X Communities introduces 'member vetting' feature similar to Facebook Groups
X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, has rolled out a new feature for its private Communities, enabling admins to ask potential members a question before granting them access to the group. This approach—already employed by Facebook Groups—helps admins and moderators evaluate prospective members and safeguard their groups from spammers and bots. Requiring answers to questions could also lend an air of exclusivity to certain Communities, as admins assess responses to determine if a user qualifies for membership.
This is how gatekeeping looks like
Facebook Groups v/s X Communities: Understanding differences
Although Facebook Groups allows admins to pose multiple questions and establish specific rules for their groups, the new X Communities feature is somewhat more limited. Additionally, only verified users having an X Premium subscription can create X Communities, while any user can start a Facebook Group. That being said, any X users can join Communities, which has also resulted in sizable memberships in some cases similar to Facebook Groups.
Communities survived Musk's ownership changes
Interestingly, Elon Musk's ownership of X has not led to the removal of the Communities feature. Since taking over the reins, Musk has discontinued several features and services, including the Revue newsletter platform, ad-free news article support, third-party client support, and the private Circle feature. Moreover, TweetDeck (now known as XPro) has been placed behind a paywall, and access prices for its developer API have increased.
Future of X Communities is uncertain
At present, Communities on X looks like underdeveloped feature that doesn't quite mesh with the platform's fast-paced timeline. They provide a more tranquil space for users to discuss specific topics or themes. However, it is still uncertain what grander plans X has in store for its group features or if they will ever become a more integral part of the platform's offerings.
