One week of Threads by Meta: All that is good, all that is not

Meta's revolutionary platform, Threads, built upon the foundation of Instagram, has undeniably made a splash in the realm of social media. Within a week of its launch, the Instagram-based platform has garnered an impressive 100 million users, surpassing even ChatGPT's two-month achievement.

With 100 Million Users In Five Days, Threads Is The Fastest Growing App In Historyhttps://t.co/0atKoBeVoY pic.twitter.com/C7vrryYVr7

— Forbes (@Forbes) July 10, 2023

While Instagram, Threads' sibling, took a leisurely two and a half years to reach the same milestone, Mark Zuckerberg proudly proclaimed that the surge in sign-ups had exceeded their wildest expectations.

Blemishes, beyond beauty

Yet, amidst the shining moments, there are some flaws waiting to be illuminated within Threads. Users who have delved into its depths have encountered notable omissions that leave them yearning for the familiar comforts once taken for granted on other competing platforms.

Seems like the people starting off threads with a big following list are the people who invested a lot in Instagram (cuz import followers) & that is a real but not big crossover with the people who built a big following on Twitter.
Suspect that accounts for a lot of the tone dif.

— Billie (@Billieiswriting) July 10, 2023

• From the moment of login, the exclusive integration with Instagram leaves some feeling left out. Threads automatically follows or requests connections with every single person from a user's Instagram following, which may not suit those seeking to build a distinct community separate from their Instagram account.
• Moreover, a multitude of follow requests eagerly await approval from the user's Instagram followers, beckoning them to join the Threads frenzy.

• The intricate web of interconnectedness between Instagram, Facebook, and Threads exposes the discreet among us. A simple visit to someone's Instagram profile reveals their Threads activity, leaving little room for privacy.

The problem with threads is that it’s linked to Instagram which is linked to my Facebook. Who’s on my FB? Friends and family.

The whole point of Twitter is to engage with strangers, be yourself and stay away from people you know irl.

Yeah, that new app isn’t for me.

— 🫶Marie-Pier🫶 (@spn_enthusiast) July 6, 2023

• Within the Threads feed, a myriad of unfamiliar faces takes center stage, showcasing characters and opinions one may not know, follow, or be interested in. The ability to remove them from the spotlight seems limited, with only a "hide" option available for posts, possibly in exchange for Instagram ads.

ALSO READ: I used Threads by Meta, and it is basically Instagram with the soul of Twitter

• As the feeds transform into a bustling fish market, a dedicated tab exclusively for those one genuinely follows would provide a much-needed respite, allowing the feed to regain its personalized charm. Unfortunately, sorting and filtering the feeds based on chronology or other factors remains a wistful dream.
• Instead, an algorithm seems to dictate one's preferences, presuming to know them better. Some users even reported encountering inappropriate NSFW content in their Threads feed.
• The absence of direct messages (DM) and hashtags in Threads has left a void, leaving some users disappointed. Both features have proven to be powerful community-building tools on multiple platforms in the past.

#Threads have no dm
Homie:😐 pic.twitter.com/xuC1E1kwFs

— Proprietor (@theproprietorr) July 6, 2023

• Deleting Threads account data proves to be a complex task, as it becomes entangled with our Instagram identity. While individual posts can be deleted, and the entire Threads account can be deactivated, removing Threads data without deleting Instagram remains an unfortunate impossibility.

ALSO READ: Cannot delete Threads account, following people a task, no DMs: Early reactions on Threads

• Saving posts for later reference is also not an option, leaving users unable to revisit their favorite content.

• Certain users have raised concerns over Threads' limited availability solely on Android and iOS, without a desktop counterpart. In an era where social media platforms effortlessly transition between apps and websites, the absence of Threads on the web impedes seamless interoperability across devices for some users.

• Privacy concerns surrounding Threads have garnered attention, as the platform delves deeper into our personal lives compared to its elder sibling, Instagram.

This is the amount of data the new twitter clone 'threads' pulls from its users, my advice is to install it only if you want to see its UI and then delete the app, and let's hope they release a web version for it because then you can use the web version which is much safer. pic.twitter.com/0empFbZ5Ig

— Pranav (@itsprxnv) July 7, 2023

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