Adam Mosseri details Threads' fediverse plans, including following non-Threads accounts, showing replies from other platforms, and follower portability

including by trying every obvious solution out there— on several occasions.  If the problem were easy to solve, it would have been solved by now.  The reason we bring up the problem in a public forum is because actual solutions are beyond our reach. … Jorge Caballero / @datadrivenmd : I love the vibes on Threads, I really do.  And it would be so much better if, when a member of a marginalized community says there's a need to address a problem that uniquely affects their community, folks would avoid the urge to: - explain why it's not actually a problem … Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : Glad to see the entire fediverse roadmap for Threads laid out.  Mastodon and other Fediverse users will be able to follow Threads users and vice versa.  You will also be able to see comments from Fediverse users on your federated posts in Threads. … Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : We are on the cusp of creating a world where it will be normalized for Mastodon users to follow Threads users and where it will feel strange that a Threads user can't follow a Twitter user.  This is the a vision that many of us have been pushing Meta on for at least 15 years (remember OpenSocial?) … Ian Betteridge / @ianbetteridge : I would, on balance, want to be part of a Mastodon instance which federates with Threads.  I also, 100%, absolutely support any individual or instance that doesn't want to, for whatever reason.  That is what federation is about.  Freedom of association and assembly are as fundamental as freedom of speech, in fact arguably more so. … @gucci : We've landed on Threads.  What would you like to see here? Jorge Caballero / @datadrivenmd : The reason I am calling this out *specifically* is because I have yet to learn of any attempt by Meta to engage fediverse community leaders who can speak directly to the issue of targeted harassment of Black, Hispanic, and Native persons on Mastodon and the fediverse at large. … Michael Masnick / @mmasnick : Again, it's very, very good to see Meta following through on this promise (especially after years of people there insisting to me that the company would never do something like this).  It's good to see they were wrong. Tim Dorr / @timdorr : Mastodon server admins: *starts a new social network instance* Users: *be social* Mastodon server admins: No, not like that! Mike / @mikehos3 : This exclusivity and exclusionary mindset is reminiscent of behvior displayed by admins in Web 1.0 or even IRC or Usenet.  The fabric of Internet has changed, people want inclusion and to be a part of discussion.  I can't help but to think Bluesky's argument for being invite-only is only an elitist thing. … Edward Zollars / @edzollars : One big issue I see coming up next is if Meta, as I expect they will, begin putting Mastodon posts into the “For You” feed of those who aren't following the Mastodon user.  That's a no win for Meta in many ways—do it and there will be those upset with their data being used (and there will be trolls that find them that way). … Edward Zollars / @edzollars : Note that due to the small number of users on all the Mastodon servers vs. those on Threads, the impact on Threads will likely be limited.  That's especially true if following those on Mastodon will face the hurdles that already exist on Mastodon to follow someone you don't already follow who is not on your instance. … Edward Zollars / @edzollars : I think that Eugen Rochko has always seen as the goal true interoperability between services (just as we no longer have email silos), but until now that really wasn't something that been close to realization.  The Mastodon people used up to now had a very small number of users who, over time, tended to prefer that limited group. … Guilherme Zanoni / @zanoniguilherme : That's really not what Mastodon admins think tho, their concerns are all about Meta's predatory past, privacy violations, stuff like that.  It's not about having a small network, it's about having a safe network Dave Winer / @davew : There's another possibility — assuming Threads implements AP fully and delivers actual peering with Mastodon (I understand this involves more than AP support) — that people say “I'll just use Threads.”  I'm *sure* that's what Facebook expects to happen.  And they'll have a lot of say in that because Mastodon will be what FB says it is. … Rick Williams / @rick.williams84 : Also, the people who think the future of the internet is federation, while thinking they can keep the biggest players on the sideline are delusional.  Personally I'd like to see a mix of more companies offering large scale options to connect to ActivityPub … Shayon Pal / @shayonpal : The major problem is not the choice, but rather the choice of the one in power.  A particular instance might have hundreds of thousands of users, but the one taking the decision is just 2-3 mods of the instance. Les Orchard / @l.m.orchard : Also I don't quite understand this urge to pressure / bully / taunt folks all into the same social media pressure cooker.  Freedom of association includes freedom not to associate.  If folks want to decide the shape of their network, more power to them. … Mark Squires / @mark_squires_wine : Well put.  Meta has a long way to go to earn trust from a lot of Mastodon users.  They (we) are there for something different, not to be absorbed.  There needs to be some reassurance that it's not going to change.  Let Meta be changed by the fediverse, not the other way around. Adam Mosseri / @mosseri : We also plan to make it so replies from people in the Fediverse can show up for people posting from Threads to the Fediverse.  It's a bad experience now that I have to leave the Threads app to see replies I'm getting from the broader community. Anil Dash / @anildash : The fediverse (and all open systems) are about giving people choices, and giving communities power.  Being able to block Facebook/Meta from connecting is a *demonstration* of that power...I also think Meta has caused unforgivable harms.  Being able to have communities outside of Meta's reach makes the internet stronger & better, not worse.  Meta should be asking themselves how they earn more trust in the world Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : Mastodon founder, Eugen Rochko, praises Threads entry into the fediverse because it makes Mastodon “a far more attractive option.”  