What does Threads mean for you — and should you join in the rain on Musk’s parade?

On the one hand, Threads has a decent chance of becoming a — maybe even the — major new hub for text-based online conversations. Unlike other would-be Twitter rivals Bluesky and Mastodon, Threads arrives with a potential audience of billions who already use Meta’s photo and video-oriented Instagram, which Threads is built on top of. Meta says it’s taking moderation seriously to make Threads a safer place for us (and eventually advertisers). Zuckerberg, too, is less inclined than Musk to put his foot in his mouth.

But Threads also comes with a whole host of Meta baggage, including questionable privacy practices, opaque algorithms and Big Tech monopoly power. Many of those issues have turned people off Zuckerberg’s other social networks such as Facebook. And those issues are all still present in Threads. For example, from the moment you first log in to Threads, it starts showing you recommended posts from accounts and brands you don’t necessarily follow — or necessarily even care to see.

What’s to like — and dislike — in Threads? And how do you give it a try? Answers below. , . Send us an email about what else you would like to know.