The MacVoices Live! panel looks at Meta's launch of Threads, whether it was premature. and explore essential features for a successful social network. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jim Rea, Web Bixby, Eric Bolden, and Ben Roethig compare engagement levels with other platforms and highlight the need for content creation and aggregation. We also touch on the challenges faced by X/Twitter and its struggles with monetization, and what each member needs in a social media platform. (Part 3)  Today’s MacVoices is supported by MacVoices Featured Gear. Get more done with your tech, like the OWC Thunderbolt Hub. No matter which Mac you have, you can always use more connectivity, and the OWC Thunderbolt Hub delivers. Show Notes: Chapters: 0:01:11 Revenue streams beyond phone upgrades 0:02:25 Battery replacement and other revenue-generating services 0:02:45 Threads: Is it a Minimum Viable Product? 0:04:23 Threads: Still in the Shakeout Phase 0:04:46 The Challenge of Retaining Users in a Fast-paced Culture 0:05:22 Twitter Troubles and Exploring Alternatives 0:06:30 Engagement Levels on Threads vs. Mastodon 0:15:34 Cross-Posting for Maximum User Reach 0:16:54 The importance of editing posts and alt tags 0:17:45 Controversy over Mastodon Federation 0:19:41 Twitter's Reach and Popularity Declining 0:20:41 Uncertain Future for Twitter's Financial Success 0:21:36 The Stickiness of Social Media Accounts 0:23:05 Management's shortcomings and lack of monetization strategy 0:24:09 Scaling challenges and the conclusion of the discussion Guests: Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, and on his blog, Trending At Work. Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He’s been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon. Ben Roethig has been in the Apple Ecosystem since the System 7 Days. He is the a former Associate Editor with Geek Beat, Co-Founder of The Tech Hangout and Deconstruct and currently shares his thoughts on RoethigTech. Contact him on  Twitter and Mastodon.   Support:      Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon      http://patreon.com/macvoices      Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect:      Web:      http://macvoices.com      Twitter:      http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner      http://www.twitter.com/macvoices      Mastodon:      https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner      Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner      MacVoices Page on Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/      MacVoices Group on Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice      LinkedIn: