Bluesky is a new social media platform that has been making waves as a potential alternative to Twitter. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into Bluesky and provide you with everything you need to know about this exciting new platform.
In the introduction, we’ll give you an overview of Bluesky and discuss why it was created. From there, we’ll move into a detailed exploration of Bluesky’s features and how it works. We’ll also compare and contrast Bluesky with Twitter, the current leader in the social media space.
In the third section, we’ll take a look at the future of Bluesky and explore its expected impact on the social media industry. We’ll also delve into some of the potential challenges and risks facing the platform, as well as provide an update on the timeline for the launch of Bluesky.
Launched in February 2023, the social network Bluesky is taking off! We summarize what you need to know about this interesting alternative to Twitter.
Bluesky is a new decentralized social platform that presents itself as a serious alternative to Twitter.
To offer an open social network, the company has created a protocol: the AT protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol ). This technology allows anyone to gain more freedom, particularly through decentralized data storage (on multiple servers). Users also have the option to change hosts at any time, have a choice of algorithm, and benefit from interoperability between services that use the protocol. “The goal of the AT protocol is to enable modern social media to function more like the early days of the web, when anyone could create a blog or use RSS to subscribe to multiple blogs,” explains the Bluesky team
Originally, Bluesky was initiated by… Twitter! Indeed, it was Jack Dorsey who launched the project in 2019, when he was still CEO of the blue bird: “Twitter funds a small independent team of up to five architects, engineers, and open-source designers to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media. The goal is for Twitter to eventually be a client of this standard.”
Since its official creation in 2022, Bluesky has become an independent company (Bluesky PBLLC), which is led by Jay Graber and continues to be supported by the former co-founder of Twitter.
With Elon Musk taking over Twitter and the multiple upheavals since then, the relationship and service agreement between the blue bird and Bluesky were terminated by mutual agreement at the end of 2022.
Does the Bluesky interface look familiar to you? That’s normal! It looks quite similar to Twitter interface. The features are also similar:
Profile: each user also has a profile, with the possibility of integrating a profile picture, banner, and a short bio. The username is composed as follows: @username.bsky.social.
Timeline: you have access to a main timeline where published posts scroll. It is possible to choose between two feeds: Following (the people you follow), or What’s hot (the posts recommended by the algorithm).
Posts: you have the option to publish posts of up to 300 characters and add links, mentions, emojis, and up to 4 photos.
Interactions: it is possible to like posts or reply to them by leaving comments.
How to Join Bluesky?
Bluesky was launched on the App Store in February 2023 and on the Play Store in April. However, the application is still in private beta phase, and access is limited. You need an invitation code from a Bluesky user to join the platform directly.
Another option is to sign up for the waiting list to get early access before the public launch. However, be prepared to wait as over 1.2 million people are already on the waiting list (source: Forbes).
The last method is to buy a code on eBay, which can sell for several hundred dollars, not to mention the potential scams. It’s better to wait for the official launch and obtain the invitation code through legitimate means.
some key figures to remember about Bluesky (as of May 2023):
Metrics
Numbers
App downloads (App Store)
About 375,000
App downloads (Play Store)
Over 100,000
App Store ranking (category: social networks)
No. 10
Current number of users
50,000
Waiting list size
1.2 million
The Future of Bluesky
Expected Impact on the Social Media Industry:
Bluesky decentralized architecture and focus on user control and privacy have the potential to disrupt the social media industry. It could offer users a viable alternative to centralized platforms that are often criticized for their lack of transparency and accountability. If successful, Bluesky could pave the way for a new era of decentralized and user-driven social media.
Potential Challenges and Risks
Despite its potential, Bluesky faces some significant challenges and risks. One of the biggest challenges is building a user base large enough to compete with established platforms like Twitter. There are also technical challenges associated with developing a decentralized platform, including issues related to scalability and security. Additionally, there are risks associated with the potential misuse of the platform for nefarious purposes, such as the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
The launch of Bluesky is still uncertain, as the project is still in its early stages. Twitter has committed to providing initial funding to the project, but the development of the platform is being led by an independent team. It’s unclear when Bluesky will be available to the public, but
