Ordinary Chaos

Tag: Threads

  • Bluesky joins Threads to court users frustrated by Meta’s moderation issues

    Bluesky joins Threads to court users frustrated by Meta’s moderation issues

    [ad_1]

    Social networking startup Bluesky is seizing the moment. Amid ongoing moderation issues affecting X rival Instagram Threads, the decentralized X competitor Bluesky has created an account on Meta’s newest platform. In doing so, the startup aims to capitalize on the discussions now taking place on Threads, where a number of users are threatening to leave Threads for Bluesky over this latest set of problems.

    On Wednesday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the company was looking into the network’s moderation issues, but no resolution has yet come about. Nor has Instagram explained what caused people to have their Threads’ posts downranked and blocked, or their accounts removed or falsely flagged as belonging to underage users. However, many suspect the company is relying on AI-powered moderation systems, which are likely misfiring.

    As conversations about leaving Threads for Bluesky ramped up, Bluesky set up an account and reached out to Threads users, cheekily writing “Heard people were talking about us … so we created an account to share some more information!”

    The company then clarified several key ways Bluesky is different from Threads in terms of moderation. Similar to other social networks, it does employ a moderation team that follows a set of community guidelines. However, Bluesky notes that its team won’t de-rank content if it’s about politics — something that Meta actively chose to avoid ahead of the contentious U.S. election season.

    In February, Meta had said it would no longer recommend political content across Threads and Instagram, saying users would only see this content in their feeds if they actively followed political accounts. That decision led to a creator backlash, which saw hundreds signing a letter about Meta’s move, claiming that limiting the reach of such content “endangers the reach of marginalized folks speaking to their own lived experience on Meta’s platforms.”

    In addition, Bluesky shared on Threads that its moderation system differs from other social networks as well, as it introduces an “open stackable ecosystem” that allows independent organizations to publish their own moderation tools that users can optionally subscribe to in order to filter their feed to their personal preferences.

    The company also touted its support for open source code, account portability, and algorithmic choice and shared one of its starter packs (account suggestions of who to follow).

    Whether the proposed exodus from Threads will actually have a significant impact on either social network remains to be seen. Threads may address the moderation problems well before any departures reach a critical mass. And although Threads users may create accounts on Bluesky to kick the tires, they may not choose to stay given that the network’s size remains dwarfed by Threads. The former has now topped 10.7 million users, but Threads now sees over 200 million active users on a monthly basis.

    Others, meanwhile, may choose to stay on Threads regardless of the current problems. For some, that’s because they remain bitter about how long Bluesky remained an invite-only social network, joking about how they’re still waiting for their invitation.

    Even if Bluesky isn’t able to direct a sizable number of Threads users to its platform, as it did when X was banned in Brazil, it will still benefit from the user feedback it’s collecting. For instance, among the hundreds of replies it’s receiving, people are pointing out the need for better threading on Bluesky’s app as well as connectivity with ActivityPub, the protocol powering Mastodon and soon, Threads, once it fully federates.

    Bluesky responded by saying, “We’re reading all the feedback you have and taking notes,” alongside a link to download its app.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Meta’s Threads app references a communities feature, similar to Elon Musk’s X

    Meta’s Threads app references a communities feature, similar to Elon Musk’s X

    [ad_1]

    Meta’s take on a Twitter/X rival, Instagram Threads, may be inching further into its competitor’s territory with the development of a communities feature that would presumably allow users to better organize their discussions on the platform by topics. At least that’s what references in the app’s code seem to imply.

    The code mentions a new feature, called Loops, which was spotted on Monday by Threads early adopter and veteran technologist Chris Messina. The new strings he discovered were introduced in the latest app update and mention things like the joining and leaving of “Loop” communities, as well as fields that refer to the community name, bio, and other elements. (In addition, mentions of “BCN” in the code refer to Barcelona, the internal code name for Threads ahead of its launch; “TextApp” serves as a similar reference.)

