I don’t plan on using Threads indefinitely, but I am curious about the user experience, both good and bad. The algorithmic timeline is so puzzling to me. Despite following people who are posting, I first always see posts from people I’m not following. Seems overly tuned to the popular.
@manton That makes me mad too. It’s chaotic and also so full of influencers. It’s like browsing the Explore tab of Instagram.
@manton the algorithmic timeline is so confusing to me, too. I've been trying to wrap my head around it and the only thing I can come up with is it must be like someone who channel surfs TV: not looking for anything in particular, just killing time.
(which is exactly the opposite of how I watch TV, as well)
@manton We have different experiences. I feel I'm looking at these random accounts less often these days. I did block/mute a couple of accounts, and follow a decent number of people. Also, and I've said it before, I have actually followed some of the accounts that showed up, as they were from nice photographers, in line with the ones I already followed @pratik
@manton Thanks for doing the heavy lifting on this. There’s no way I’m even getting involved in that. I’m sure it’s a mess.
@pratik I love Threads for photos! They look much better than on Instagram. Also accommodates multiple formats (like basic 3X2) that got mangled on Instagram.
@manton So a company whose major asset is a social graph is building a product that just ignores it.. interesting.
@manton I feel like I’d get fed random accounts IF the people I follow haven’t posted recently. When they have, the show up on top.
I don’t like algo timelines, but in some ways this one is an interesting take.
@maique Perhaps I'm not using it often enough to get through the recommended accounts. It will also show posts from people I'm not following if those posts have replies from people I am following. I get the logic there.
@manton On top of those replies from people you follow, I believe some others are "random", in the sense that I can't find a connection to them. But those have been showing less often.
@maique Definitely love how we can mix in photos with different aspect ratios since we have to see them individually in full anyway. Have you checked out the way to post a photo split into 16:9 that makes it appear as a panorama when you click on it?
@pratik I have, yes, thanks. I've posted a bunch of them already, it's one of my favorite things to do there at the moment 😍
@manton I'm basically only using Threads to accumulate a list of accounts to follow from here once Threads hooks up ActivityPub.
@pratik Followed!
Note: the app (Series Photo) now has a new format (TH+) that will split the panels into real full frame cells. It's even nicer than 16x9.
@invalidname 👍 If Threads really does make account portability work, in theory we'll be able to migrate followers automatically. We'll see!
@manton I'm using it WAY less than I would had they not cluttered the feed with both posts from "I don't know why I'm seeing this" and "oh, someone I follow replied." If those things change or they give me an option to change them, I might check more often.
@manton I noticed a younger person who works for Meta say "It's 2023 who wants a chronological feed". This is no surprise since the company has been establishing their products as "the web" for people over the past twenty years — seriously: Twenty. Years. 💀 — and I think a lot of people consider an algorithmic timeline to be the obvious default option.
@manton I only check in on Threads a couple times a day, and when I do, I’m served posts directly posted, reposted, or commented on by people I follow. once those are caught up, then I start seeing algorithmic posts. but! if I ever do the pull-to-refresh, then I get algorithmic posts from the top
@invalidname @manton This is exactly what I’m doing! I’m hoping the ActivityPub integration comes soon.
