 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
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@Mastodon it was obvious that Threads will be a data kraken but I still enjoy that they are pushing the fediverse with their inclusion of pubsub. I gave Threads a shot this morning and I must say for now the community is pretty nice and the overall simplicity of the app feels good. As soon as Pubsub is integrated I'll make the switch completely to mastodon and follow people on Threads. @Mastodon It would be nice if Mastodon would no longer use React or any other "Meta" code.  @Mastodon "We expect that eventually Mastodon and Threads will be interoperable, and from a technical standpoint, users will be able to follow each other and exchange messages." Do you also expect that Threads will actually allow people to migrate to a different server, bringing along their followers? Could Threads not leave out support for that part of ActivityPub? @Mastodon community based or corporate based communication platform… I choose community based.  @Mastodon I haven't been following closely, but I don't get the vitriol towards #Threads. Assuming for the moment that they _will_ implement #ActivityPub, properly, then isn't that what we *wanted?* It will allow anyone on Threads to follow anyone on another #Fediverse instance and vice versa, and to port their account elsewhere if they want to. I think it's possible that they believe they have to, to comply with the DSA. It seems premature to just assume they will be bad Fediverse citizens. @captainchaos Problem here, it isnt what was wanted from the fediverse. Mastodon.social is big, but threads will definaly be bigger and then you have all the Users on one instance, with Meta collecting so much data there. @Fluqzy @captainchaos Yeah i know, the more important problem is, that Threads will get so much users, that the main point of Mastodon, the decentralisation, isnt that big anymore it Threads gets million of users. They use the ActivityPub only to make profit on their side and thats the big problem about it. @Fluqzy It's not self-evident to me that that is a problem. Having one big player doesn't suddenly negate the decentralised properties of the federation. It would not prevent you from choosing any non-Threads server you like and still follow Threads accounts and vice versa, or from moving to a different server while keeping your content and social network. @captainchaos "Embrace, extend, and extinguish" (EEE), also known as "embrace, extend, and exterminate", is a phrase that the US DOJ used to describe its strategy for entering product categories involving widely used standards, extending those standards with proprietary capabilities, and then using those differences in order to strongly disadvantage its competitors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish @Mastodon Printing out this whole post so I can reflect on it later, on the day I find out that Meta, on some future steering committee, or through some other influence, desires some changes to ActivityPub or UX that’s going to screw it up for all of the small instances. Feeling it in my bones mate. Meta can’t be trusted. Bubble ‘em. @Mastodon Exciting news! EKTA INSURANCE is here to secure your peace of mind. 🛡️ Whether it's auto, home, or travel insurance, we've got you covered. Visit our website to explore our comprehensive coverage options and get a personalized quote today. #InsuranceMatters #ProtectYourJourney 🌐 https://ektatraveling.tp.st/fEfB3auu  >XMPP did not exist on its own outside of nerd circles, while ActivityPub enjoys the support and brand recognition of Mastodon. People have already said similar about Mastodon. It could be stated like this in the future. >However, this affects only those who download and use the Threads app, or become users of Threads directly through other means. Even if you follow or send a message to a Threads user from your Mastodon account, Threads will not be able to collect any of your private information except the message you sent. This is hugely alarming. This is exactly how Meta builds shadow profiles of people. No wonder some instances will automatically defederate. >We have been advocating for interoperability between platforms for years. So, to solve a key concern of your ideology you're going to create a massive number of problems for your user base? It's fulfilling the "techbros" scorpion problem in a short amount of time. Europeans don't have to worry because they have data protection. You got yours, and we can just suck whatever fresh hell you're landing all us non-Eurpoeans in!    @Mastodon Discover the ultimate travel companion with EconomyBookings! ✈️🌍 Unleash your wanderlust and save big on car rentals worldwide! 🚗💨 Explore the roads less traveled and create unforgettable memories. Book now at https://economybookings.tp.st/bvFFLzfA and embark on the journey of a lifetime! 🌟 #TravelTuesday #AdventureAwaits @Mastodon @stroughtonsmith So once we will be able to connect Mastodon to Threads does this mean that we will see duplicated entries from everyone that we follow on both servers? @Mastodon please let us know more and is this a positive app to add to our social media. @Mastodon What does it actually mean to say that it's not available in the EU? If, theoretically, I were to sideload the android app would I be able to use it? Is there no Web interface? @Mastodon Not really convinced that threads is not a threat. The Power imbalance has to be adressed in a meaningful way otherwise it will be Meta embrace-extend-extinguishing the ActivityPub protocol @Mastodon I am more skeptical about Meta playing fair than I am about the possible existence of aliens on earth 👽 😂 @Mastodon one part of this isn't quite accurate - Threads' userbase is not separate from Instagram's, it