Meta's Threads launches in EU ....

[Saracen999]

Some 5 months later than elsewhere, believed to be due to the EUs much stronger regulatory stance, Meta has launched Threads to compete with whatever Elon is callig thingy this week.

It also, it seems, has a 'subscription' model which removes ad's for subscribers. That''s only in the EU though and, as the BBC artfully pointed out, the UK is not in the EU. I was shocked, i tell ya .... shocked.

My only queesion, mainly rhetorical, is I wonder why anyone cares?

I guess my age is showing, but I fail to see the attraction of X (other than giving me a few laughs at how it's going recently), which I'm sure leaves noboy in much doubt how much I care about Threads.

I mean, without wishing to sound judgmental, to each person - whatever floats yer boat , so maybe either or both excite people - but I desire an X account about as much as I want piles, and Threads about as much as I want an STD. Which, for the avoidance of doubt, is not much at all. Elon and the Zuck combined couldn't pay me enough to get excited about either.

But apparently, they're quite popular. As the saying goes .... there's nowt so strange as folk.

[MrJim]

Twitter (I refuse to call it 'X') has certainly gone downhill since Musk's purchase, but for the time being at least I'm hanging in there.

My reason for still using Twitter? Quite simply, and interest in politics & current affairs. The media in this country - especially the printed variety - has such a radically right-wing bias, that many highly news-worthy stories just don't get covered by the 'mainstream media' (much as I hate that term). A case in point that immediately springs to mind: the huge scandal of the procurement of PPE during the pandemic, & the so-called 'VIP' lanes. This has gained relatively little traction in most of the press, especially the exploits of Michelle Mone. So I value Twitter for shedding light this & numerous other stories, despite all the rubbish on there that you have to put up with along the way.

I'm hoping that Threads will come to rival Twitter in time, because quite honestly, Musk is just a terrible human being. But I expect we will have to wait and see how that goes. Substituting Meta for Musk is a bit of a 'Hobson's Choice'.

[AGTDenton]

Regardless of who owns Twitter, it's never appealed.
I'll only go to it if that's the only source, but I'm not signing up. So if it's hidden content, you can forget it.

I seldom use Facebook, it's annoyingly useful for local area information like roadworks and other dull communications from the local council. It's completely full of poison though so I'm contemplating deleting it again. The front page is just shoveled garbage. I certainly will never have the Facebook app installed.

During lockdowns I signed up to Tiktok & Instagram, those were deleted early last year.

Threads? I'm not tempted by it at all. I already have enough Zuckyboos with Facebook & Whatsapp

[Saracen999]

....

My reason for still using Twitter? Quite simply, and interest in politics & current affairs. ....

Fair enough. I used to be pretty interested in news and current affairs too, though in more recent times, my attitude has changed. Now I kinda don't want to know.

I think it's due to two factors. First, a growing awareness that nothing I say, do, think or care about is going to register on those that have inveigled their way into power. it certainly won't make a difference. So why bother? Secondly, though it's probably always been true, it certainly seems that now, all the news is bad news. Disaster here, war there (and there and there), disease, famine, flood or catastrophy somewhere else. All I achieve by watching the news is to get wound up, or depressed as hell, or more likely, both at the same time.

So I give news a quick surface scan online, just to have a vague idea of what's going on, and beyond that, I avoid it like the plaque.

I think one of the catalysts was the Brexit process. It dragged on for sooooo long, it wore out my final tolerance for news. Now, i just kinda let the world get on with stuff, and I try to remain isolated in my own peaceful little bubble. Ignorance is bliss, and all that. The last thing I'm going to do is seek news out.

[TeePee]

I'm not a big fan of Musk, but with the way social media was manipulated over the last few years, it's hard to argue about the free speech benefit of his Twitter acquisition, even if it's been detrimental to the user experience. Without a commitment from Meta to not restrict ideas based on Government demands, they're part of the problem. Especially if the Governments demands move to the right. We've all seen the damage caused by media manipulation over the last few years.

[jimbouk]

I seldom use Facebook, it's annoyingly useful for local area information like roadworks and other dull communications from the local council. It's completely full of poison though so I'm contemplating deleting it again. The front page is just shoveled garbage. I certainly will never have the Facebook app installed.

The mbasic.facebook.com site *was* useable for this, I had a few local groups and Devon Alerts, unfortunately every other post is this now is suggested just like the full pages. I've just using it now. It's not even money making adverts I'm seeing, just irrelevant random stuff I assume to try and keep me doom scrolling endlessly.

[Ttaskmaster]

They certainly could pay me enough to get excited about them... But since it's unlikely that either of them will, they can go Thread themselves up the X.