Bluesky is gaining more traction by the day. The latest microblogging platform is becoming a popular alternative to Elon Musk’s X. Millions of users are making the jump, and the gap between it and Meta’s Threads is quickly narrowing. Here’s all the buzz about Bluesky.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey created Bluesky in 2019 with the vision of providing a decentralized standard for social media. Unlike centralized platforms like X, wherein a single entity controls the content, Bluesky’s premise is to provide an ecosystem where different social apps can exist via authenticated transfer (AT) protocol, giving users more control over their data and digital identity. That is where users feel the change most.
To understand AT protocol, imagine you’ve built a network of friends, followers and posts on a specific social media site. Thanks to its account portability feature, you can move from one hosting platform to another without starting an account from scratch and losing all your existing data. Think of it like switching cellphone providers — you get to keep your number and contacts intact. There’s no need to add them all back one by one.
The shift from X to Bluesky didn’t happen in an instant. Since tech tycoon Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, disgruntled users have expressed frustration with the platform’s policy changes. These include increased censorship, algorithm interference and monetization of what used to be free features like the blue badge verification — all of which made Twitter special in its earlier years.
By contrast, Bluesky offers a chronological feed, an ad-free experience and greater control over your online presence. It’s truly reminiscent of “old Twitter” as you knew it. Timelines are organic, posts gain traction based on engagement, and there’s no mysterious algorithm tweaking and ruling over which posts you see or not.
Additionally, users find Bluesky to be a refreshing alternative to the bot-infested system of X. Bots are generating over 47% of online traffic on most social media sites. On Bluesky, the organic conversational exchanges are like talking with actual people and communities.
It’s not quite a Twitter clone, though it most definitely feels like one. Frequent users even call posts, albeit unofficially, “skeets.” The app offers familiarity when it comes to features and functions, like creating and sharing short texts limited to 300 characters to which you can attach photos, videos, GIFs and links.
Bluesky sets itself apart from other social media platforms by allowing users to create their own algorithms. There are no ads, no data being harvested for artificial intelligence training and no algorithm tinkering.
Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect is the ability to host your account on Bluesky or set up your own, providing complete autonomy. For tech-savvy users and organizations, this feature is a massive game-changer.
While it looks like X/Twitter at first glance, dig a little deeper to find where it varies most. Here’s what you need to know about Bluesky before taking the leap.
All three platforms are designed around decentralization as an alternative to X’s single-entity-controlled platform. The contrast between them can be found in the user experience, as each platform handles feeds differently.
Bluesky allows users to customize their algorithm via various feeds. Threads, on the other, is controlled by a single algorithm. Mastodon shows posts in an exclusive chronological order.
While Bluesky has amassed 20 million users, it’s still behind Threads’ over 200 million user count and is seen as the strongest competition against X. As of November 2024, Mastodon has 9 million registered users, comparatively smaller than Bluesky despite being established first.
In the wake of the U.S. elections, Threads saw the most significant growth, gaining as many as 15 million users in November alone. This suggests that the highest number of familiar accounts and communities may be on Threads, although Bluesky and Mastadon are also gaining popularity.
User sentiment has been overwhelmingly positive. Many appreciate the platform’s focus on community and the lack of intrusive ads, with simplistic design and nostalgia largely fueling the shift. However, some fear that as the platform continues to amass users, it may face the same challenges as its predecessors — especially when it comes to misinformation and the pressures of monetization.
Still, the current vibe is optimistic. It’s a refreshing take on a space where users lead the discussion and can engage authentically without algorithms and bots steering the conversation.
Bluesky might be a good fit if you’re tired of singular algorithms driving your feed, invasive ads and dwindling trust in X’s credibility. Its customizable features and decentralized hosting are reeling in more users daily. The grass looks greener, and the sky is definitely bluer.
