Yes, I’m talking about Threads social network.

Let’s start with the basic information. Threads is made by Meta (Sorry, I still think Facebook every time). It is essentially a text version of Instagram and squarely and unashamedly aimed at taking on Twitter and all the mess happening in bird central.

And, yes, everyone is flocking to it. Pun was probably intended.

Here is where it gets interesting because it is not only made by the Instagram folks but likely shares some of the same code and components. It makes bringing over your Instagram contacts a one-click experience if you want it to be.

That is a big win for a new social network; nobody likes starting over, and it stops all of the ‘now follow me here’ posts on all of your other networks. Well, mostly.
So well done to the Threads team on making that happen and giving everyone a place to start without a big fat zero.

Now the downside is if you do that one-click setup, it also means you have missed a chance to clean out that list and reflect on those you truly follow. It also means you just created another pile of data somewhere else.

So take the time to review the list before importing. It’s a chance to spring clean and drop some dead wood. Be brutal, be honest, don’t just go for clicks.

Which brings me to the next problem. As people set up in their new homes, we see trending spam to get followers and get to the top of the tree. Stop that. Otherwise, we will end up right where we started with another network.

Now it would be fair to say that this is Meta/Facebook. They love your data, so they have no incentive to stop people from spamming up the traffic lanes and creating another misleading mess.

Right now, the one thing that makes me not use it so much is my timeline screen is full of people I don’t follow because the ranking is based on an ‘everyone feed’ and not just showing me the folks I follow.

I don’t care what is being said by people I’m not following. It’s like channel hopping or fishing to catch that one winner. I’m not up for it now, nor will I ever be. If you are saying interesting things, I’ll follow you. Otherwise, stay off my timeline.

So we will see how this plays out. Threads was pushed out early to capitalize on the problems over at Twitter, and I don’t blame them for that. But they need to make something that stands out above all the other networks to keep my attention and probably many others.

The big question is, are you on or planning to be on Threads? Side question, if yes, is that because you use Instagram or Facebook?

You might be interested in this episode sharing some thoughts on staying genuine at the cost of clicks.

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