Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform, has gained significant traction since its inception as a side project within Twitter in 2019. The platform officially launched in beta in February 2023, becoming independent from Twitter in 2022 before opening its doors to the public a year later. Bluesky aims to create a trustworthy, scalable, and portable platform that revitalizes the social media landscape.
One of the key distinctions between Bluesky and traditional social media platforms like Twitter is its decentralized infrastructure. Built on the authenticated transport (AT) protocol, Bluesky allows users to own their data and migrate to different servers. This approach stands in contrast to the siloed ecosystem of a single company like Twitter.
Bluesky’s journey to independence began when Twitter announced in December 2019 that it was funding an independent team to work on an open and decentralized social media standard. By February 2022, Bluesky had become a standalone organization with the formation of its Public Benefit LLC. The platform saw significant interest upon the release of its iOS app in October 2022, with a waitlist of approximately 30,000 sign-ups in just two days.
After its beta launch in February 2023, Bluesky expanded to Android in April before fully opening to the public in February 2024. The platform quickly amassed 3 million users during its beta phase, with an additional 550,000 users signing up within 24 hours of the public launch. A surge in users occurred in September 2024 when 2.6 million users joined after Twitter was banned in Brazil.
Following the U.S. presidential election in November 2024, Bluesky experienced rapid growth, adding over a million new users in the week following the election. The platform’s app usage grew by over 500% compared to the first 10 months of the year, attracting users seeking an alternative to traditional social media platforms.
Bluesky’s user experience closely mirrors that of Twitter, with features such as comments, likes, and reposts. Updates have introduced new features like direct messaging, GIFs, and video capabilities. Unique to Bluesky is the ability to create custom feeds and “starter packs,” personalized invites that recommend custom feeds and users. Users can also block other users, restricting interactions with unwanted contacts.
In late November 2024, Bluesky surpassed 20 million users in the U.S., overtaking Meta’s rival platform Threads. The platform continues to attract users seeking a more transparent and user-centric social media experience, positioning itself as a trusted public square in the digital landscape. Bluesky, the new social media platform introduced by the company in August 2024, has been making waves with its innovative “anti-toxicity features.” These features include the ability to detach posts from quote posts and hide replies, providing users with more control over their interactions on the platform.
While the user experience on Bluesky may feel familiar to Twitter users, the real gamechanger lies in the underlying technology known as the Authenticated Transport (AT) protocol. Unlike traditional social media platforms, the primary goal of Bluesky was not to create a decentralized Twitter competitor but rather to develop a decentralized social network protocol that could be utilized by anyone.
The AT protocol is open and available for use by developers, users, and companies, allowing them to create their own social media platforms using this technology. This means that Bluesky is just the first major release on the AT protocol, paving the way for a potential federation of social networks that can interact with each other.
One of the key advantages of the AT protocol is its ability to put users in control of their data and how it is used. Users can choose to self-host their servers for added security and data privacy or delegate a host of their choosing. This level of control ensures that users are not dependent on a single centralized entity for their social media interactions.
The AT protocol also enables users to seamlessly port their social media profiles to alternative networks built on the same protocol. This means that if a user decides to switch platforms for any reason, they can easily transfer their account, contacts, and data without any hassle. This flexibility and portability are crucial in a landscape where users are often locked into specific platforms due to the difficulty of transitioning to new networks.
Overall, Bluesky and the AT protocol represent a significant shift in the social media landscape by empowering users with more control over their data and interactions. With the ability to create a federation of social networks and port profiles seamlessly, this technology has the potential to revolutionize how we engage with social media platforms in the future. Bluesky, the innovative social media platform, is addressing one of the major pain points of leaving and joining social networks with its unique features and goals. While users may not necessarily want to leave Bluesky due to its customization and user control capabilities, the platform aims to revitalize transparent and public conversations in the digital social media landscape.
One of the key guiding principles of Bluesky is to create a common infrastructure for the social media layer, much like the internet is public infrastructure available to all. The AT protocol framework developed by Bluesky enables users to have a seamless experience across different apps and services, allowing them to take their identity, relationships, and data with them as they switch platforms. This interoperability ensures that users can maintain their social network contacts and interactions even when moving to a different social media platform.
Bluesky’s goals of trust, scale, and portability drive its development, with the focus on enabling global conversations, establishing trust through cryptographic verification of content authenticity, and promoting portability of social network profiles. By adopting the AT protocol, users can ensure that their social media contacts and data are not tied to a single platform, offering them the freedom to switch networks without losing everything.
Moreover, Bluesky’s algorithmic choice feature sets it apart from traditional social media platforms by allowing users to modify algorithms, choose different algorithms, or even introduce their own bespoke algorithms. This transparency and control over algorithms address the concerns of manipulation and lack of visibility into how algorithms shape public discourse on centralized social media platforms. Users can freely switch between algorithms, creating a marketplace of algorithms where they can discover new options, share algorithms, and even publish their own for others to use.
In conclusion, Bluesky’s innovative approach to social media aims to redefine the way users interact online by prioritizing transparency, control, and portability. By addressing the pain points of leaving and joining social networks, Bluesky is revolutionizing the social media landscape and paving the way for a more open and user-centric experience on digital platforms. Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform, is paving the way for a new era of online interaction with its innovative approach to moderation. The key feature of Bluesky is its concept of “composable moderation,” which allows users to customize their moderation filters to suit their preferences. While there is a basic default moderation filter in place, users have the flexibility to change it or layer in custom filters that can work in tandem with each other.
This unique approach to moderation sets Bluesky apart from traditional social media platforms, where moderation is often rigid and one-size-fits-all. With composable moderation, users have more control over the content they see and interact with, creating a more personalized and tailored experience.
In addition to user-controlled moderation filters, Bluesky also incorporates automated moderation components to help maintain a safe and respectful online environment. This combination of automatic and manual moderation, overseen by network admins or the community itself, ensures that inappropriate content is swiftly addressed while still allowing for user autonomy.
Bluesky’s commitment to decentralized social media is evident in its AT protocol, which offers a decentralized alternative to centralized social media platforms. By leveraging blockchain technology, Bluesky aims to provide a transparent, flexible, and open social media experience that aligns with the principles of Web3.
Despite its smaller user base compared to social media giants like Twitter, Bluesky has attracted significant investment, signaling confidence in its vision for the future of online communication. With a growing number of decentralized social media platforms gaining traction, the landscape of social media is poised for a shift towards greater transparency and user empowerment.
As we transition from Web2 to Web3, platforms like Bluesky are leading the way towards a more decentralized and user-centric online ecosystem. By prioritizing composable moderation and user control, Bluesky is setting a new standard for social media platforms and paving the way for a more inclusive and community-driven online experience. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the world, affecting millions of people and leading to drastic changes in our daily lives. As countries around the globe continue to grapple with the challenges posed by the virus, it has become increasingly clear that we must adapt to a new normal in order to mitigate the spread of the disease.
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As we navigate the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, it is crucial that we remain vigilant and continue to work together to protect ourselves and others. By staying informed, following public health guidelines, and getting vaccinated, we can all play a role in bringing an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.