Stratechery Threads and the Social/Communications Map
Jul 11, 2023
The discussion kicks off with the launch of Threads, a game-changer by Meta, aiming to reshape social media beyond Twitter. There's a deep dive into how content distribution has evolved from decentralized to algorithm-driven models. Insights into Twitter’s struggles with user experience illuminate the shifting dynamics in social networking. Finally, the podcast explores the potential for Threads to foster a creative community, amidst challenges of attracting users from entrenched platforms while carving out its own unique identity.
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Multitudes of Social
- The 2013 Social Communications Map illustrated the multitude of social media categories, arguing against a single dominant app.
- It highlighted the permanence vs. ephemerality axis, later deemed less crucial than network effects vs. abundance.
TikTokization of Content
- TikTok's success highlighted the importance of abundance and algorithmic content selection over network effects.
- This contrasted with platforms like Facebook and the failed Quibi, which relied on network effects or scarcity.
Updated Social Communications Map
- The updated Social Communications Map (2023) replaces the permanence/ephemerality axis with chronological/algorithmic sorting.
- It introduces a new axis: user-generated vs. network-generated content, reflecting the evolution of online content.