    Reached for comment, Instagram did not confirm its plans for these Loop communities or what the feature may entail. However, the company did say the feature was in early development and is not testing either internally or externally at this time.

    Threads app codeImage Credits:Chris Messina
    Threads app codeImage Credits:Chris Messina

    While X’s Communities have not been a standout addition as of yet, X owner Elon Musk has high hopes for their further growth. Since acquiring the social network, Musk has promoted X Communities’ growth and improvement. Earlier this April, he reshared a post that touted how X members were spending 495% more time in Communities, and time spent was up over 600% year-over-year. He also often shares or reshares posts about Communities updates, like the addition of an Explore tab, the ability for moderators to pin posts, timeline sorting options, and other changes that could help X’s feature challenge Reddit’s communities, known as subreddits.

    Musk last year also noted that X was deprecating the private sharing feature, Circles, in favor of improved Communities.

    Threads app codeImage Credits:Chris Messina

    Introducing a similar Communities feature on Threads could also make sense, not only because it makes the app more competitive with X, but also because it reflects how Threads users have begun to organize themselves on the platform.

    Since Threads did away with the traditional hashtag in favor of a different type of hyperlinked tag for following topics, users began tagging their posts to reach different groups using the format of “topic name” followed by the word “Threads.” For example, you can follow tags like “Tech Threads,” “Design Threads,” “Fitness Threads,” “Sports Threads,” and so on.

    However, this system can be confusing because it’s not based on the hashtag that users are already familiar with, and some people include a space between the topic and the word “Threads” while others do not.

    Creating communities to organize topical discussions could be a potential solution to the problem, assuming that’s what Threads is up to with its introduction of Loops.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Bluesky continues to soar, adding 2M more new users in a matter of days

    Bluesky continues to soar, adding 2M more new users in a matter of days

    [ad_1]

    Social networking startup Bluesky continues to benefit from X’s shutdown in Brazil having now added over 2 million new users over the past four days, up from just half a million as of Friday. This rapid growth led some users to encounter the occasional error that would state there were “Not Enough Resources” to handle requests, as Bluesky engineers scrambled to keep the servers stable under the influx of new sign-ups.

    As new users downloaded the app, Bluesky jumped to becoming the app to No. 1 in Brazil over the weekend, ahead of Meta’s X competitor, Instagram Threads. According to app intelligence firm Appfigures, Bluesky’s total downloads soared by 10,584% this weekend compared to last, and its downloads in Brazil were up by a whopping 1,018,952%. The growth seems to be having a halo effect, as downloads outside Brazil also rose by 584%, the firm noted. In part, this is due to Bluesky receiving downloads in 22 countries where it had barely seen any traction before.

    In terms of absolute downloads, countries that saw the most installs outside Brazil included the U.S., Portugal, the U.K., Canada and Spain. Those with the most download growth, however, were Portugal, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Romania. Most of the latter group jumped from single-digit growth to growth in the thousands.

    Bluesky’s newcomers have actively engaged on the platform, too, driving up other key metrics.

    As one Bluesky engineer remarked, the number of likes on the social network grew to 104.6 million over the past four-day period, up from just 13 million when compared with a similar period just a week ago. Follows also grew from 1.4 million to 100.8 million while reposts grew from 1.3 million to 11 million.

    As of Monday, Bluesky said it had added 2.11 million users during the past four days, up from 26,000 users it had added in the week-ago period. In addition, the company noted it had seen “significantly more than a 100% [daily active users] increase.”

    Bluesky’s appeal to those forced to leave X may have to do with how closely the user experience resembles that of the now Elon Musk-owned app, formerly known as Twitter. Once incubated within Twitter, Bluesky spun out as a separate company and raised its own funding, but still retains much of Twitter’s look and feel.

