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WaPo: How to get started on Bluesky, the app some X users are defecting to
WaPo - (archived: https://archive.ph/Qrdho ) How to get started on Bluesky, the app some X users are defecting to
Some people say they’re quitting Elon Musk’s X. For real this time.
By Tatum Hunter
Updated November 14, 2024 at 9:19 a.m. EST
Published November 14, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EST
After X owner Elon Musk helped President-elect Donald Trump successfully run for the nation’s highest office, some users on the social media site are jumping ship for other options.
A collection of X users — in some cases, high-profile accounts including TV anchor Don Lemon and LGBTQ activist Alejandra Caraballo — posted their intentions after the election to switch to Bluesky, a Twitter-esque app launched by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey in 2019. Bluesky has a small base of users compared with major social media platforms, but it gives people more control over what they see. On Bluesky, people can build their own algorithms and share them with others, rather than everyone relying on one top-down algorithm that changes at the whims of company leaders.
/snip/
What’s different about Bluesky?
Bluesky was the brainchild of Dorsey and others who were interested in building a more open social network where users could control their experiences. It separated from Twitter in 2022, and its current chief executive is software developer Jay Graber.
Unlike X, where a single company owns the software, content and community, people on Bluesky can run the app on their own servers (that’s why it’s called “decentralized”) and build custom algorithms to surface posts they want to see.
The tech-savvy can set up their own themed “feeds,” such as the app’s “Science” feed that shows posts from science researchers, teachers and artists. But anyone can add feeds to a personal collection and toggle between different algorithms and communities.
Who is Bluesky good for?
Bluesky doesn’t bill itself as a digital town square like X or a clearinghouse for internet culture like TikTok. It’s built a reputation for low-key discussions, tailored topics and small communities.
If you’re looking to reach the masses or build a monetizable following, this might not be the digital home for you. But if you’re interested in a social media experience without ads or opaque algorithms, it’ll be a better fit than X, which has been prioritizing right-leaning accounts, or Threads, where a confusing feed often surfaces outdated posts.
/snip
Some people say they’re quitting Elon Musk’s X. For real this time.
By Tatum Hunter
Updated November 14, 2024 at 9:19 a.m. EST
Published November 14, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EST
After X owner Elon Musk helped President-elect Donald Trump successfully run for the nation’s highest office, some users on the social media site are jumping ship for other options.
A collection of X users — in some cases, high-profile accounts including TV anchor Don Lemon and LGBTQ activist Alejandra Caraballo — posted their intentions after the election to switch to Bluesky, a Twitter-esque app launched by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey in 2019. Bluesky has a small base of users compared with major social media platforms, but it gives people more control over what they see. On Bluesky, people can build their own algorithms and share them with others, rather than everyone relying on one top-down algorithm that changes at the whims of company leaders.
/snip/
What’s different about Bluesky?
Bluesky was the brainchild of Dorsey and others who were interested in building a more open social network where users could control their experiences. It separated from Twitter in 2022, and its current chief executive is software developer Jay Graber.
Unlike X, where a single company owns the software, content and community, people on Bluesky can run the app on their own servers (that’s why it’s called “decentralized”) and build custom algorithms to surface posts they want to see.
The tech-savvy can set up their own themed “feeds,” such as the app’s “Science” feed that shows posts from science researchers, teachers and artists. But anyone can add feeds to a personal collection and toggle between different algorithms and communities.
Who is Bluesky good for?
Bluesky doesn’t bill itself as a digital town square like X or a clearinghouse for internet culture like TikTok. It’s built a reputation for low-key discussions, tailored topics and small communities.
If you’re looking to reach the masses or build a monetizable following, this might not be the digital home for you. But if you’re interested in a social media experience without ads or opaque algorithms, it’ll be a better fit than X, which has been prioritizing right-leaning accounts, or Threads, where a confusing feed often surfaces outdated posts.
/snip
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