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Amidst Twitter’s management changes, disaffected users are looking for an alternative social media platform called Bluesky. According to media reports, Bluesky app downloads increased by more than 600% in April.
Originally conceived in 2019 by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey as a spin-off project, Bluesky launched in 2019. It transitioned into a standalone project in early 2022, with an iOS app released in February this year, followed by an Android version in April.
Visually, Bluesky looks similar to Twitter. The timeline is called “Skyline” and the tweets are “Accomplishments”. It has two main differences that drive its popularity – decentralized and invite-only access.
I shout, you shout, we all shout for pictures. https://t.co/8MqWzbYUt9
— Shira Frankel (@shiraf) April 28, 2023
Decentralization was the driving force behind Dorsey’s Bluesky innovation. So what does that mean and how does this app differ from Twitter?
‘Decentralized’ social media
Dorsey is a big supporter of decentralized control and cryptocurrency. He believes that centralized platforms like Twitter enforce policies to address abuse and misinformation, and that its proprietary algorithms do not meet user needs.
Third, existing social media incentives lead to a focus on content and discourse that creates controversy and anger, rather than a discussion that informs and promotes health.
— Jack (@jack) December 11, 2019
Twitter uses an AI-powered, centrally managed algorithm to curate the content a user is exposed to.
But on Bluesky, users have control over the algorithm that chooses their exposure. As Wired magazine explained:
Crucially, users and servers can label posts or specific users — for example, a tag like “racist” — and anyone can subscribe to that list of tags, blocking posts accordingly.
Blue sky Calls The concept is “an adjustable, customizable algorithmic marketplace that lets you control how you spend your attention.”
Like our approach to algorithmic selection, our approach to moderation allows for an ecosystem of third-party providers.
Moderation should be a manageable, customizable piece of your experience. https://t.co/KJHtHOHSPX
— Bluesky (@bluesky) April 14, 2023
In addition to giving users more control over what content they see, Bluesky plans to further “decentralize” social media control. If everything goes well, Bluesky itself will be the first of many interconnected social networks that work on the same basic principles.
Bluesky is based on what he called AT protocol, a network that allows servers to communicate with each other. This means, hypothetically, that you can move your account between different social networks that use the AT protocol without losing your content and followers.
It is important to note that this is all theoretical for now; This function is not yet available.
But it is designed to eventually address the concerns of social media influencers who fear losing their audience due to changes in platform rules or when they choose to move to another platform.
Invitation-only
Another thing that sets Bluesky apart is that it’s invitation-only for now.
Most social media platforms, including Twitter, allow users to register freely. Bluesky, however, requires an invitation code. Existing users will receive invitation codes every two weeks.
Although there are at least 360,000 Bluesky app downloads, it is reported that there are only 70,000 users. Media reported earlier this month that 1.9 million people are on the waiting list.
With so many people eager to get in, Bluesky’s invitations became a hot commodity. You can find them on eBay for between $50 and $200; Some details require more.
The invitation-only design ensures rapid user growth, avoiding a rapid influx of users and sudden loss of interest.
And new users who patiently wait for invitations already know BlueSky. Flooding other social media platforms with invitation code requests will generate more interest.
Every new Bluesky user knows at least one existing user. It ensures that users have something in common about posting.
Rather than retroactively trying to weed out problematic users, Bluesky’s creators seem intent on bringing in like-minded individuals from the start.
Thanks to a lot of user control over the content they watch, and with a still small and select user base, many say they’ve found a friendly atmosphere and a good vibe at Bluesky.
Others say it sounds like a group chat. BlueSky is particularly vulnerable to marginalized communities, especially transgender people, who may feel safer expressing their opinions than other social media sites.
But will any of this last?
As we’ve all seen, social media sites come and go.
Social media site Mastodon saw a surge in users in November last year, reaching 2.6 million users within weeks, but then dropped to 1.2 million within a few months.
Some of the results of decentralized moderation tests on Mastodon Users they have It is described As “materials” culture. This, combined with a complicated interface and a difficult-to-understand concept of server “being” hurt its chances of lasting success.
Unlike Mastodon, Bluesky has a simple and straightforward interface. To stay relevant in the long run, Bluesky needs to strike a fine balance between curbing hate speech and trolls while maintaining engaging content and discussion. When your intra-circle group chats are more engaging.
This article is reprinted from the discussion under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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