The world of social media has a new contender, Bluesky, a decentralized social media app which was founded in 2019 and led by CEO Jay Graber. Backed by Jack Dorsey, the founder and former CEO of Twitter, Bluesky has been generating excitement among users who are looking for a new and refreshing alternative to Twitter.
Bluesky’s Salient Features
Bluesky is reminiscent of the early days of Twitter, with a user interface that is resplendent of old-school Twitter. Users have 300 characters per post, or what the platform calls a “skeet,” and there is a following feed filled with chronological posts from the users you follow.
Besides, there is a “What’s Hot” feed that chronologically shows posts on the platform that receive a lot of reposts and likes, regardless of whether you are following the user or not.
Bluesky’s salient features include the fact that it won’t let you Direct Message anyone, and it does not possess a video upload feature, not even GIFs. Users can only upload non-moving images on Bluesky, and there are no blue checkmark verification badges or NFT profile pictures.
Although these features may seem archaic, they are what make Bluesky unique and attractive to users who are looking for something different.
Bluesky’s Fun, Loose Culture
Bluesky Social is quickly gaining popularity, attracting users from all walks of life, including sex workers, technologists, journalists, and others who are looking to reimagine Twitter from scratch. The app’s fun and lose culture is emerging as users rebuild their social graphs from scratch, and there is a wide universe of weird and loose behaviour that has emerged.
Bluesky’s culture is in stark contrast to Twitter, which has become a place where 100 million people yell at each other each day or at least sign in to watch the yelling. On Bluesky, without feeling like the world is watching and without the pressure to perform in the “world’s town square,” people are acting like themselves.
Elon Musk’s Struggles at Twitter
Bluesky’s success is also being helped by Elon Musk’s struggles at Twitter. Since he took over, Musk has degraded the experience meaningfully. He has made Twitter’s main tab less relevant by leaning heavily on algorithmic recommendations that pull from outside of the accounts users have chosen to follow.
He’s diminished Twitter’s utility as a news app by removing verification from news sources. He’s alienated celebrities by forcing the blue check onto their profiles when they’ve said they don’t want one anymore. And after his takeover, the app’s grown nastier.
Rise of Bluesky: Reasons Behind the Sudden Popularity
The recent surge in popularity of Bluesky, a decentralized social media app that is currently invite-only, can be attributed to several factors. One of the main reasons is the decline in Twitter’s user experience since Elon Musk took over, with the social media platform being plagued with glitches, bugs, and sweeping changes. Twitter’s recent decision to remove legacy verification has prompted more departures, and as Twitter becomes more chaotic, users have been seeking out alternative platforms.
In the past, users have turned to sites like Mastodon, Post. News, Substack Notes, and other Twitter alternatives. However, many of these platforms have been deemed too complicated to navigate due to their server-based nature. This is where Bluesky has managed to gain an edge, with its exclusive invite-only status fueling users’ curiosity and making the app even more desirable.
As a result of Bluesky’s exclusivity, the platform has garnered significant attention on social media, with the app becoming a trending term on Twitter. Despite the platform’s invite-only status, users have been flocking to Bluesky, eager to be a part of the app’s fun, loose culture and explore its unique features. Only time will tell whether Bluesky will continue to gain momentum and become a real contender in the world of social media.
How to Get Bluesky
To get Bluesky, you must be invited, and the app is currently invite-only. This exclusivity has only fueled users’ curiosity, making the app even more desirable.
Bluesky invite codes are the new blue check
— eve6 (@Eve6) April 27, 2023
Bluesky’s Potential
Bluesky’s early success is a testament to the fact that people are open to something new and different and are looking for an alternative to Twitter. Bluesky’s decentralized nature means that the underlying network infrastructure will eventually become available to the public, allowing developers to build their own apps and experiences on top of its protocol.
Eventually, Bluesky will be distributed, meaning developers will be able to build their own apps and experiences on top of its protocol. As the underlying network infrastructure becomes available to the public, some cool products may follow.
For instance, a calendar app that lets you view skeets posted on certain days, a maps app that lets you view skeets from certain locations, or different clients with different moderation rules. You could see features built on some instances and then adopted by others. It’s also possible that this centralized version of Bluesky carries forward on momentum alone, and no other clients take hold.
Bluesky’s early days are what makes the app so enjoyable. The excitement and energy around the app are palpable, and users are acting like themselves without feeling like the world is watching. Bluesky’s decentralized nature means that the app has the potential to challenge Twitter and perhaps even replace it entirely.
Me waiting for a Bluesky invite from all of my close friends that are real pic.twitter.com/Grevklz5VM
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) April 27, 2023
However, Bluesky must avoid some of the pitfalls of its fellow Twitter challengers. Mastodon is confusing and frustrating to use, while Substack’s Notes is tied too closely to the company’s email-newsletter experience. T2 has rolled out invites a bit too slowly. When trying to unseat an incumbent, any friction can be fatal. To be successful, Bluesky must provide a new and refreshing alternative to Twitter without replicating it one-for-one.
Bluesky may challenge Twitter and perhaps replace it entirely. Still, its success will ultimately depend on its ability to provide a new and refreshing alternative to Twitter, one that is big enough to be lively but small enough to disincentivize toxicity. The early excitement surrounding Bluesky has turned it into the hottest tech app on the planet. Only time will tell whether it will be able to maintain its momentum and become a real contender in the world of social media.
