General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why do so many DU members still use Twitter? [View all]Emrys
(8,125 posts)when you signed up, presumably firstly to Instagram, then to Threads.
It's incredibly intrusive, and Zuckerberg and Meta have a well-deserved reputation for absolutely not safeguarding personal data and for allowing it to be used for nefarious purposes. You may recall a bit of a fuss a while back about Cambridge Analytica and Facebook and election shenanigans. If not, I suggest you Google it.
Hell will freeze over before I let Zuckerberg own me in this way. It's the reason I've never joined Facebook, for instance. It's far more personally intrusive than a site like Twitter, where's it's easy to be anonymous, because it's intertwined with real-life personal relationships. That makes its propaganda effects and potential for real-life abuse more insidious.
Add to that the fact that Threads is in no way intended to be a replacement for Twitter. Zuckerberg and high-ups in Meta indicated when it started up that they saw Threads as a chat add-on for existing Instagram users, and were not inclined to subject themselves to the hassle of moderating political content, so its algorithms would not favour that type of content.
Then take a look at what's been happening in Canada:
Canadians shouldn't trust Meta, Zuckerberg has 'too much power', warns ex-Facebook exec
That's just one jurisdiction that's at loggerheads with Zuckerberg. Threads has not been launched in EU countries because they have strict regulations on data protection and public influence of online platforms, and Threads just isn't compliant. Aside from the indicator that this means there are serious problems with the platform, that is a major and influential chunk of the world online population you won't find on Threads. You may be able to live without that input, I and others can't and see no reason why we should have to.
Musk's fascistic tendencies aren't in doubt. How successful he's been and will be at imposing them on the massive hard core of progressives who've long had communities on Twitter is a totally different question. Many, if not most, have him blocked along with many sources of RW content, and from my point of view, I read a lot more about him and various right-wingers etc. on DU than I ever do on Twitter.
Read my reply to someone else upthread, and you'll see how my usage of Twitter doesn't enrich or enable Musk in any meaningful way.
I'm torn whether your OP was a genuine question or a complaint. If it's a complaint, well, this discussion has been had on DU numerous times since Musk took over. Addressing the same issues over and over again gets quite tiresome. You use the internet as you wish, and others will do what they wish.
For instance, despite all I've written above, I'm not going to start OP after OP asking and bemoaning why DUers use Threads or Facebook or whatever. If they find useful and verifiable content there, I'll pay attention whatever the source, and leave their consciences and concerns where they belong - at their own discretion.
Edit history
Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):