    Like X, Bluesky offers features like likes, reposts, quote posts, lists, direct messages, search tools and user profiles, but it also improves on X’s capabilities in other ways. As a decentralized social network, users can set up their own instances (servers that run Bluesky and connect to others over the AT Protocol), customize their feeds, subscribe to third-party moderation services, and create and share “starter packs” that link to curated sets of recommended users to follow. In a coming update, Bluesky also plans to add support for video, the company says.

    Another factor to consider here is how Bluesky’s approach to content and moderation differs from Threads.

    Even when it was Twitter, X has long been known as a hotbed for breaking news and political debates, Threads has taken the opposite approach, saying it would not default to recommending political content on its platform. Instead, Threads wants to make itself palatable to brands and influencers, similar to Instagram, as it intends to eventually monetize via ads.

    Given that X’s ban in Brazil is tied to politics — the country wanted control over what could be said on the platform — it’s likely that some Brazilians opting for Bluesky wanted to join a network that was not centralized and as easily controlled. On platforms like X, moderation decisions are left up to the site’s owners, but on decentralized networks, the users are in charge.

    That flexibility combined with Bluesky’s ease of use could make the network a bigger draw than others.

    For instance, though Mastodon offers its own decentralized network, the recent user growth driven by Brazil was on a much smaller scale. On Saturday, Mastodon founder and CEO Eugen Rochko said the service had seen 4,200 signups from Brazil, up from 152 signups on August 28, for instance. That could speak to the fact that Brazilians want more than decentralization: They also want a place that more closely resembles Twitter/X.

    Meta has not yet commented on how large an increase it’s seen on Threads driven by Brazilians leaving X, but as a network that already has over 200 million monthly active users, even the addition of thousands or millions more would not be as noticeable a gain, compared with the much smaller Bluesky. Still, it’s also possible that Brazilians wanted to move to a place that was separate from friends, family and creators — one that defaulted to public postings and felt more like Twitter once did. Bluesky’s culture, which tends toward s***posting and memes, has the sort of chaotic energy of an early Twitter.

    X is said to have had north of 20 million users in Brazil, which means there’s plenty of growth to be captured all around.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Threads deepens its ties to the open social web, aka the ‘fediverse’

    [ad_1]

    Threads is deepening its ties to the fediverse, also known as the open social web, which powers services like X alternative Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, Flipboard and other apps. On Wednesday, Meta announced that users on Threads will be able to see fediverse replies on other posts besides their own. In addition, posts that originated through the Threads API, like those created via third-party apps and scheduling services, will now be syndicated to the fediverse.

    The latter had previously been announced via an in-app message informing users that API posts would be shared to the fediverse starting on August 28.

    Following Meta’s launch of the Threads API in June, companies like Hootsuite, Sprinklr, Sprout Social, Grabyo and others have integrated access to Threads into their own platforms and services, making Threads more useful to brands, businesses and other social media marketers. It will also be important to expand the reach of high-profile accounts run by social media teams, like the @potus account, for instance.

    By comparison, Elon Musk’s X over the past year has limited access to its API by shutting down its free tier and raising prices, in an effort to increase revenue for the platform formerly known as Twitter.

    The other major change rolling out to Threads today has to do with how fediverse replies are displayed.

    Since June, users have been able to see fediverse replies on their posts if they enabled fediverse sharing in the app’s settings. Once enabled, the sharing option allows users to syndicate their posts across the wider social web and then see how people on other services have responded. Now users will be able to see the fediverse replies on other people’s posts, too. This immediately brings more content into Threads, even without a sizable increase in Threads users.

    A Meta engineer suggested testing the feature by viewing the replies of larger accounts, like YouTuber Marques Brownlee (@mkbhd), for example.

    Here, you’ll notice a new section that shows how many “fediverse replies” are available above the replies posted to Threads itself.

    It’s worth noting that you have to tap or click on the “fediverse replies” section to actually view what’s being said on other servers and by who. Currently, Threads users can like the replies from other servers, but they can’t yet reply to them, as the feature is still in beta and under development.

