While Twitter is juggling its recently imposed restrictions, which are asserted to be temporary measures, users have already started scrambling the internet for alternatives as they face issues with the microblogging platform.
Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, and since then, the platform has been making its name for all the wrong reasons. In recent days, Twitter blocked unregistered users from accessing the posts unless they signed up or logged in to their accounts. Further, a supposedly “temporary” limit was imposed, due to which users are now limited to seeing a certain number of posts in a day.
Also Read: Twitter Rate Limits imposed to remove “spam and bots,” affected only a “small percentage” of people
Musk’s Twitter has been echoing in the tech circle as the tech leader was seen laying off a significant number of employees. The platform hurriedly launched its new TweetDeck, and when we reached out to them for a response, we received an automated email with the scat emoji. With all these problems mounting and impacting the user experience, here is our list of alternatives that one can explore, though none of the other platforms can truly replace the microblogging site.
- Threads
Instagram’s threads are all set to make their appearance on July 6. The company’s first all-hands meeting, which was held earlier this month in Menlo Park, California, apparently featured a glimpse of Twitter’s competitor from one of Meta’s senior executives, according to The Verge. Reports suggest that the new app will resemble a combination of Instagram and Twitter, according to earlier claims. Moreover, a launch date teaser has been added to Instagram’s app by Meta.
- Bluesky
The platform was founded by the former CEO and co-creator of Twitter, Jack Dorsey. At the moment, this platform works on an invite-only basis and allows the user to post 300-character posts. Bluesky has expressed via their website that they are building a protocol that will facilitate public conversation, which would feel like email, blogs, or phone numbers, basically the “open systems that power the rest of our lives.”
- Mastodon
This app works in a very similar way to how Twitter works. The decentralised authority structure and moderation decisions employed by the service eliminate any worries about a single person enforcing arbitrary rules throughout the entire community. Mastodon enables users to post real-time thoughts to accounts and share other people’s postings. But the parallels largely stop there. Mastodon is an open-source alternative to typical social networks, so you must choose a server, like a small basket, to join rather than having all users in one giant basket with one set of rules.
- Spill
Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown founded Spill, which they describe as a “visual conversation at the speed of culture,” and it went live in January. Brown and Terrell were both formerly employed by Twitter. Terrell was the company’s worldwide head of social and editorial before Musk’s firings. According to a previous tweet from Terrell, the site attempts to “cater to culture drivers who frequently set new trends yet routinely get overlooked and under-compensated.”
- Discord
Discord is nothing like Twitter, but to be very fair, it is one of the best applications around. The platform was initially created to give gamers a better way to chat. Though Discord does not give you a huge space to communicate, the users must select servers based on the topic of their interest. Within the server, Discord facilitates text chat as well as voice and video chat. One can also seamlessly stream a game, some YouTube videos, or anything else they wish.
- Post
Post is a popular Twitter substitute that has little in common with open-source software like Mastodon. The programme became publicly available after being rushed into private beta to take advantage of the 2022 upheaval on Twitter. Post is far from being decentralised; instead, it delivers a more tailored experience that targets journalists who often spend their days on Twitter. Post promises the opportunity to buy “individual articles from different premium news providers” in order to escape their information bubble, as well as the capacity to accept micropayments and tips. The Post seeks to assist newsgatherers in making money off of their content.
- Cohost
Anyone can sign up for Cohost, even though it is currently in the beta stage. You will need to wait a day or two before posting if you don’t have an invitation. According to the website, this precaution is intended to stop spam. Cohost provides a vertical feed that presents posts in chronological order. Cohost has fans, reposts, likes, and comments, much like Twitter does. Because it doesn’t employ algorithms, the interface is currently relatively straightforward and lacks a trending area. Unless you actively search for material on the platform using hashtags, it won’t appear.
Also Read: Are you done with Elon Musk’s Twitter? Instagram’s Twitter clone is coming sooner than you expected
- T2 Social
In November 2022, Michael Greer, Sarah Oh, and Gabor Cselle founded T2 Social. Previously, Cselle and Oh held the positions of group product manager and human rights advisor, respectively, on Twitter. The platform, which has a character restriction of 280 and describes itself as “a place to have the authentic conversations we’ve always wanted to have,” is in its early phases. This platform, too, functions on an invite-only basis at the moment.
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