Bluesky: What is it? All the details about the app that aims to take the place of Twitter
Does the opposite side have greener grass? Though we’re not positive, the sky is unquestionably bluer. Since Elon Musk bought Twitter and now X more than a year ago, many have opened accounts on other networks. Mastodon, Post, Pebble (which has already ceased operations), and Spill have all been proposed as possible alternatives; nevertheless, only Meta’s Threads has expanded as quickly as Bluesky has.
Bluesky is currently available to anyone who wishes to join, having been invite-only for nearly a year. Bluesky added around 800,000 new subscribers in a single day and is expected to surpass 4 million signups overall. Even if that figure is encouraging, the network still has a long way to go before it can compete with Mastodon’s 1.8 million monthly active users or Threads’ 130 million. Even with Musk’s unfavorable revisions, X users continue to swarm Bluesky, and the platform remains at the top of the U.S. App Store.
The most often-asked questions concerning Bluesky Social are addressed here:
Bluesky: What is it?
Conceived by former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey, Bluesky is a decentralized social software that was developed concurrently with Twitter. The social network features a federated design, algorithmic decision, and community-specific moderation akin to that of Twitter.
Because Bluesky uses an open-source framework that was developed internally, the AT Protocol, information about its development and construction is transparent to those outside the organization.
When Dorsey was still the CEO of Twitter in 2019, he unveiled the Bluesky initiative. Initially, the plan was for Twitter to adopt this standard directly. Still, he stated at the time that Twitter would support a “small independent team of up to five open source architects, engineers, and designers” tasked with creating a decentralized standard for social media. However, that was prior to Elon Musk purchasing the network; therefore, as of late 2022, Bluesky and Twitter are no longer connected. Dorsey has even expressed his displeasure with Musk’s leadership through Bluesky.
How is Bluesky used?
Users can establish a display name that is bolded and appears more prominently, as well as a handle that is represented as @username.bsky.social after registering. You can use any domain name you own as your username if you’d like; for instance, I go by @amanda.omg.lol on Bluesky.
The program itself works pretty much like a stripped-down version of Twitter, with the ability to upload photographs and write posts with up to 256 characters by clicking the + button. Posts themselves can be liked, retweeted, replied to, reported, shared with other apps via the iOS Share Sheet, and copied as text, all from a three-dot menu.
Other users can be found and followed, and their changes can be seen in your “Home” timeline. The Bluesky app is used to display well-liked posts in a “What’s Hot” stream. Since then, an algorithmic and customized “Discover” feed containing more than just trending items has taken the role of that feed.
Additionally, there is a “Discover” tab located at the bottom center of the app’s menu that provides a running feed of newly released Bluesky updates along with additional recommendations for “who to follow.”
On Bluesky, who is it?
When Instagram’s Threads debuted in early July 2023, Bluesky had amassed over a million downloads for both iOS and Android. Prominent individuals such as Chelsea Manning, Dril, and Neil Gaiman have relocated to Bluesky. Additionally, news outlets and journalists, including Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and Engadget, call it home. Now that Bluesky is accessible to the whole public, other celebrities might soon follow suit.
Does Bluesky function similarly to Twitter?
Yes, in a lot of ways. D.M.s and other more sophisticated features, including adding accounts to lists, are not yet available in Bluesky. Moreover, Twitter doesn’t make use of decentralized protocols like AT or ActivityPub.
In 2019, while serving as Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey launched Bluesky as a pilot project. However, the social app has operated as a stand-alone business since its establishment in 2021.
Does Bluesky have free will?
Yes, and the whole public can now access it.
How is money made at Bluesky?
To keep its network free for end users, Bluesky is looking for alternative revenue streams beyond paid services and advertising. On July 5, Bluesky revealed plans to raise further funds in a seed round and to launch a premium service that allows end customers to purchase bespoke domains to use as their service handle.
How decentralized is Bluesky?
