Interesting things have been happening since it was taken under new management. Here’s a list of other places to find text-based posts.
The new verification subscription. The owner boosting their own tweets by a factor of a thousand. The lack of content moderation. The potential removal of the block feature. Whatever your reason for looking elsewhere, the amount of Twitter clones floating about can make it hard to get started.
We’ve picked three of the most promising, giving each a set of pros and cons.
Bluesky Social
Technically a Twitter spin-off, it is its own separate platform now. What this one has over the other clones made by ex-employees is that the original creator of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, is on the board of directors.
Pros
- Decentralised network protocol. User data is stored in multiple locations, better for security and privacy.
- Many of the most popular Twitter users have been invited to the platform, so there’s already content on the platform.
- Customisable feeds. Instead of hiding the algorithm from you, it allows you to choose what you see based on yours and your friends’ interests.
Cons
- Missing many popular features like direct messages and lists.
- Invite-only, so you’ll have to make friends with someone who already has an account.
Threads
Mark Zuckerberg wanted to make sure his social media empire had a product to fill the growing void left by Twitter. It saw a great open to the world with lots of signups but some users say it doesn’t feel the same.
Pros
- You can use your existing Instagram account to log in and there’s great interoperability between them.
- No need to wait on a list or get hold of an invite. Just download the app and log into your account.
- Loads of people signed up since release, so it feels somewhat populated.
Cons
- The account is inherently tied to your Instagram account, so you can’t delete one without deleting the other.
- Some have taken issue with some privacy concerns associated with the app. But it’s not much worse than having an Instagram or Facebook account.
Mastodon
If decentralisation is appealing, Mastodon is another to consider. The Mastodon experience is a little different to the traditional Twiiter one, but it should sate the same hunger you have.
Pros
- Decentralised just like Bluesky, making it difficult for data to be hijacked.
- The platform is ad-free, with most of the money coming from crowdfunding.
- Customisable feeds. It works like a mix of Twitter and Reddit, with the appearance and feel of Twitter but you join servers based on communal interests.
Cons
- Slightly more intense vibe. You have to curate your feed to get the most out of it.
- The server side of things adds a layer of complexity and could be off-putting to people who just want to plug and play.
- Bit more of a niche pick. Without ad revenue to use to market themselves loads, they’ve so far relied on word of mouth.
Are you ready to try some new social platform? Join the Student Hut Community and let us know which one you want to see us on.
