Meta launch Twitter’s rival ‘Threads’, got 10 million sign-ups in 7 hours
The platform allows text, photo, and video sharing, resembling Twitter's design. Zuckerberg and Musk engaged in lighthearted banter on social media regarding the launch.
Threads, the rival of Musk’s Twitter developed by Meta, has finally been released following a period of speculation, and even a cage fight challenge between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. You can now access the platform through its website at Threads.net or by downloading the iOS or Android app.
You can create posts with short text messages on Threads, limited to 500 characters. You can also share photos and videos up to five minutes long. The app’s design is similar to Twitter, with a clean and simple interface. You can like, comment, repost, and share threads on Twitter. Threads is closely linked to Instagram, so you can easily log in with your Instagram username and follow the same people you follow on Instagram.
After the launch, Zuckerberg wrote on Instagram, “Meet Threads, an open and friendly public space for conversation. Our vision is to take the best parts of Instagram and create a new experience for text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind. I think the world needs this kind of friendly community, and I’m grateful to all of you who are part of Threads from day one. Threads is available in the app store now.”
Later, Zuckerberg took to his official Threads account, announcing that an impressive five million users had registered within the first four hours of its launch.
In a tweet on Twitter, Zuckerberg, who had been inactive on the platform since January 2012, shared an animated image from the Spider-Man cartoon episode ‘Double Identity.’ The image portrays Spider-Man and his doppelgänger pointing at each other, engaging in a humorous accusation of being impostors. This iconic image has gained significant popularity as a meme across various social media platforms.
Elon Musk also joined the conversation, responding to a tweet about Threads with a simple laughing face emoticon. The tweet he reacted to humorously suggested that Threads was created using a keyboard with only the keys for copy and paste.
Threads is taking advantage of a series of mistakes made by Twitter. Since Elon Musk bought the company for $44 billion in October, there have been layoffs, looser rules for what can be posted, and technical problems for users and advertisers. In a recent change that caused controversy, Twitter limited the number of tweets people can see daily. Musk called this a “temporary” measure to fight against data scrapers and bots.
The launch of Threads may just be the initial move of a potential clash between Zuckerberg and Musk. With their cage fight challenge in mind, Threads enters the social media arena, setting the stage for a friendly rivalry between these tech giants. As both platforms continue to develop, it will be interesting to see how this competition unfolds and captures the interest of users.
