On: Ask HN: What social media site could replace Twitt...

[tayo42]

If Instagram had better text post support, I think everyone would just go there. They basically are already. Bands and companies promote them selves there already more frequently. Stories let people already share their stupid political hot tales. Honestly not sure what Twitter has over Instagram.

Instagram starting from scratch for small text posts would allow them to fix a lot of mistakes Twitter made

Maybe reddit, but seeing how their new ui is going I doubt they have the right people to make decisions there

Also, Twitter was is already dieing naturally. I don't think people actually want more Twitter

[cpeterso → tayo42]

Instagram is practically anti-text. The app doesn't linkify URs because they don't want users to escape the app. Users worked around this with "see link in bio" to access Linktree pages. The app won't even let users select text in posts because they might copy a URL and escape the app.

[napolux → cpeterso]

which makes me kinda crazy after all these years.

links are the pillars of the web and these apps neglect them

[alias_neo → napolux]

It's not neglect though; as the person you're replying to stated, its outright hostile by design. It was _designed_ to keep you _off_ the web, and only in the app.

[mcv → napolux]

All these centralised, privatised social networks are basically anti-web.

I think most of Big Tech has betrayed the goal of the Web. The only really big, popular site that's true to the original goals of the Web is Wikipedia. Everybody else just tries to lock people up in their own walled gardens again.

[nells → napolux]

Those apps aren’t part of the web.

[napolux → nells]

I can agree on this.

[etrautmann → tayo42]

Links for one. Threading for two.

IG is really images-first, and would be a horrible platform for blogging or conversation without major changes.

[tayo42 → etrautmann]

Ig already ripped off snap chat and tiktok somewhat successfully. I'm sure they could figure it out. Unless meta totally implodes taking Instagram with it

[lupire → tayo42]

Instagram is mostly softcore porn. People who don't want that don't want to hang out there.

[tayo42 → lupire]

The content you see Instagram is up to you. I don't get any of that. Clean up what you follow! Lol

[Tozen → tayo42]

Maybe soft porn is a bit of a reach or possibly not the best way to describe it, but it does seem people come for the visuals, not the text. Instagram comes off as much more sexualized (even if indirectly) and female oriented.

[alphabettsy → Tozen]

Again, this is all about what you interact with. I don’t see that.

[theragra → alphabettsy]

Agree. I see posts from my.friends, NASA, ESA, hikers. The only soft porn account is porn actress i specifically subscribed to

[manfre → Tozen]

> it does seem people come for the visuals

It's an image/video sharing site...

[holler → tayo42]

I wonder if Instagram adding text would push some people away who want it for the original use of photos? It already feels extremely bloated and unusable with latest shopping stuff (to me).