisfied with Twitter's direction and changes.