    While it makes sense in the near term to separate the fediverse replies into their own section as users learn what it means to participate in the wider social web, requiring the extra click to view them also somewhat buries them in the Threads user interface. That makes them seem of less importance than the native Threads replies. Of course, Threads’ user interface could still change as the product evolves.

    Threads is the largest app to adopt ActivityPub, the protocol powering the fediverse, worrying some that Meta will take over the decentralized, open source social network made up of interconnected servers. Though Threads isn’t yet full integrated, already some Mastodon server operators have preemptively blocked Threads, so their users can’t interact with the Meta-run social network and vice versa.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • What is Instagram’s Threads app? All your questions answered

    [ad_1]

    In the last few months, Twitter alternatives — new and old — have found an audience willing to try out a new text-based social network. Mastodon, Bluesky, Spill and T2 are some of the social media platforms people are trying out. Now, Meta has stepped into the game with a big launch tied to Instagram.

    What is Threads? How do you create an account?

    Threads is Meta’s text-based Twitter rival. It is tied to your Instagram account, so you can create an account by logging in using your Instagram credentials.

    How is it different from Twitter?

    Currently, there are no paid tiers and ads on the app. However, your verification mark from Instagram is carried over — even if you have paid for Meta Verified. Users can take advantage of their Instagram network to find people to follow.

    The app has just launched, but it doesn’t have Twitter-like features such as long video, direct messages and live audio rooms.

    How do you use Threads?

    The platform is currently available on iOS and Android in more than 100 countries. However, due to privacy concerns, the app was not currently available in the EU until December 2023. At that time, Meta launched Threads in the region with an option for users to browse the social network without an account sans the ability to publish or interact with other posts.

    Because you are logging in through your Instagram account, you will be able to follow all folks that you follow. You will also import your username, name and settings like block list.

    How many users does this thing have?

    As of August 2024 — almost 13 months after the launch — Threads has more than 200 million users.

    Within hours of launch, Threads has crossed the mark of 10 million signups and it passed 30 million signups within 24 hours. Threads reached 100 million users within just five days of launch.

    Mark Zuckerberg noted on the first day that the app attracted 2 million signups in two hours, 5 million signups in four hours and 10 million registered users in seven hours. The next morning, the CEO of Meta noted that more than 30 million people had signed up to try the new app. Threads’ growth is noteworthy given that it hasn’t even launched in the EU yet because of privacy reasons.

    What are the limitations of posting on Threads?

    Users can post 500 characters in one post on the app. The post supports images, videos and GIFs. A Thread post supports up to 10 media items. As of July 17, Threads announced that it has to tighten up on rate limits, or limits on how may posts users can view, due to spam attacks.

    Can you use Threads on the web?

    Yes, you can view posts and also publish from Threads.net.

    What are the latest Threads updates?

    Threads first update brings a handful of small changes, added features and various bug fixes, including support for the recently released iOS 17 public beta. The update includes the following, released by Instagram Software Engineer Cameron Roth:

    • iOS 17 crashes
    • Double tap on Search tab to search
    • Facepile pill polish
    • Expand pics on profiles
    • Extra tall photos are now fully viewable
    • Trimmed the binary size
    • Random images are fixed on the thread line
    • Better scroll dismiss

    How do you delete your Threads account?

    You can deactivate or delete your Threads account. Until the end of 2023, you had to delete your Instagram account, according to Meta’s “Supplemental Privacy Policy.” to delete your Threads account. Meta keeps your data for 30 days after the initial deletion request. If you change your mind, you can cancel deletion within 30 days.

    Can you DM people on Threads?

    You can’t send a message to users on the app. Mosseri said that the goal is to “not build yet another inbox and instead let people send threads to other apps.”

    Does Threads have an API?

    After testing the API with select partners for a few months, Threads finally launched the public API in June 2024. Developers can build tools to publish posts of users and retrieve their own posts and gain insights about engagement. These tools can’t yet help you delete your posts.

