Threads is taking its next steps into fediverse sharing this week, with likes and replies from people on other servers to be made available on Threads.
A core element of Meta’s Threads experiment, the Threads team has been working to facilitate fediverse sharing, which essentially means that any platform using the ActivityPub protocol will be able to host and integrate Threads content, and vice versa, over time.
So, for example, if you post on Threads and you’ve activated fediverse sharing, your post would also be shared to your profile on, say, Mastodon, which also uses ActivityPub.
And now, with this update, any comments that people make on posts on Mastodon will also be visible within Threads, while posts submitted via the Threads API (i.e. scheduled posts) will also be syndicated to the fediverse.
So what is the “fediverse”?
The fediverse is a collection of thousands of independent, “federated” servers which are all working in tandem to facilitate a new form of open social media access. The central tenet of the concept is that through the power of many, there’s less centralized control, meaning that no single platform or company ends up making the rules, or gathering user data, as each instance can establish its own parameters, algorithms, systems, etc.
Essentially, the fediverse concept, in a social media context, divides the power that the big social platforms hold among many users, on various platforms, who can then build their own algorithms, rules, processes, etc., aligned with their own community interests.
So, through the fediverse, you would no longer be beholden to specific social platforms, as such, and subject to their rules, as you can simply switch to a new server if you don’t like what’s happening, and still maintain your identity and details in this new home.
It’s a bit of a nerdy concept, but the idea is that it empowers people to control every aspect of their social media experience.
The challenge, of course, lies in making people care enough to educate themselves on this process, and then exercise that control within this new paradigm.
Because really, most people just want to download an app, make a profile, and start using social apps. They don’t really think about the details, and they quick scroll and tick off user agreements. If all of your friends are using Facebook, you’re going to use Facebook as well, and that’s the key impediment that’s likely to limit fediverse adoption, in that the complexities, while they do give people more control, also add more friction.
But for those who are interested, Threads is building in more fediverse sharing options.
Though it’s endlessly intriguing to me that the company which effectively sparked the development of the fediverse, by misusing people’s data, and restricting the reach of posts, is now looking to get in on the act.
And not all fediverse proponents want Meta to be involved, but given that social media is its core business, Meta’s keen to at least stay in touch with the fediverse concept, as a means to reinforce its market position, in case it becomes a bigger element.
And because the fediverse concept is about open and free communication, they can’t stop Meta hooking into these connectors. But it does seem like a conflict, though Meta has improved its processes and systems over time.
But moral mismatches aside, now, there are more fediverse sharing options on Threads, as it continues to expand its connection to the broader network. I personally don’t think the fediverse will ever become a big consideration, but if it can be simplified and streamlined, to the point where regular users can understand and confidently engage with the process, there is value to the concept.
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