uses the same social graph. You are required to have an Instagram account to log in. Threads sounds like a generic knock off. What #mastadon has here is something pure. This whole #Fediverse is new, but it reminds me of the old days of the internet. More like the wild west. Personally, I think this is a superior product. @Mastodon Not sure what #instagramthreads will imply for #mastodon in the longterm. I can add that it does not bode well for #instagram giving me notifications everytime someone posts on an app I didn’t download…… @Mastodon well put: "The fact that large platforms are adopting ActivityPub is not only validation of the movement towards decentralized social media, but a path forward for people locked into these platforms to switch to better providers." There is a cargo cult with these social networks that has caused people to forget that social networking is a human activity and should not be corralled by one company or one tool. @Mastodon, "There was a time when users of Facebook and users of Google Talk were able to chat with each other and with people from self-hosted XMPP servers" — no, there wasn’t, FB’s XMPP implementation was non-federating from the start until the day they switched it off. You always needed to log in with your FB account, and you never could message anyone non-@facebook.com. @Mastodon "Remember, in the word ' threADS ', there is an arrangement of letters: 'THREe' + 'ADS'. 'THREE' platforms are involved: Instagram, Facebook, and Thread, to sell your privacy in cookies, cache, and interest data to ADvertisements."  @Mastodon I just joined. After a final attempt to get back on Twitter I decided to just join threads. Looks like many of the people I want to follow on Twitter are joining threads at a fast clip. Some of them were on Mastodon after suspension from Twitter but they got their accounts back. And forgot. I never understood why I was suspended from Twitter but all the vicious trolls appear to have gotten their accounts back. I do love Mastodon and will keep posting here too. @Mastodon Maybe there are some questions but there are way more industry veterans who have been on the other side of Embrace, Extend, Extinguish plays like this who see it coming a mile away and are frustrated that you don't. Embrace Extend Extinguish always plays on the arrogance and ego of the orgs it absorbs. The Instagram founders didn't expect FB to break all of their promises and oust them while seizing control, either. @Mastodon @Gargron if I am an Instagram user and accumulate a following there from my existing network, can I move all those followers to a different instance and keep the relationships while abandoning the Threads part? How can I leverage the portability to bring users off Threads to a better instance? @Mastodon love and fully agree with the stance you guys state at the end of the blog post. excited to be able to see externally posted content from the safety and comfort of my own instance in the future :) go activitypub! @Mastodon "XMPP did not exist on its own outside of nerd circles, while ActivityPub enjoys the support and brand recognition of Mastodon." uhhhhh..... hate to break it to you guys but Mastodon/Lemmy surely only exists inside nerd circles. I don't know a single person in real life who knows what these things are. @Mastodon given how many users have both Instagram and Mastodon accounts, isn’t there a high risk of collision meaning users will either have to maintain two different accounts (unlikely) or pick which of the two to retain? I can’t imagine merging the two will be feasible  @Mastodon on the comparison with XMPP, XMPP loves on as the messaging foundation for many personal, enterprise & gaming platforms. Early on, companies like Antepo were bought & folded into commercial enterprises, Adobe messaging service in their case. A variant of XMPP lives in Zoom. The real question is, long term will ActivityPub interoperability have a viable business case or will the protocol & server implementations power smaller, isolated branded experiences? @Mastodon Some people have said that large instances like mastodon.social will be affected by Threads. Is that true? I'm a baby in tech stuff, so pweese help me clear up such matter? :cwy: @Mastodon not for me! They won't or can't stop spoiling the social media for BIG profit, actually that goes for most when they have BIG money shareholders! The Cambridge analytics stunt should point the way, it's controlled by money! @Mastodon I feel that the strategic threat of EEE has not been sufficiently explored and answered in this post.  Does someone know how the #fediverse works? How transitive is it? Suppose server S1 federates with server S2, which federates with server S3, but S1 does not federate with S3. User U1 on server S1 sends message M1. User U2 on server S2 responds with message M2. Can user U3 on server S3 see both messages M1 and M2, or only message M2, or none of them? Can user U3 reply to message M1 or M2 or both? If yes, will user U1 see it? Meta-provided Facebook chats led a woman to plead guilty to abortion-related charges | An investigating officer served a warrant to Meta, which provided unencrypted chat sessions showing the woman and her daughter discussing abortion pills. |
Gregory's Server
@Mastodon
"HERE IS HOW platforms die: First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die."
watch Meta either buyout Mastodon and flip the kill switch on ActivityPub, or do something to draw users away from it.
another thing, did Mastodon devs participate on that off-the-record meeting proposed to Mastodon admins?
@Mastodon
"HERE IS HOW platforms die: First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die."
watch Meta either buyout Mastodon and flip the kill switch on ActivityPub, or do something to draw users away from it.