This is fairly obvious and basic network effects since both Threads & Mastodon become more valuable as their users can now share content across these services seamlessly. … Jorge Caballero / @datadrivenmd : This timeline makes a lot of sense from a technical standpoint.  What is missing from this thread is an acknowledgement that user safety on Threads will be challenged by inbound traffic from the fediverse — particularly as it relates to harassment of marginalized communities. … Jorge Caballero / @datadrivenmd : Speaking from the Mastodon side of things: 1) the sheer potential volume of data from Threads -> Mastodon could easily overwhelm the receiving server, and that would then create a delivery backlog for Threads 2) ActivityPub is easy to exploit from a security standpoint 3) … Adam Mosseri / @mosseri : We also plan to build support for Threads users to follow Fediverse accounts, so that content can flow from the Fediverse back into Threads.  There's a fair amount to figure out with regards to privacy and integrity, but we're actively working through those issues. @oracleclyde : Yep.  It's a hard thing to integrate.  I've read the specs for ActivityPub, and it support a lot of things and the logic translation layer has to be carefully done.  You're federating with independent nodes so the risk of bad state actors and criminals polluting the feeds is something everyone is trying to mitigate with their own designs. … Adam Mosseri / @mosseri : Eventually, it should also be possible to enable creators to leave Threads and take their followers with them to another app/server.  I believe that it's important that creators own their relationship with their audience. Aaron Ross Powell / @aaronrosspowell : This all sounds pretty fantastic.  And the slow and thoughtful approach to handling the flow of contact back and forth is the right one.  This all makes me even more confident that building a network on Threads now while they're still working on this stuff, confident that the network will eventually be portable, is a wise choice. C.j. Foster / @cjfoster95 : The idea is it allows the nature of a service like Threads or Mastodon to be open for more people and allow information to flow more freely between people.  The idea is if you prefer one over the other you have the ability to migrate everything to the other and basically you own your own posts @mrcalifornian : Very excited for this, and I hope the ignorant people who don't understand that their public account is already public don't discourage progress.  I respect Meta, IG, Threads, and @mosseri a ton for the emphasis on being able to take your audience with you … Travis Pettijohn / @pettijohn : Huge (and very un-Facebook).  Threads data (will be) accessible with an open protocol and not locked into the platform. Scott Spencer / @lscottspencer : Will this be optional is the most important question?  I don't want my Threads account on Mastodon or any other part of the Fediverse.  Just here.  On the Threads server. Jesse / @broximar : Love seeing that verified checkmark for Threads on Mastodon.  (Mastodon does self-verification) @0xjessel : fun story: rel=me link verification on threads happened only because @timothyjchambers suggested this idea one day and it was easy enough for me (as someone who doesn't code much anymore) to implement it.  this feature is going to be more crucial as more users start to federate across multiple platforms. Matt Hopkins / @realmatthopkins : The decentralization of social media will have positive, and negative, repercussions.  The big question remains how illegal activity, abusive activity, and propaganda will be addressed. socialmedia Liam Dawe / @plymsquid : Can't wait to see how it goes.  Being open is the future and makes Threads a more ideal place to be than the likes of X. Just don't pull the rug in a few years eh? Darnell Clayton / @darnell : I was able to follow your account via my Mastodon, Misskey & PixelFed accounts (as well as @0xjessel & @christophersu).  My question is: will you consider a public beta where people can sign up in larger numbers & test ActivityPub integration from their own @threads accounts‽ Bogdan Dumitrescu / @_.dumi : is threads defederalises, sure.  hope you're aware everything on threads is already public, no?  being federalised doesn't make any difference Ben Woodward / @ben_woodward : the problem is my data is feasibly being copied into mastodon instances against my wishes, not that my posts are public Ben Woodward / @ben_woodward : @mosseri is it possible to opt-out of having my posts copied into random mastodon databases across the internet? Adam Lasnik / @thatadamguy : I'm disappointed that mas.to is currently blocking Threads though thankfully it's more of a wait and see vs FU from the server admin Mastodon: @shantini@techhub.social : Mastodon users: everything should be federated!  —  Also Mastodon users: no not you Eugen Rochko / @Gargron@mastodon.social : If for whatever reason you never wish to interact with #Threads, you can personally block it for your account.  This hides all posts and profiles from Threads, prevents anyone from Threads from following you, and stops your posts from being delivered to or fetched by Threads. … Richard MacManus / @ricmac@mastodon.social : It's ok to hold two opposing opinions in your mind at the same time, if the larger truth is more important.  I don't trust Zuck / Meta, but I also want them to federate with Mastodon.  Even if they play power games later on, you can always jump to an instance that blocks them. … Blaine / @blaine@mastodon.social : While I fully, really, completely get all the arguments on every side around Meta implementing ActivityPub, I'll confess to not understanding the profound concern that this will kill the fediverse.  —  Federated social media never “belonged” to anyone.  Feel free to block Threads.  Build disparate communities! … Blaine / @blaine@mastodon.social : For me, the project of federation wasn't to create a global utopia, or even a local one — that's a project that no protocol or technology could possibly enable, and anyone selling that is a fraud.  —  In goal of federation as I see it is to give people choices; choices that were taken away by Facebook, mostly. … Blake E. Reid / @blakereid@mastodon.lawprofs.org : If Meta follows through on federation, count me out here.  I think pro-Threads tech pundits are giving Meta an enormous pass on its long history of privacy and content moderation sins.  I will flat out never use a platform that requires me to interact with Meta in this way. https://www.threads.net/... Forums: Slashdot : Threads Plans to Interoperate With Other Platforms in the Fediverse See also Mediagazer

The Verge 2023-12-17 Jay Peters