Indeed. The decentralized AT Protocol, upon which Bluesky was constructed, is being developed by the Bluesky team. Users can only join the sky. Social network during its beta phase. Still, Bluesky intends to be federated, allowing an infinite number of independently run communities to coexist within the open-source network. Therefore, Bluesky users might switch to a new social app and transfer their current followers, handles, and data if an outside developer created their own utilizing the AT Protocol.
“You will never be forced to follow the whims of private firms or opaque algorithms; instead, you will always have the right to choose (and to leave). Additionally, your relationships and friends will follow you wherever you go, according to a Bluesky blog post.
Is Bluesky safe?
Bluesky introduced email verification in October 2023 as a part of a bigger initiative to enhance network authentication and account security. In terms of making Bluesky more competitive with bigger networks like X, which have stronger security procedures, the acquisition is a significant step forward. After user outcry, Bluesky decided to enable users to opt out of a move that would have exposed their posts to the public web in December 2023.
Can I customize Bluesky?
Indeed. Bluesky announced “custom feeds,” or custom algorithms, in May 2023. With custom feeds, users can subscribe to various algorithms showcasing various content types that they would find interesting. Custom feeds that appear as distinct tabs at the top of your timeline can be pinned. The “My Feeds” menu in the app’s sidebar is where you may find the feeds that you pin or save.
The business unveiled “AT Protocol Grants,” a new initiative in March 2024, which will give out tiny funds to developers to promote expansion and customization. One of the recipients is a proprietary application called SkyFeed, which uses a graphical user interface to allow anyone to create their feeds.
Does Bluesky exist for Android and iOS?
Indeed. Bluesky was first released for iOS users in late February, and it was later made available to Android users on April 20. Here is the website where users can access Bluesky.
Are posts on Bluesky truly referred to as “skeets”?
Although posts don’t officially have a name, online users have come to refer to them as “skeets,” a combination of the words “tweet” and “sky.” Despite objections from Bluesky CEO Jay Graber and others who don’t think the slang for semen funny, users nevertheless frequently refer to posts as “skeets.”
What is Bluesky’s approach to disinformation?
Following an upgrade in October 2023, the app will now recognize and alert users to false links. The app will notify users with a “possibly misleading” notice if links posted in their posts do not correspond with the content of the post. This is done to let users know that the link might take them to an unwanted location.
Has Bluesky been involved in any disputes?
Moderation problems have plagued Bluesky from its initial release. The app has come under fire for allegedly failing to censor racist content and for neglecting to protect its marginalized users. Frustrated users started a “posting strike” in response to the app’s allowance of racial slurs in account names, which involved refusing to interact with the site until it put in place measures to identify slurs and other objectionable terms in usernames.
What features does Bluesky offer for moderation?
The Bluesky Safety account revealed a significant number of moderation modifications in a postdated December 2023.
The app’s moderation team will assess anything that is flagged for violation of Bluesky’s Community Guidelines by means of “more advanced automated tooling” that is being rolled out.
Similar to X, Bluesky introduced moderation capabilities such as user lists and moderation lists, the latter of which allows you to mute or block many individuals at once. A feature that allows users to restrict who can reply to postings is also being developed for the app.
Following Bluesky’s announcement that it would be launching a public web interface, some users are still pushing for the option to keep their accounts secret.
The startup debuted Ozone in March 2024, offering users “unprecedented control” over their social media experience by enabling them to establish and manage their autonomous moderating services.
What distinguishes Mastodon from Bluesky?
Despite the similarities in architecture between Bluesky and Mastodon, several users have reported that Bluesky is easier to use and more approachable than Mastodon. On Mastodon, it can be difficult to decide which instance to join, and regular users tend to be quite defensive of their established posting conventions, which can make entering the conversation scary. Mastodon recently streamlined the sign-up process and set mastodon. Social as the default server for new users in an effort to stay competitive.
Federation will, however, function more like Mastodon after it launches, allowing users to transfer their accounts around and select which servers to join.
Bluesky is owned by who?
Despite having funded Bluesky and being a board member, Jack Dorsey is not active in day-to-day operations. Jay Graber, the CEO of Bluesky, started the Happening event-planning website after serving as a software developer for the cryptocurrency Zcash.
