 There’s been a lot of speculation around what Threads will be and what it means for Mastodon. We’ve put together some of the most common questions and our responses based on what was launched today: https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2023/07/what-to-know-about-threads/ 469 comments | Expand all CWs
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@Mastodon If I may, this sentence is ambiguous It seems to imply that Threads won't be available in the US, but Threads will definitely be available in the EU — not just at launch (source: https://www.platformer.news/p/meta-unspools-threads) Maybe it's due to the syntax of the sentence, but I think a clarification/rewrite would be useful @Mastodon (It's a very good point otherwise, than you for publishing it!)  @Mastodon Thanks. This post is a little confusing though because you discuss Mastodon users following Threads users but then say Threads and Mastodon are not interoperable? So I guess I don't understand if I can follow Threads users or if they can follow me. @brianvastag @Mastodon At the moment threads is completely isolated but meta intends that in the near future threads and mastodon users will be able to interact. @brianvastag @Mastodon Not on launch. They intend to federate, but right at this moment Threads is not in the fediverse. 'We expect that eventually Mastodon and Threads will be interoperable' @brianvastag For now, Threads is not part of the fediverse - that is, Threads users are restricted to their own instance, that belongs to Meta. In the future, Threads intends to be part of the fediverse, and then Mastodon instances will be interoperable with Threads. Of course, there are still many questions about this that cannot be answered at the moment. @brianvastag @Mastodon at the time of posting they’re not interoperable. but threads claims that they will add this functionality later on. @brianvastag @Mastodon I believe Meta is planning to make Threads interoperable with Mastodon at some point, but for now there's no connection between the two :) @brianvastag Threads has not turned on federation yet, so currently neither are interoperable with eachother. Once they turn it on, then both will work with eachother like any other ActivityPub server @brianvastag @Mastodon They plan on eventually being interoperable, but they’re not integrating with Activity Pub to start. So right now, users on Threads can’t follow Mastodon users, for example.  There were rumours regarding payments from Meta to various instances, which are difficult to confirm or deny due to the NDAs. Could you set the record straight? Is Mastodon gGmbH receiving any funds from Meta or anyone connected to Meta? Will Mastodon gGmbH commit to never taking funds from Meta or anyone connected to Meta?  How could there NOT be strings attached? Meta isn't a charity, it's a brutal corporation. When you become dependent on someone for money, you will want to avoid upsetting them. That could be terrible for a Fediverse project if the donor is Meta. @feditips @ThePlant @Mastodon I'm sorry but this is complete nonsense Microsoft used to play dirty against open source projects, but is now financing a ton of terrific open source projects Assuming that one day Meta changes the same way Microsoft changed, should Mastodon refuses this money like forever? Microsoft changed? What? 😆 The same Microsoft that nowadays insists on spying on your computer? These are corporations, not charities. They do not have any genuine interest in anything except making money for their shareholders. Any company that carries out mass surveillance is not to be trusted. You can't compartmentalise that kind of behaviour away. @feditips @ThePlant @Mastodon It's not to a literal economist that you will teach that companies aren't charities But under the correct set of incentives, the interest of companies can somewhat align with the interest of third parties that aren't their shareholders It's a very surprising move for Meta to support the Fediverse in the first place, which indicates that something evolved in their business calculus If Meta donated to Mastodon the same way anyone else does, it's not clear to me how it would even be possible for them to attach strings, given my general understanding of how non-profits work. Would it even be possible for Mastodon to receive funding from Meta through some mechanism other than a standard donation? @ThePlant @feditips @Mastodon Even without an explicit agreement, Mastodon could be reluctant to do anything to hurt Meta out of fear of losing the revenue stream - and that implicit threat can be useful to Meta if Mastodon starts to depend on that money. Lobbyists don't always make explicit demands to lawmakers, but it still influences politics. There doesn't need to be demands, just the thought that the money might disappear if they aren't friendly.  They're going to take funds to pay for the massive number of requests and commensurate bandwidth requirements imposed by federating with meta. If they don't, meta will simply send so many requests that the various instances will not be able to afford their bandwidth charges. It's block meta or death, the admins just think they're smart, so they can play with fire.  I'm not implying anything. I am curious why Mastodon's stance has changed so much in the past few years. I would like them to rule out that there's any financial connection. They used to have a very anti-corporate animation in 2018 which ended with a parody of Facebook and Twitter (https://fedi.video/w/m9L9gYXJypnywSyChQLxnd). This press statement doesn't feel like it fits in with that old Mastodon.  @feditips @alexpostfacto @catalyst You expect something substantive about... nothing existing? Nothing exists. He has told you. @ocdtrekkie @alexpostfacto @catalyst I mean it's not a substantive answer, because it wasn't really answering the question asked. It didn't deny meeting Meta. And "there is little to comment on until Meta's platform launches" is almost word for word what someone would say who has signed an NDA on an unreleased product. NDAs generally forbid commentary on upcoming products until after their launch. That's why I'm asking a direct question, in the hope of direct answers. @feditips Can you stop using your huge platform to spread crazy misinformation? Like, nothing like this has ever been even close to substantiated, and these sorts of bull---- rumors are regularly scaring newer users who aren't versed in the latest fedi dramas enough to know the authors are making it up. This isn't misinformation, this is a request for information. Mastodon used to be emphatically anti-Facebook, now they're suddenly "this is no big deal". It would be nice if they could confirm this isn't due to any kind of payment. @feditips Okay, Tucker Carlson. Just asking questions, got it. Like seriously please step back and look at your behavior in light of your popularity here amongst newcomers. Take your conspiracies elsewhere.  @ocdtrekkie @feditips asking if something is true or false only after it's been proven true or false seems somewhat redundant... @bitflipped @feditips Eugen has already said it's false, see the link elsewhere in the thread.  @feditips @Mastodon if you read to the end of that post, there's a big bold section calling for donations to Mastodon. Do you really think if (your conspiracy theory which has no basis in reality) Meta had sent monies anywhere that Mastodon would have included a "please!we need money so we can hire more people" call? This comment does nothing but soread fear, uncertainty and doubt; it's almost like you're working against the platforms you claim to be providing tips for. @Mastodon How to Kill a Decentralised Network (such as the Fediverse) https://ploum.net/2023-06-23-how-to-kill-decentralised-networks.html    @Mastodon this is still a mastodon-obsessed post, especially the EEE section. LOL, this will be interesting. An Eternal September Redux.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September  @Mastodon This is interesting, thanks. So no change for Mastodon users initially. This article just came out about it too: Instagram launches new Threads platform in direct competition with Twitter It might just be another social media platform, but the fact that Threads is saying it plans to integrate ActivityPub is encouraging. That sets it apart from others which are just another walled garden. Assuming they implement it in such a way that allows it to communicate with the fediverse, of course. I'm cautiously optimistic though. If they put a big dent in Twitter, it might even force them to also integrate with the rest of the social internet.  @Mastodon A) it wasn't me nor anyone I know speculating how these apps work. B) any instances that intentionally connect to Facebook(it isn't Threads, it's Facebook. Stop saying that) in any way will be actively blocked, etc. The entirety of this conversation is dystopic and ridiculous. How is this even a question? Who actually wants to know how to switch BACK to the networks we left to build this one? @Mastodon I had no idea Threads was using ActivityPub! Twitter is going to die unless they follow suit. @Mastodon I believe the most disappointed fact, is that Thread is not available in Europe  @Mastodon@mastodon.social Did Facebook write this themselves? This is so disingenous it's funny. What happened in Eugen's NDAed meeting with Facebook? Write about that, until then, hold your bloody wheesht.  @Mastodon will servers be encouraged to have definitive policies on how data from their server can be used that are clear and understandable? I'd like to know that a friend boosting my post, making it visible to a Threads user, and they like it, does not give Meta permission to scrape and reuse my data. Having such policies as part of running a server would be incredibly welcome if it's not already there. @Mastodon Tradıng hasn't been easy due to the fluntuatıon of the sıgnals lately and wıthout an expert or professıonal who's understand or have an experıence on tradıng۔ You eventually encounter losses whıle tradıng۔ Wıth the help of 𝐍𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐱 on 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 l could secure my trade and earn more profıt۔Am forever grateful to you, Send a direct message on 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐀𝐩𝐩 +447496538356 for adequate process in cryptocurrency trading.  Meta is a brutal billion-dollar corporation that thrives on expanding and destroying everything in its path. It won't rest until it has extracted every last user and dollar out of the Fediverse. By refusing to defederate Threads, you have committed to a path that will end with the destruction of your life's work, and the social connections that people rely on to survive, due to pure naivety. ActivityPub is the new XMPP. Thanks for nothing. If Facebook aka Meta follows the guidelines as described, how will it use the metaverse to make money?  @Mastodon I remain skeptical, but will continue to see what will happen when Threads connect with the fediverse. @Mastodon Or to learn about how to extract and merging into an article a Mastodon thread. Oh well. 🙄 🤷♂️ 😂 So...on the topic of EEE, he says here that if it happens we're basically back where we started. I'm not expert, but it feels like he's overlooking the social aspect of this. If a huge chunk of our friends are on Threads, and then Meta yanks back support of it, won't mastodon users just switch to Meta to keep their old friendships going? I think the social capital is the essence of EEE, is it not? For me the lack of adds and freedom is great but I suspect that's not the norm.  @Mastodon Underwhelming. «It is also not possible for any third party server to insert ad-like posts into your home feed.» Unless they deliver ads through "normal" posts. «A server you are not signed up with and logged into cannot get your private data or track you across the web.» Meaningless sentence as "private data" is not defined; does not seem to speak about "personal data" as in #GDPR sense. #Instagram, #Facebook can and will track you across the web by linking different identifiers. I think it would be useful to include a simple example of how to initiate and participate in threaded posts fellow citizen Mastodon. As so many others and I are confused.  @Mastodon will there be a way to merge my threads account with my mastodon account once integration happens? I already made a threads account because a lot of people I follow on twt are making accounts on there and I want those people I follow to be able to be transferred over to this account once threads federates. My own (probably unqualified) 2 cents: ActivityPub protocol is open-source, so we can't stop them from using it and asking to federate with other instances. And blocking Meta is, by design, something done on an instance by instance basis. Even if Threads does become the largest AP protocol-based platform - how is that really different from now? If they try to Extend, then they just break connection to the rest of the Fediverse and it's back to being the silo everyone wants to escape. @Mastodon and it's available only on Android 9.0. @Mastodon I think this is awesome. Looks like you are smart I apreciate that. A lot.  @Mastodon All the important reasons. How does a sane mind say 'oh, goody' to this?  @Mastodon “Our software is built on the reasonable assumption that third party servers cannot be trusted. For example, we cache and reprocess images and videos for you to view, so that the originating server cannot get your IP address, browser name, or time of access.” ohhhh so that's why it's set up like that  @Mastodon I left Instagram and went to Twitter because it's evil. Now twitter is getting mad. I tried threads. Threads have both. Madness of twitter with the evil of Meta. I am happy with Mastodon. @Mastodon although separate from IG platform, there is an automatic onboarding of your EXISTING IG following profiles once they join Threads.   > This means Threads’ user base will be separate from their existing platforms. Instagram users however can sign-in using their Instagram accounts. Uhh, if they can sign in with the same accounts, it's the same userbase > That means even if there is a server with millions of people in the network, unless you follow millions of people, you will not be receiving updates for millions of people. …and what happens to your instance when somebody follows you from a server with millions of people and starts boosting your posts and millions of people suddenly start interacting with your posts?  @Mastodon "This is a clear victory for our cause, hopefully one of many to come." 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 @Mastodon "XMPP did not exist on its own outside of nerd circles, while ActivityPub enjoys the support and brand recognition of Mastodon." I hope that is delicious self-irony and no one actually seriously thinks Mastodon is anything but a nerd circle.  @Hiker@social.fedcast.ch @viennawriter@literatur.social @Mastodon I think it's like the WTO's relationship with China, welcoming it in while reserving all possibilities for sanctions and deciding how to treat it based on its performance.   @Mastodon Nice article! FYI there's a small typo in @Mastodon The fact that Threads is not available in EU at launch causes me to worry. EU is generally stronger on consumer protection than most other regulators. What EU requirement are they failing to meet? @Mastodon The Lost Colony of Roanoke is an enigmatic tale that has intrigued historians, archaeologists, and enthusiasts for centuries. Situated on the coast of what is now North Carolina, this ill-fated settlement has captured the imagination of countless For more information click on https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/6340108265078622884?hl=en  > Threads is a separate app from Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. This means Threads’ user base will be separate from their existing platforms. Instagram users however can sign-in using their Instagram accounts. So, not separate, then. Same user base. @Mastodon : I predict an oozing, pollutant effect on the Fediverse and find the whole idea of this Meta offspring to be parasitic in a bad sci-fi sort of way. Attack of the Zuckerblob. No thanks.  @Mastodon I'm still of the mindset it can only help the Fediverse they adopted ActivityPup for their app. I for one am looking forward to welcome Threads users to my timeline and follow some of them. I can block or mute what I don't want to see later and Mastodon has a wide variety of filters for others.  @Mastodon it'd be all well and good, but NOT WITH META. How could you say it's a victory for YOUR cause (definitely nor ours) when Meta is the home of countless LAW, freedom and privacy violations, and after THEY filtered out Mastodon promoting posts on Facebook the first way? Don't dare to say it was an AI error. It happened with Pixelfed too. This just really makes me disgusted. Looks like you really don't want to be held responsible for this move. Again, disgusting move. #AntiMeta |
Gregory's Server
@Mastodon Threads?