Why Meta’s Threads app is the biggest threat to Twitter yet

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1 point·ggm··4 comments

If this platform fails, than it is because of the name.

I think the name "threads" is the worst you can come up with for an app that will be used world wide. Outside of the U.S. there is a lot which can go wrong in spelling and pronunciation. maybe inside too, idk ;-)

1. threads is very similar to threats (the word threat is much more common)

2. pronunciation of "th" is in a lot of languages a complicated thing, but "thr" is even worse

3. I guess for a lot of people outside the U.S. it is not clear if it is pronounced like in "treat"

4. It is not a very common word my experience

From a company like meta I would expect more thoughtful product naming.

Indeed. First, when you search "Threads" in Google or Twitter or Reddit, you get a ton of mentions of simply the word "threads" in other context. It's a too generic a word. And the "th" and "thr" means I constantly pause when I wonder how the heck to talk about this app to friends and relatives here who don't speak English (Europe).

This is something they can correct in time, if they listen to reason. It's probably best not to shake the boat right now until the user accumulation slows down significantly and then they can make the news again by changing their name.

Every problem can be turned into a benefit, but it's up to the ingenuity of the problem solvers.

"Chats" would be the easiest pick. "Chat" (as the chatting place) and chatear (to chat) exists in Spanish (and lots of languages) as talking over the Internet since the IRC days, even if today since IM and Whatsapp people just say "hablar" (to talk) over the media and not "to chat".

> From a company like meta I would expect more thoughtful product naming.

Really? I mean, see their _own_ name.

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