    Does that mean we will have third-party clients?

    At this time, Threads API has limitations like not allowing developers fetch timeline data. So it is not possible to create an alternative clients for Threads.

    Is Threads part of the Fediverse?

    Partially. Earlier this year, Threads started an experiment to let users share their posts to the fediverse. So if users turn on fediverse sharing, people on other compatible ActivityPub networks Mastodon can follow them and see their posts. Threads also allows users on the fediverse to like Threads posts. The company is also planning to share your posts to the fediverse even if you publish them through a tool using Threads API.

    What are some features that are currently missing from Threads?

    • Full Fediverse integration
    • Scheduling posts (coming soon)
    • Direct messages
    • Support for lists
    • Support for third-party clients

    What are Threads data collection practices?

    Because you are using an Instagram account to log in to Threads, Meta says that “it is part of your Instagram account.” Users have already raised questions about the app’s data collection, given the privacy labels mentioned in the App Store.

    In answer to queries about the app’s privacy labels on the App Store, Meta’s deputy chief privacy officer Rob Sherman said that these labels are similar to the company’s other apps.

    “The labels are similar to the rest of our apps, including Instagram, in that our social apps receive whatever info (including the categories of data listed in the App Store) you share in the app,” he said in a Threads post.

    If you have more FAQs about Threads not covered here, leave us a comment below. 



    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • “Fancy threads” could release drugs right where the body needs them

    “Fancy threads” could release drugs right where the body needs them

    [ad_1]

    Swiss scientists have developed textile fibers that can be loaded up with just about any drug, then used to dispense that medication precisely where it’s needed in the body. The fibers could be utilized in sutures or bandages, or even just implanted on their own.

    One of the problems with taking pharmaceuticals orally or via injections lies in the fact that the medication ends up traveling throughout the bloodstream.

    This means that a relatively high dosage is required in order to ensure that enough of the drug reaches its target destination. And the higher the dose, the more likely the medication is to cause unwanted side effects – particularly when it travels to parts of the body where it isn’t even needed.

    With such drawbacks in mind, researcher Edith Perret and colleagues at Switzerland’s Empa institute set out to develop a new-and-improved method of targeted drug delivery. The result is the drug-loaded “liquid-core fibers” (LiCoFs).

    An end-on view of a bundle of LiCoFs, these ones loaded with glycerol (red) for testing purposes
    An end-on view of a bundle of LiCoFs, these ones loaded with glycerol (red) for testing purposes

    Empa

    The hollow fibers are manufactured in a process known as melt spinning, and are composed of a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer called polycaprolactone (which is already utilized in other medical applications).

    As the “liquid-core” in their name implies, the fibers get filled with pharmaceuticals which are in liquid form. These could include antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatories or possibly even insulin.

    If the medication isn’t sensitive to heat, it can be added to the fiber during the melt spinning process. On the other hand, if the drug can’t be subjected to heat, the fiber can be spun with a temporary placeholder material in its core. The medication is then swapped for that material in a subsequent process.

    As long as the pharmaceutical’s molecules are small enough, they will gradually dissipate through the porous walls of the fiber once it’s placed in the body. Should the medication have larger molecules, they will instead slowly leak out of the two open ends of the fiber.

    In either case, the rate at which the drug is released can by tweaked by altering the fiber’s thickness, crystal structure or other characteristics. The fiber itself will eventually harmlessly dissolve.

    Empa researcher Edith Perret is heading up the study
    Empa researcher Edith Perret is heading up the study

    Empa

    Working with a commercial partner, Perret and her team have demonstrated that the LiCoFs could be economically manufactured on an industrial scale. The first real-world use of the technology will likely be in antibiotic-loaded sutures, for use on both external and internal wounds.

    The research is described in a paper that was recently published in the journal Polymer.

    Source: Empa



    [ad_2]

    Source link