Over 30 Million Members in 24 Hours; Threads or Twitter? Differences and Similarities

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, launched its latest service called Threads on Wednesday. Threads is linked to Instagram, and to have an account on it, you need to have an Instagram account. The main focus of the new app is on sharing short texts. Users can post up to 500 characters or share videos up to five minutes long. The reception for this new social network has been remarkable, with over 30 million membership requests registered by Thursday, just one day after the platform's unveiling. However, you may wonder what the difference between Threads and Twitter is?! The very short answer is: 'Threads does not have Elon Musk.' Connor Hayes, Meta's production vice president, stated in an interview, 'There is a desire for something new.' He added that prominent figures have specifically been looking for an alternative to Twitter that has a 'more constructive and positive feel.' Since Musk took over Twitter in October, the company has faced numerous problems, changed its blue check verification policies, and faced criticism from users and advertisers regarding its content moderation. Last weekend, Musk limited the number of posts users can see, stating he wants to combat 'severe data deletion levels.' Musk's behavior has provided the best opportunity for Twitter's competitors to enter the arena, with Mastodon, Bluesky, and several other apps joining the competition. However, just when many were giving Bluesky a high chance in the competition, Meta announced its new app, a platform that does not require an invitation request like Bluesky. Millions of membership requests on the very first day of this new platform's operation indicate Mr. Zuckerberg's high intelligence in choosing the right time to introduce the latest member of the Meta family. But what is Threads? And how do we use it? Threads is Meta's newest social media app, based on sharing short texts, and like Twitter, you can also share your photos and videos. It is very easy to use; you just need to download it and log in using your Instagram account. The app's bottom indicators guide you on how to share your message or visit your profile. In terms of appearance and execution model, Threads is very similar to Twitter but without the restrictions that Mr. Musk has recently imposed on Twitter, such as limits on the number of posts. Interestingly, if your Instagram account has a blue check and is verified, you do not need to verify it again on Threads; your blue check and all the people you followed on Instagram are transferred to your Threads account. But what does Twitter have that Threads currently lacks? Follower feed: Currently, there is only one main feed, where everything is mixed, and you cannot have a selected feed. Editing option: The ability to edit written text, which is one of Twitter Blue's features, is not available on Threads. Character count: There is no indication or warning showing you the number of characters entered, whether you have exceeded the limit or not. Search: Another weakness is the lack of a search option among sent text messages and even hashtags, which is expected to be added soon. To these shortcomings, the ability to send direct messages to a user should also be added. Currently, this new platform is available in over a hundred countries worldwide, and given the ease of membership, thousands of new users are added every hour. It remains to be seen which ring will determine the final winner of the fight that Mr. Musk previously proposed to Mark Zuckerberg.