Threads.
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Twitter changed my life.
I joined because my ex-girlfriend was super into it. My first six months of tweets were awkwardly public proclamations about my relationship. I didn’t explore professional topics. I didn’t hunt for breaking news. I just talked about my girlfriend.
Then I discovered #lrnchat. These weekly Twitter chats were my first real opportunity to talk shop with L&D people outside my company. They pushed me to think beyond my day-to-day and explore a wide variety of L&D topics. They introduced me to peers like Jane Bozarth, David Kelly, Clark Quinn and Karl Kapp. They boosted my confidence and made me feel like I actually knew what I was talking about.
Twitter helped me find people like me.
But that was a long time ago.
The social internet has evolved dramatically over the past decade. Snap. TikTok. Reels. Stories. It’s easier to share digital content than ever. It’s also more difficult to have a meaningful conversation. There are lots of options for posting opinions, sharing content and highlighting expertise. But where is the next level? A place for spirited-but-respectful debate … for sharing imperfect ideas without fear of reprisal … for connecting with people instead of content.
Where is the professional community?
I’m not on Facebook. That ship sailed in 2013.
I left Twitter … for reasons.
I don’t use Snap or TikTok or Instagram. I prefer life unfiltered.
I’m on LinkedIn every day, but I spend just as much time ducking sales pitches as I do engaging in professional conversation.
I belong to several Mighty Networks, but they tend to become content funnels for the organizers.
I attend more conferences than most people, but the conversation rarely escapes the four walls.
There’s been an AVALANCHE of digital content and events over the past few years. Are you looking for a webinar on a particular topic? There are probably 5 tomorrow. There’s a never-ending supply of white papers and ebooks and “research reports.” We’ve got too much STUFF to consume but nowhere to DISCUSS what we’re learning.
Where is the professional community?
Now we have Threads. The Twitter clone will surpass ChatGPT as the fastest platform to reach 100 million users after just a few days of availability - and that’s without the European Union, which is still months away from access. This is what happens when you can port an Instagram-sized audience to your new app (as your competition rate-limits its user base out of desperation).
Threads isn’t new. It’s not trying to revolutionize online discussion. It’s not an innovative result of everything we’ve learned from the past 15 years of the social internet. It’s just Twitter - without most of the features (for now).
Will Threads become a place where you can connect, engage, discuss and learn alongside your professional peers? Or will it quickly devolve into a cacophony of algorithmic confusion, mistargeted advertising and 500-character screaming matches?
I don’t know. But I’m gonna give it a try.
Until next time, be well. JD
Threads.
I've exactly the same problem. That's why I started the New Learning Lab and the Learning Culture Development Circle (Learning Ecosystem Development) to create an experimentation and exchange room for Learning Professionals. It's for the German Market, so please notice, I don't wanna sell you anything. :D
But we could actually think about enhancing this community. If you want to talk about it, please let me know. :)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janfoelsing/
PS: My colleague Anja and I wrote a book about Learning Ecosystems as well. I just started to read yours and found already a lot of overlaps. Thank you for your work!