Bluesky

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Furniture

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If anyone has X (Twitter) and for any reason is looking for a change, participation in BLUESKY as a replacement is picking up quite quickly. I joined on Friday and decided it’s good enough for me to deactivate my X account.
It currently has about 18 million subscribers and growing each day.

news.sky.com

The X exodus - could Bluesky spike spark end of Elon Musk's social media platform?

Even Google appears to trust X less, with one expert telling Sky News the search engine treats X competitor Bluesky as 10 times more important than Elon Musk's platform.
news.sky.com news.sky.com

What is Bluesky?
Bluesky is a social media platform that look a lot like Elon Musk’s X (formerly twitter). You can do the same things that you do on X such as posting, messaging and replying.
Who owns Bluesky?
Bluesky is decentralized social network. It was announced by then CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2019. Bluesky was launched as an independent company in 2021 and was opened to public in beta stage in 2023. It is run and owned by chief executive Jay Graber.
How is it different from X?
Bluesky users can create their own servers on which they can store data, other than those owned by the company and also they can set their own rules. Users can also block others unlike X, where users can view posts from people who had blocked them. Although Bluesky has 18.5 million users but it’s way behind X, which reported in March that 250 million people use the social media platform everyday.
 
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I've seen some nice writeups on Bluesky, including some from people I respect for their views on social media. It sounds like a big improvement over the platform I still call Twitter. Nevertheless, I haven't used Bluesky, because I don't trust that it will remain untrashed, for the reasons Cory Doctorow gives:

I would like to use Bluesky. They've done a bunch of seriously interesting technical work on moderation and ranking that I truly admire, and I've got lots of friends there who really enjoy it.​
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But I'm not on Bluesky and I don't have any plans to join it anytime soon. I wrote about this in 2023: I will never again devote my energies to building up an audience on a platform whose management can sever my relationship to that audience at will:​
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When a platform can hold the people you care about or rely upon hostage – when it can credibly threaten you with disconnection and exile – that platform can abuse you in lots of ways without losing your business. In other words, they can befoul their service​

Pluralistic: Bluesky and enshittification (02 Nov 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

pluralistic.net pluralistic.net

I'm very happy with Mastodon/Fediverse. But you won't find much sports there, if that's what you're seeking.
 
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I’ve been on bluesky for about a year (@5tephenK.bsky.social), and it’s been nice, but it has really taken off in the last couple of weeks. The various twitter clones have struggled to find their footing in part because the non-political stuff hasn’t migrated. That seems to be changing. More users. No algorithm. No narcissistic billionaires with Main Character Syndrome (at least not yet).
 
Matches said:
I’ve been on bluesky for about a year (@5tephenK.bsky.social), and it’s been nice, but it has really taken off in the last couple of weeks. The various twitter clones have struggled to find their footing in part because the non-political stuff hasn’t migrated. That seems to be changing. More users. No algorithm. No narcissistic billionaires with Main Character Syndrome (at least not yet).
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Thanks for the push. I just joined and am impressed. Very easy signup - only have to give email and a bd. Clean interface and allows you to choose font size. PLUS, since its early in its growth your favorite handle is likely still available without a 4 digit suffix.😁
 
I gave up Twitter in my twenties. I've been on Mastodon for the past half decade.

Every now and again, there is a mass Twitter exodus. I forget how toxic that platform is and how mean people are when they bring that energy to Mastodon. It's happening right now.

If they all move to Bluesky instead, that will be great. It's just trading one walled garden for another; have fun in five years when the same thing happens. It's being funded by a Russian oligarch who owns VK.

Traditional, algorithm-based social media just has me disappointed in and ignoring people I already know. It's designed to make people angry. Meanwhile, the Fediverse has me connecting to and engaging with people whom I've never met over passionate interests.

MChambers said:
I'm very happy with Mastodon/Fediverse. But you won't find much sports there, if that's what you're seeking.
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I was able to follow the Dodgers World Series run on Mastodon. But it was only the biggest World Series matchup of my lifetime between the two biggest teams ever, so it's probably an outlier.
 
If this link is to be believed it’s growing at about 10 users a second!

Bcounter

Almost-real-time Bluesky user count
bcounter.nat.vg

After last week signing up has been the best thing that I have done and deactivating my Xitter account has made me very happy.
I actually used X for two reasons. One was general news and the other was Fantasy Premier League news. It looks like so many FPL managers are making a concerted effort to get that community to move over. It’s very heart warming!
 
unix_joe said:
I gave up Twitter in my twenties. I've been on Mastodon for the past half decade.

Every now and again, there is a mass Twitter exodus. I forget how toxic that platform is and how mean people are when they bring that energy to Mastodon. It's happening right now.

If they all move to Bluesky instead, that will be great. It's just trading one walled garden for another; have fun in five years when the same thing happens. It's being funded by a Russian oligarch who owns VK.

Traditional, algorithm-based social media just has me disappointed in and ignoring people I already know. It's designed to make people angry. Meanwhile, the Fediverse has me connecting to and engaging with people whom I've never met over passionate interests.



I was able to follow the Dodgers World Series run on Mastodon. But it was only the biggest World Series matchup of my lifetime between the two biggest teams ever, so it's probably an outlier.
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Not all algorithms are equivalent. X’s algos use engagement metrics in a way that ends up promoting troll posts that generate a lot of angry responses and arguments. I find almost none of that on, yes, the oft-maligned Tik-Tok. Most of the comments on my TT feed are humorous and/or encouraging.

