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Comment by pests | Hacker News Reader

Threads is their Twitter / text-only offering.

Worth mentioning it's also a data harvesting app-only offering.

And here I was hoping that with technological advances spambots would at least post semi-truthful spam. Threads are fully functional on web.

When I tried to join, there was nothing on the threads.net website except the word "Threads" in front of some spiral particles and a QR code to get the app[0].

More recently it seems they've added a login dialog to the site, but attempting to log in still just immediately prompts you to download the app[1].

Presumably once you've used the app to create and set up an account you can now use it to browse online, but that's not really "fully functional on web" and, relevant for the accusation of data-harvesting, still requires you to download the app.

[0]: https://i.imgur.com/PQF7bkm.png

[1]: https://i.imgur.com/zLfubq1.png

Then it has not launched in your region, probably. For me in EU it shows option to login with instagram or browse without a profile. No app needed.

> Then it has not launched in your region, probably. For me in EU it shows option to login with instagram or browse without a profile.

Threads itself is launched in my region. Could you screenshot the front threads.net page you see (when logged out)?

> No app needed

Do you mean you're able to create an account without the app, or do you just mean that there's no app needed for browsing in your region (with no account, or after the account is set up through the app)?

https://imgur.com/I10hXZ8

https://imgur.com/ZhzfDap

Option to browse without a profile does seem to be specific to the EU[0], and apparently has some limited functionality (can't search for individual posts).

The second screenshot is a form I can get to, but immediately after logging in it'll prompt to download the app to set up your profile.

[0]: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/threads-mak...

There's a web version, and if they do follow through on their Activity Pub integration (which they have already demonstrated in a very limited capacity) then you'll be able to use whatever client you want to follow Threads users.

> then you'll be able to use whatever client you want to follow Threads users.

I'm willing to gamble insane amounts on that's never ever going to happen.

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