Twitter allows you to subtly parse and search for information on the records of its users. If you delve into the issue of search, then Twitter will easily help with this.
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After Donald Trump won the presidential election, the social network X (formerly Twitter) faced a significant exodus of users. Among those who left the platform were famous author Stephen King, actor Mark Hamill and tens of thousands of others. The main reason was concerns about the increasing toxicity of the platform and the policies of X owner Elon Musk, who actively supported Trump during the election.
It is difficult to assess the scale of the exodus of users from X after Donald Trump won the US presidential election. Many reports are based on data from the analytical platform Similarweb, which recorded that more than 115 thousand American users deactivated their accounts on November 6.
However, these figures are questionable. First, Similarweb does not have access to statistics for the X mobile application, which is used by more than 88% of the platform’s audience. Only statistics on visits to the deactivation page on the website are tracked. Second, on the same day, X set a record for visits in the US – 46.5 million visits, which is 38% higher than the average daily figure for several previous months and was the highest result in the last year.
Despite these controversial data, the popularity of X began to decline even before the election. Over the past 16 months, the number of active users in the US has decreased by 20%, according to Similarweb. In Europe, where the company is required to disclose data under digital services legislation, the number of monthly users fell from 114 million to 106 million between February and July 2024.
Meanwhile, Trump’s election victory has sparked mixed reactions. On the one hand, users who are dissatisfied with both the new president’s political course and Elon Musk’s active support for his campaign are leaving the platform. On the other hand, this event has interested some advertisers who previously refused to cooperate with X. They are now considering the possibility of returning, which could be a signal to restore the network’s popularity among ordinary users.
For those who have decided to finally leave X, the urgent question remains finding an alternative. While no platform can yet completely replace X’s functionality, there are several services that are approaching it in terms of their operating logic and capabilities. This allows users to gradually find new platforms for communication and information exchange.
The development of the social microblogging network Bluesky began back in 2019 under the leadership of Twitter co-founder and then CEO Jack Dorsey. This project was created as an experiment to explore the possibilities of decentralized platforms. In 2021, an independent company was founded to continue work on Bluesky.
In February 2023, Bluesky was launched in beta testing format, and access to the network was possible only by invitation from other users. A year later, in February 2024, the platform opened registration for all interested parties. At that time, its audience had already exceeded three million users.
Bluesky managed to significantly increase its popularity due to the recent problems of the X platform. For example, in September of this year, when X was temporarily blocked in Brazil, local users began to actively look for an alternative. As a result, the number of Bluesky users increased by two million in just a few days.
The next wave of audience growth began after the US presidential election. In just three weeks, the network gained over eight million new users. In response to the rapid growth, a special online counter was even created that tracks the dynamics of audience growth in real time. Today, Bluesky has over 22 million active users. In response, the company plans to significantly increase the number of moderators to effectively manage the growth of content.
In terms of functionality, Bluesky is in many ways similar to X. Here, users can switch between different feeds, choosing between a chronological stream of posts from subscribers or algorithmic recommendations. The length of posts is limited to 300 characters, which is slightly more than in X. Images, gifs, and videos can be added to messages.
The main challenge for the platform at the moment remains the limited amount of content. Bluesky is just starting to gain popularity, so its feed is not yet overloaded with messages, as is often the case with X. This is especially noticeable in the Russian-speaking segment, where many users have created accounts, but maintain them irregularly or do not publish posts at all.
Meta, known for its Facebook and Instagram platforms, introduced its own microblogging service, Threads, in July 2023. This version was the company’s second approach to creating a similar product, as the first version was more similar to Snapchat and was later integrated into Instagram. The updated Threads actually became a direct competitor to X.
The new application showed an impressive start – in just the first 16 hours after launch, it was downloaded more than 30 million times. “This is the best launch we could have expected!” – commented on this achievement by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. As of early November 2024, Threads’ monthly active audience is estimated at 275 million users. Among those who joined Threads, even such famous figures as writer Stephen King.
The main factor contributing to the popularity of Threads was its integration with Instagram. Users can easily transfer their data, followers and even keep their accounts on both platforms connected. The Instagram feed also features a block of Threads user posts, which helps to actively engage a new audience.
Functionally, Threads resembles X. The application offers a 500-character limit for posts, dividing feeds into algorithmic and chronological, as well as the ability to publish text, photos, videos, or GIFs.
Threads quickly gained popularity in different countries and is currently significantly ahead of Bluesky in terms of user activity in the Russian-speaking segment. This achievement looks even more significant considering that Threads, like Instagram, is blocked in Russia, and access to the platform is only possible via VPN.
However, Threads’ rapid success has its challenges. Meta is already working on monetization strategies for the new platform. Threads currently has no advertising, but it’s only a matter of time before paid promotional posts appear that could affect the user experience.
Mastodon, launched in 2016, is one of X’s oldest competitors. However, its popularity has grown more slowly than platforms like Bluesky or Threads. By March 2023, the social network reached the 10 million account mark, which looks modest against the backdrop of the rapid growth of new platforms.
Mastodon’s main difference lies in its decentralized structure. It is open-source software that allows anyone to create their own social network. Users choose the server they want to join and can change it if the rules or moderation do not meet their expectations. Such freedom attracts a certain category of users, but makes it difficult to adapt for those accustomed to traditional platforms.
Functionally, Mastodon resembles other microblogging services. For example, the maximum length of a post is 500 characters, and all messages in the feed are displayed in chronological order, without algorithmic sorting. In addition, the platform promises a complete lack of advertising, which makes it attractive to users who value privacy and purity of content.
Despite its advantages, Mastodon has some challenges. Many users find the system too complex due to the need to choose servers and the features of decentralized moderation. This slows down its growth compared to simpler and more intuitive platforms such as Threads or Bluesky. However, Mastodon remains an important example of an alternative approach to social networks, focused on freedom of choice and decentralization.
Among the alternatives to X offered by Western publications, there are quite unexpected options. For example, the Discord messenger, which is mainly intended for communication between individual users or within thematic communities, is sometimes mentioned as a replacement for X. Also among the options are the short-video platform TikTok and even LinkedIn, a professional social network specializing in networking.
Truth Social, which is functionally close to X, remains less popular among users. However, it is hardly considered a real alternative for two reasons. First, Truth Social belongs to Donald Trump, which limits its appeal to a wide audience. Second, the platform has a relatively small user base: in July last year, its audience was just over 600 thousand people, and daily activity continues to decline.
Regardless of the popularity of a particular platform, the main selection criterion for many users remains the presence of a close circle of communication. For example, the Russian-speaking audience often chooses Telegram, where they create channels or communicate in comments. For many, Telegram is becoming a universal platform for communication that does not require additional learning of new functions or switching to other services.
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