> Mr Zuckerberg said keeping the platform "friendly... will ultimately be the key to its success".
> But Mr Musk responded: "It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram."
If Threads is a fractionally less toxic version of Twitter, it’ll do quite well.
What will people talk about if Instagram is friendly and impartial? My guess is that at best Instagram will allow the pre-Musk toxicity.
Anything that's not the current American culture wars? The same things most people talk about in their lives when not throthing at the mouth on Twitter. (i.e. comedy, sports, tech, food, animals, jobs, cars, etc.)
And, of course, culture wars will still be discussed, but it doesn't need promoting to those not interested in arguing such things on social media.
By your argument "one side" has "free speech" to do what they like on Twitter now, and it's not the "mobs" you're trying to denigrate in your comment...
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7zm9q/elon-musk-twitter-naz...
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2022/12/19/c...
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/elon-musks-twitter-welcom...
https://apnews.com/article/twitter-elon-musk-transgender-dea...
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/twitter-changes-hateful-conduct...
It's worth noting two things while you have mock outrage about "free speech":
1. While claiming to be a free speech absolutist, Elon is absolutely not one -- taking action against critics (whether cancelling orders, firing, or suspending accounts), rather than -- like he would claim otherwise -- allowing people to have unrestricted speech.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/03/elon-musk...
https://www.barrons.com/articles/twitter-suspends-plainsite-...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/twitter-faces-criticism-af...
https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/15/23512004/elon-musk-start...
2. Free speech isn't what you think it is... https://xkcd.com/1357/
You are correct about Musk not being a real free speech absolutist. All other claims are strawmen.
I've banned some of the other accounts who were posting flamebait stuff in this thread, because they didn't have much history and some look like serial trolls. I don't want to ban your account because it's been around for a while, so if you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and use this site in the intended spirit, we'd be grateful.
Edit: We've had to ask you about this more than once before:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33850557 (Dec 2022)
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33850484 (Dec 2022)
and you've unfortunately been continuing the same pattern in other recent threads (e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36338416). As I said already, I don't want to ban you, but if you don't stop posting like this, we're going to have to—so if you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules, we'd appreciate it.
It will eventually be equally as toxic. Twitter started in a calm setting until the ads, politics, outrage filled it up. Threads will have ads soon and will apply the same Instagram algorithms it had before to promote verified outrage.
Trump is also on both Twitter and Threads. As long as he and other Instagram users are on Threads, then the outrage town hall will continue and will be no better than Twitter.
I don't know, I'm in Europe, I follow zero explicitly political people yet US politics dominates my Twitter feed. I don't get that on Instagram which is all I need to make the service more enjoyable and to feel less toxic than Twitter. The outrage town hall will of course continue on Threads, but hopefully with only those who are activley seeking it.
Toxicity is Twitter's moat.
Its like people going to watch UFC fight, or boxing or something like that. Niceties aren't addictive. You need controversies, trolling and fighting all over to attract people.
That's why people go to Twitter. Not to post Birthday and Vacation pictures.