X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has launched a new feature for its private Communities, allowing administrators to pose questions to potential members before granting them access to the group. This approach, which is reminiscent of Facebook Groups, aids admins and moderators in assessing prospective members and protecting their groups from spammers and bots.

Requiring answers to these questions can also add an element of exclusivity to certain Communities, as admins review responses to determine if a user meets the membership criteria.

Understanding the Differences Between Facebook Groups and X Communities

While Facebook Groups allows admins to ask multiple questions and establish specific rules for their groups, the new feature in X Communities is somewhat more limited. Additionally, only verified users with an X Premium subscription can create X Communities, in contrast to Facebook Groups, which can be initiated by any user.

However, any X user can join Communities, resulting in substantial memberships similar to Facebook Groups in some cases.

Communities Thrive Despite Ownership Changes

Notably, Elon Musk’s acquisition of X has not resulted in the removal of the Communities feature. Musk has discontinued several other features and services since taking over, including the Revue newsletter platform, ad-free news article support, third-party client support, and the private Circle feature. Additionally, TweetDeck, now known as XPro, has been placed behind a paywall, and access costs for its developer API have increased.

The Uncertain Future of X Communities

Currently, Communities on X appear to be an underdeveloped feature that doesn’t fully align with the platform’s fast-paced timeline. These Communities offer a more serene environment for users to engage in discussions on specific topics or themes. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain what broader plans X has in store for its group features or if they will become a more integral part of the platform’s offerings.