Chris JamesJun 26, 2025
Richard MacManus

Threads is allegedly part of the fediverse, yet I'm nowhere near the point of being able to ask Threads users to follow my Mastodon profile. Attached is how my Mastodon profile looks over there. Some of the issues:

1. Threads users can follow Mastodon Me *only if* they themselves have turned on fediverse sharing (an arbitrary hurdle).
2. They have to exactly type my Mastodon handle.
3. You can like but not reply.
4. "Some posts may not be visible" (why?!)
5. There's no bio!

Any other hurdles?

Jun 25, 2025 at 2:06pmPhanpy
Show threadRichard MacManusJun 25, 2025
6. You can’t repost.
Show threadJon HenshawJun 25, 2025
@ricmac
Show threadUfal SalmanJun 25, 2025
@ricmac Accounts on server with different software such as Misskey like what am I using also have more limited features, my profile picture isn't even visible on Threads even though it's a basic thing. And don't forget about how hashtag works differently on Threads.
Show threadJackJun 25, 2025
@ricmac
Not being able to reply violates the concept of social networking.
Show threadJon HenshawJun 25, 2025

@ricmac

Between the US regime change, being late with AI, and keeping shareholders happy, getting developer resources to make Threads fully interoperable must be quite the hill to climb internally. I'm very disappointed with how it's all turned out thus far.

Show threadTroed SångbergJun 26, 2025

@jon

Meta only ever went for interoperability to play nice with the EU. With Trump in power, that's no longer needed (@zuck believes, in any case)

@ricmac

Show threadMichael StancliftJun 25, 2025

@ricmac Federation is hard.

I guess.

Show threadRichard MacManusJun 25, 2025
@vmstan Surely their AI systems can figure it out ;)
Show threadMichael StancliftJun 25, 2025
@ricmac ActivityPub is all about the vibes
Show threadRob Vincent 🎙️Jun 25, 2025
@ricmac Another hurdle is that many alert and socially-conscious instance admins have preemptively blocked Threads since the start, just as they do with other crappy instances which aim to actively exploit Fedi and/or make Fedi worse.
Show threadFlorian WeberJun 25, 2025
@ricmac @jalefkowit That’s probably something for @mallory to keep in mind for the next panel talk.
Show threadMike FraserJun 25, 2025
@ricmac It feels like these are issues that could've been overcome a while ago but have dropped down the priority list.
Show threadJiří Fiala Total LandscapingJun 25, 2025
@ricmac they just don't give a fuck. Exactly what I thought. Optics of "openy"
Show thread💡𝚂𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝙰𝗉𝗉𝗌📱Jun 26, 2025
@ricmac
What about the other way around? e.g. is there a way for a Mastodon user to find a Threads user via search? I can find bridged Bluesky accounts - not sure if I can find Threads accounts.
Show threadRichard MacManusJun 26, 2025
@SmartmanApps Yes, all you need to do is search for the Threads user’s handle (but note they have to have turned on ‘fediverse sharing’ on Threads). See attached screenshot of a search for “ricmac” users on Mastodon.
Show threadNiloJun 26, 2025
@ricmac Yep, that was honestly what I expected. I was surprised in the first case, that corrupt Meta would allow competition from the fediverse.
Show threadWesDymJun 26, 2025
@ricmac Threads is not "part of the Fediverse" in any meaningful way. It's minimally connectible, that's all. Mark Zuckerberg has absolutely no incentive to make it more so, and enormou$ly good reas$on no to. The ONLY reason it's inter-operable at all is that Threads is a direct competitor to Xitter, and Zuck saw Masto as aiding in his ability to hurt Musk. That's it. Threads is a money grab, nothing else. It's Meta's version of Xitter, and Masto is being co-opted in a clash of titans.
Show threadTim ZeeJul 4, 2025
@ricmac Threads is part of Zuck's Meta empire. He's now a de facto Trump supporter and probably wouldn't say NO if he were asked to turn over user data.