Social media can be profitable by generating anger/fear or by generating fun/enthusiasm/edication. It all depends on what the CEO wants to create.
 
Skydog said:
Not all algorithms are equivalent. X’s algos use engagement metrics in a way that ends up promoting troll posts that generate a lot of angry responses and arguments. I find almost none of that on, yes, the oft-maligned Tik-Tok. Most of the comments on my TT feed are humorous and/or encouraging.

Social media can be profitable by generating anger/fear or by generating fun/enthusiasm/edication. It all depends on what the CEO wants to create.
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It’s a matter of profit motive. Bluesky is a public benefit corporation so they aren’t selling user information (or even ads I think.) Currently it’s the rare free service designed where the users it’s the product like Twitter/Facebook/Google/Bing/TikTok etc… They all serve advertisers and the product is the people using the service. Blue Sky (as currently structured) has no incentive to stir anyone up or entertain them or to keep them engaged forever. They are just a space to gather. It seems they will try to fund the place off ancillary paid services like domain registrations and such.

And as a reminder


The other thread was shutdown after a similar turn.
 
Kdogg said:
It’s a matter of profit motive. Bluesky is a public benefit corporation so they aren’t selling user information (or even ads I think.) Currently it’s the rare free service designed where the users it’s the product like Twitter/Facebook/Google/Bing/TikTok etc… They all serve advertisers and the product is the people using the service. Blue Sky (as currently structured) has no incentive to stir anyone up or entertain them or to keep them engaged forever. They are just a space to gather. It seems they will try to fund the place off ancillary paid services like domain registrations and such.

And as a reminder


The other thread was shutdown after a similar turn.
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I honestly had not seen that closed Twitter thread until after I had started this one.
 
I moved over to Blue Sky last week and it has been good with the exception that there is a dearth of Duke coverage on it. Hopefully, that will change.

I haven’t deleted by twitter account yet and every time I check back in on it is a good reminder of why people are leaving.

Trying to not get political here so let me just say that the block/mute features are great and I am not being fed anything that I haven’t asked to see (yet). The Starter Packs (lists curated by users that they suggest you follow) are great as well and users have been using them to designate troll accounts for mass blocking.

ETA - My username there is different than here and based on my real name so I don’t want to post it here. If anyone is interested in following me (fair warning - I don’t have a lot of witty things to say yet), send me a PM.
 
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I've been on bluesky for a little over a week now as well. I really like the starter packs. It's also nice to see a post and not get immediately tensed up by reading the comments. As another poster on that forum stated, it's nice to post a video of my kid playing an instrument and not getting comments that we should die. So it's good that the trolls and Nazis from that other place can be easily shut out.

There isn't enough Duke coverage there yet, however there are a lot of college basketball reporters there now.

I'm sure that detractors from that other place are accusing bluesky of fostering an echo chamber. I see it more as fostering adulthood.
 
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jipops said:
I've been on bluesky for a little over a week now as well. I really like the starter packs. It's also nice to see a post and not get immediately tensed up by reading the comments. As another poster on that forum stated, it's nice to post a video of my kid playing an instrument and not getting comments that we should die. So it's good that the trolls and Nazis from that other place can be easily shut out.

There isn't enough Duke coverage there yet, however there are a lot of college basketball reporters there now.

I'm sure that detractors from that other place are accusing bluesky of fostering an echo chamber. I see it more as fostering adulthood.
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Which college basketball reporters have you found there? I’ve seen Seth Davis (I know, I know), but not many others.
 
I never opened a Twitter/X account. I’m sure it’s useful in some way that I haven’t seen. But I opened a Bluesky account just to help the momentum away from Musky Boy. I opened the App and it was about what expected and haven’t opened it again.
 
Kdogg said:
Oh it wasn’t directed at you mate. The mods deleted the provocative post that triggered that threads demise.
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They deleted mine, too, and I still have no idea why. Honestly if the "Fate of Twitter" thread was too political to continue, I don't understand how this one will be any different.
 
A lot of local HS athletes use twitter/X .I follow them on one of my X accounts. I like to see thier careers develop. It becomes a thing I may make a account there .
With Hollidays approaching I have very little time for that.
Plus my significant other has me in a partial time out .self inflicted as usual.
 
acdevil said:
Which college basketball reporters have you found there? I’ve seen Seth Davis (I know, I know), but not many others.
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Matt Norlander
Gary Parrish
Mike Miller
Jeff Eisenberg
Brendan Quinn
Nicole Auerbach
Luke DeCock
Joe Ovies
Andy Katz
Joe Tipton
Mike DeCourcy
Adam Rowe

...those are a few
 
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jipops said:
Matt Norlander
Gary Parrish
Mike Miller
Jeff Eisenberg
Brendan Quinn
Nicole Auerbach
Luke DeCock
Joe Ovies
Andy Katz
Joe Tipton
Mike DeCourcy
Adam Rowe

...those are a few
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Go to Matt Norlander acct and he lists a college bball “starter pack”. Click on that and then hit “follow all” and you will be automatically subscribed to dozens of Bluesky cbb sports writers.
 
Skydog said:
Go to Matt Norlander acct and he lists a college bball “starter pack”. Click on that and then hit “follow all” and you will be automatically subscribed to dozens of Bluesky cbb sports writers.
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Yes! That is actually how I found the group I listed. Though I actually just scrolled through the starter pack list and subscribed to the individuals I knew. That's really the great thing about the "starter pack" functionality. It gives other people a way to easily put writers and journalists in their feed that fit the particular interest or topic they may be looking for.
 
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