Who Won the Presidential Debate: X or Threads?
The recent presidential debate sparked a heated discussion on social media, with users debating which platform, X or Threads, handled the event better. While both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, the debate highlighted some key differences between them.
In terms of user base, X is still the larger social network, with over 600 million monthly active users. Threads, on the other hand, has around 150 million monthly active users, according to its last public earnings announcement. However, some reports suggest that Threads may have surpassed that figure.
Despite the difference in user base, some users felt that Threads provided a more engaging and intelligent discussion during the debate. One user praised Threads, saying it was "very useful" for following the debate, with a timeline full of political discussion and real-time updates. Others appreciated the lack of trolls on the platform, making it a more pleasant experience.
On the other hand, X faced some technical issues during the debate, with some high-profile users, including journalists and political commentators, getting locked out of their accounts. This led to some users switching to Threads, which seemed to handle the traffic better.
One of the key differences between the two platforms is their approach to hashtags. X uses hashtags to help users discover topics, while Threads does not have a traditional hashtag system. Instead, it uses hyperlinks to connect words and phrases, making it harder to discover topics. This can lead to decreased usage and engagement.
Another issue with Threads is its Trending topics feature, which sometimes takes time to surface relevant topics. During the debate, Threads' Trends didn't immediately include a topic focused on the debate as a whole, instead surfacing topics that came up during the debate. This limited its use as a real-time news network.
In conclusion, while both X and Threads have their strengths and weaknesses, the debate highlighted some key differences between the two platforms. Threads provided a more engaging and intelligent discussion, but struggled with discoverability and real-time trending topics. X, on the other hand, faced technical issues and has a more complex hashtag system.
Image Credits: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Image Credits: Threads screenshot (opens in a new window)
Image Credits: Threads screenshot (opens in a new window)
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