I get this argument… but I keep seeing folks talk about Threads as if it’s somehow an existential threat to Mastodon rather than “big crappy instance with asshats on it,” and I don’t quite understand how it’s more than that… at least at a level that users and instance admins have any influence over. Can someone ELI5?

Unlike? I think you mean they’re JEALOUS of TikTok’s appeal to minors…

Oh, neat! Thanks for pointing out the USA centrist viewpoint I had there! My bad indeed!

For what it’s worth, if you post a story (for example) to the open internet – your blog, social media – and there is NOT a paywall or explicitly restricted access, many (if not all) publishers will consider that material previously published. That doesn’t mean it’s public domain at all, but it does recognize that the work is not private. Likewise, I’d consider any social media post being akin to posting a sign in my front yard. If someone does the work of driving by and taking pictures of the signs in my front lawn, that’s their right – unless I’m in a closed, gated community.

Then again, i see people thinking that they somehow “own” their Facebook feed, so …

Neurodivergent person shares one special interest, neurotypical tells you everything you need to know about them.