Bluesky it’s the new one social network that challenges Twitter. That’s right, another one. But unlike so many alternatives, Bluesky is catching the attention of many influential users, including including politicians, journalists and celebrities. Also, Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey created this app. Which is based on one decentralized network that gives more power and control to users – especially with regard to data management and content moderation. Could Bluesky Become the Big New Social Network? Let’s try to understand what it is and how it works.
Bluesky, how the new social alternative to Twitter works
Several famous users (mostly Americans) are switching from Twitter to Bluesky. Like the Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortezbut also the supermodel and influencer Chrissy Teigen. And then the 90s band Eve 6 and the comedian Drill. Users who have millions of followers on Twitter.
Bluesky defines itself as “a new social network for microblogging” – a definition that immediately shows its proximity to Twitter. Or at least with the original Twitter. Indeed, in the app users can publish brief updates written on a timelinejust like they would on Twitter, but with a few differences.
Bluesky vs Twitter: what are the differences between the two social networks
There are several differences that make Bluesky fundamentally different from Twitter, despite being similar on a superficial level. One of the differences is that there are no hashtags – a central feature on Twitter – e there are no direct messages. Although perhaps these functions could come in the future.
Furthermore, Bluesky is based on a decentralized frameworksimile al social network Mastodon. This allows users to create independent social experiences and to join a specific “server”., which has its own unique set of rules, interests and participants. Although Bluesky simplifies the process a lot compared to Mastodon.
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One of the appeals of the app at the moment is its exclusivity. At present, there is a rush for people to secure a invitation code. When Chrissy Teigen wrote “Who Wants an Invitation?” she has provoked an avalanche of requests from her fans. That’s because many users seem ready to leave Twitter after Elon Musk’s changes, such as the removal of verification badges and the introduction of Twitter Blue.
A decentralized social network
While there are some fundamental differences, there are several things that make Bluesky very similar to Twitter. For example, you can write short messages of up to 300 characters and choose between a feed based on an algorithm or one in chronological order.
But the difference is that Bluesky is an open and decentralized network. This means that when you sign up, you can choose a specific server with its rules, interests and users. But unlike Mastodon, at the moment Bluesky has only one main server where are allthe. But in the future people will be able to customize your own algorithms and feeds using Bluesky technology.
All these features make Bluesky the most serious candidate we’ve seen so far to replace Twitter. The app, which launched in a closed beta on iOS in February and Android a few days ago. Even if, as always on social media, the difference is made by the creators and celebrities who use it. In recent days, it has gained popularity among journalists, politicians and celebrities. Something that could determine the success of the app. Who founded Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter.
The story of Bluesky, Jack Dorsey’s second social network
Bluesky originated in 2019when Dorsey he announced who was funding a small team within Twitter to develop an “open and decentralized standard for social media”. It was supposed to serve as “protocol” for other apps and social media networks, including Twitter itself one day.
Jack Dorsey at the launch of Bluesky
Bluesky became independent from Twitter in early 2022, well before the Musk-Twitter deal closed. She was born as public utility limited liability companywhich means it should operate in a more socially responsible way than a normal company. Bluesky also fits into the principles Web3 of a less hierarchical vision and more distributed than social media.
This explains why, design-wise, the app looks a lot like Twitter. It has a feed “What’s hot” is one “Following“, similar to algorithmic feeds “For You” and chronological “Followingon Twitter. For now, it can only post text or images to Bluesky. But maybe these features will come in the future.
Bluesky: much more than a social network (actually, many)
The idea behind Bluesky is to offer users a more control over their social media experiencecontrol over their own data and on content they see when they log in. The company is building a underlying protocol that works a bit like the Android OS. Unlike a more traditional social media platform that designs the experience and sets the rules, Bluesky empowers users to build independent social experiences and to join a specific “server”.which has its own unique set of rules, interests and participants.
Bluesky has big ambitions for the future of social media. He wants to create one open platform that allows developers to build custom apps with adapted feeds to the various tastes of users. He also wants to give users the ability to bring your data with you, like username and followers, if they want to switch apps.
In this way, it will become easier to exploit the new emerging social network, allowing greater freedom of choice. At the moment, in fact, the biggest problem of the new social apps lies precisely in the fact that it is difficult to recreate one’s following. Something that greatly raises the “entry threshold” on the market of apps: it’s not enough to have an intelligent idea to convince a user, you need to convince an entire community. With Bluesky, this should get easier.
Why is this alternative to Twitter popular?
Bluesky is not only technically different from other social media apps, like Twitter. It is also different for the atmosphere among the users – or at least it is for now. Indeed, there seems to be less aggression and more understanding.
Credit: Bluesky su App Store
This is also because the chronological timeline shows the posts of those who follow, while Twitter has set the For You timeline as the default. “So nice to scroll through a feed and see funny posts from people you follow instead of awful posts from people you don’t follow and wish you’d disappeared,” a user with the nickname “em” tweeted on Friday, according to Vox.
This contrast with Twitter is particularly evident in this period. Recently, Musk questionably rehabilitated some suspended users (including neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists). He also removed some protections for trans users against hate speech. Musk said he’s reducing the visibility of negative tweets and that online hate has decreased since he’s been in charge. But some studies (like this one reported by the New York Times) have shown an increase in racial and homophobic slurs.
For now, Bluesky is frequented by writers, politicians, tech enthusiasts, and people who want to avoid online hate. The atmosphere is light and fun, with jokes, memes and interactions between famous and not. Bluesky could be successful if it continues to attract interesting and original people who create newsworthy content. But should it be successful and welcome all Twitter exiles, that could soon change. You can sign up here.