Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Residents of different countries are actively recreating the geography of social networks, including in response to privacy orā¦ āXā other reasons. Two new opportunities that stand out as good areas of innovation are Bluesky and Threads, both of which approach online social interaction quite differently.
New Ways to Socialize
The movements from the old style of traditional social media have opened the avenues for new styles. Meta came up with Threads in July 2023 which was a separate Instagram application, and the company used its significant user base to drive the applicationās popularity. However, another company that removed the invite-only system in February 2024, developed from Jack Dorseyās idea of a decentralized social platform is Bluesky.
It was discovered that, although both platforms are derived from x ā which was earlier known as Twitter ā they have evolved rather differently. Threads contribute to building upon Instagramās framework and its community, while Bluesky bases its first steps on an open-source decentralized environment that uses its AT (Authenticated Transfer) Protocol.
Bluesky: Blast From the Past & Present
Bluesky’s interface might remind you of Twitter circa 2015, with its straightforward, text-focused design. Posts (called “skeets” by users) can be up to 300 characters and support media attachments. The platform’s unique “Custom Feeds” feature lets users create and share their algorithmic feeds, offering unprecedented control over content discovery.
Navigation feels more traditional, with separate tabs for your home feed, search, notifications, and profile. The platform also supports chronological viewing, which many users prefer for real-time discussions.
Threads: Instagram With Words
Threads feels at once familiar to Instagram users, with its clean, minimalist interface and smooth user experience. The app emphasizes visual content and keeps Instagram’s polished aesthetic. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and support multiple images, videos, and links.
The algorithmic feed on Threads prioritizes content from accounts you follow and posts that Meta thinks you’ll find engaging based on your Instagram activity. There’s currently no option for a chronological feed, which many users find frustrating.
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Who You’re With
The social dynamics of these platforms differ significantly in both community building and interaction patterns. Threads’ integration with Instagram gives it a built-in advantage for finding friends and familiar faces. You can easily port over your Instagram following list and keep the same username. The platform especially appeals to creators, brands, and public figures who already have an established Instagram presence.
However, the platform sometimes struggles with community engagement. Conversations can feel disjointed, and the lack of robust search features makes it difficult to find discussions about specific topics or interests.
Bluesky takes a moreĀ ground-up approachĀ to community building. While this means you might need to rebuild your social network from scratch, it has fostered tight-knit communities around specific interests. The platform’s invitation system (though no longer in effect) created an early culture of curation and intentional community growth.
The platform’s federated nature means users can potentially interact across different servers while maintaining a consistent identity, though this feature isn’t fully implemented yet.
Who is the Product?
However, it would be pertinent and important as well to consider how these two platforms generate their revenues and how much regard they afford to their usersā privacy. Like most Meta products, Threads utilizes common data collection methods. The platform collects extensive user data, including:
- Device information
- Usage patterns
- Content interactions
- Connected accounts
- Location data
This data goes into Metaās advertising stack; however, Threads has no advertising at the moment, but that will roll out in 2025. Just like Instagram, the privacy policy on this platform allows your data to be shared and used across the Meta family of applications for promotional and customization goals.
On a personal note, I have seen several reports of usersā accounts being suspended after making posts that referred negatively towards a (probable) future advertiser on Threads, and I experienced this myself. Threads has not spoken to these complaints, however, it does at least hint that advertisers will control the community.
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