The post-Twitter world is split into several potential alternative social networks – which is exciting, but in addition infuriating. Last week, things became a bit more integrated. This is because Threads, Meta’s Twitter alternative, has allowed users of Mastodon and other services to trace Threads accounts which have opted in to Fediverse.
What is the Fediverse?
Many Threads users expressed confusion about this announcement, mainly because they do not know what Fediverse is. To drastically exaggerate, Fediverse is a network of social networking sites built on the identical protocol: ActivityPub.
Do you realize how, as a Gmail user, you can send an email to someone using Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or a non-public server? This is because email is built on a protocol that nobody else has. Fediverse works in an analogous way: you can share posts from one network, and users on other Fediverse networks can view them. To date, the most well-liked services included on this network include Mastodon, photo-sharing site Pixelfed, and Reddit alternative Lemmy. Tumblr is there we’re also working on integrationwhich suggests that ultimately Threads, Mastodon and Tumblr could grow to be part of the identical ecosystem later this yr.
The meta is slowly starting the Fediverse Threads connection. The latest feature is in beta and is barely available within the US, Canada and Japan. Users must opt-in before their posts are shared on other social networks, and the feature just isn’t complete: threaded users won’t have the ability to see likes and replies from users outside of threads, won’t have the ability to follow users on other services, and can’t post polls or threads with limiting answers. This is definitely just the start, nevertheless it’s something.
How to enable ActivityPub in Threads
To start, open Threads in your browser. Click on the 2 lines within the upper right corner and click on Settings.
Source: Justin Pot
Go to Account card and you will note Sharing Fediverse option. Again, this beta feature is barely available within the US, Canada and Japan. This feature won’t be visible for those who don’t live in a single of these places.
Source: Justin Pot
You’ll see a proof of Fediverse and the constraints of the present beta. When you are ready, click Turn on sharing button.
Source: Justin Pot
That’s it! Your account can now be tracked using any compatible service. I tested this by looking for my Threads account on Mastodon and it was immediately available.
Source: Justin Pot
I’ll be honest: I’m a Mastodon (follow me) and I’ll probably never be energetic on Threads. I also know that not everyone at Mastodon and other Fediverse services is thrilled about this. By their nature, these services are very talked-about amongst individuals who don’t trust Facebook, Instagram or Meta. And I agree that Mark Zuckerberg’s company has proven time and time again that it can’t be trusted. However, I actually have mixed feelings because I do know there are people in my life who will probably never create a Mastodon account but may use Threads in the future, and I would really like to have a strategy to sustain with them. I hope decentralization will enable this in a way that does not require using a Meta-owned service – I hope this can be a step in that direction.
Credit : lifehacker.com