The social network Bluesky seems to be continuing to grow. This week, the social media platform moved to fifth place in the U.S. App Store’s free apps section, ahead of TikTok and Instagram. That’s up from No. 181 just a week ago, TechCrunch reported, citing numbers from app intelligence firm Appfigures.
Blue Sky shared a post on Thursday announcing that it had reached 500,000 users in just one day.
“First day here,” one Bluesky user wrote in response to a post about the company’s growth. “I’m still finding my feet. I’ve been a long-time Twitter user, but I’m a shadow of my former self.”
Bluesky is a social media platform that shares many similarities with X, formerly known as Twitter. After billionaire owner Elon Musk acquired the site, X made a number of changes, doing away with the traditional blue checkmark to indicate verified accounts, reinstating previously banned accounts, and adding new started a program.
On Wednesday, X announced that it would be changing its blocking feature that prevents others from seeing your messages on the site. Blocked accounts can see people’s posts on X if their posts are set to public, but they can’t reply to, like, or repost .
“It’s not a block,” one X user replied. “That would encourage stalking.”
Company X also updated its terms of service to require that lawsuits brought by users against the service be handled in federal court in northern Texas, stating, “The court’s judge wins for conservative litigants in political litigation.” ”The Globe and Mail reported.
These latest changes may have caused an uptick in interest in Bluesky, which saw a surge in user accounts when X was blocked by a Brazilian court earlier this year (later blocked after X paid a fine). was canceled). According to the New York Times, users say Bluesky is the app that comes closest to imitating X.
Here’s a look at what you need to know about Bluesky.
How do I sign up?
Initially, Bluesky was invite-only, but since February it has been open to everyone. To join, simply go to the main page and create an account. You can download the Bluesky app for iOS or Android, or use Bluesky on your desktop.
You will be asked for your email address and phone number (to send a verification code), and asked to choose a username and password. Then come in.
How is Bluesky similar to X and Threads?
If you’re familiar with X, you’ll understand the design and purpose of Bluesky.
The site uses vertically scrolling messages with small round photo avatars for users, and icons below the messages that indicate the number of comments, likes, and reposts received. It’s pretty similar to X’s format and Meta’s Threads, which is currently the top free app on the App Store.
Who is behind it?
Here’s another Twitter/X connection. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is a former board member, and the Bluesky project began in 2019 when he was Twitter CEO. Jay Graeber is the CEO of Bluesky.
Bluesky’s name is also related to X’s previous name. Dorsey confirmed a Bluesky user’s speculation that the name was related to Twitter’s bird mascot, and suggested it might allow the bird to fly more freely in the open blue skies. Dorsey left the board in May, apparently due to the addition of moderation tools to the service.
The site name does not capitalize the S for “sky”, but it is pronounced “blue sky”. Don’t rhyme with “brewski.”
The app is built on something called AT (Authenticated Transport Protocol), a social media framework created by the company, and is made up of a network of different sites.
And how is Bluesky different?
Domain as handle
First, you can set your domain as a handle if you want. This could help with verification, but the issue became a hot topic for Twitter after Musk began removing blue checkmarks from verified accounts that refused to pay a monthly fee.
“For example, a newsroom like NPR can set its handle to @npr.org,” Bluesky Social’s blog says. “Journalists who NPR wants to verify will then be able to set their handle to @name.npr.org using a subdomain. Brand accounts will also be able to set their handle to their domain. .”
moderation
Moderation is also different. According to another blog post, Bluesky already uses automatic moderation and is working on a community labeling system described as “similar to a shared mute/block list.”
Users of many social media platforms see posts from feeds that are selected by algorithms, and they can influence that by following or blocking specific accounts. However, Bluesky wants to give you the opportunity to choose from different algorithms to determine what you see.
You can also mute an account so you don’t see any notifications or top-level posts from that account. You can also go a step further by blocking an account, which prevents both you and the other account from seeing or interacting with each other’s posts. You can also report abuse on a post or account.
Some features that allow you to hide replies to your own posts and separate your posts from those of other users who quote your posts are designed to discourage pile-ons and other harmful behavior. has been.
stay connected
Creators who gain followers on Bluesky may one day be able to stay connected to the people who follow them, even if the service itself changes.
custom feed
Algorithms are rules that determine how content is filtered and recommended to users. Bluesky has something called a custom feed, which allows you to choose the algorithm that determines what you see.
“Suppose you want your timeline to be only posts with each other, only posts with cat pictures, or only sports-related posts,” the site’s blog post says. “Simply choose your favorite feed from an open marketplace. ” is written. Say. Custom feeds and algorithm selection are explained in detail in a longer post. Click the hashtag icon at the bottom of the app to add and discover new feeds.
Developers can create custom feeds using the site’s Feed Generator Starter Kit, and the site promises that eventually the tool will be simple enough that others can create custom feeds as well. I am.
review
CEO of The Onion Ben Collins tweeted In April 2023, when he was a technology reporter for NBC, Bluesky said it “works, looks and feels exactly like (Twitter),” praising the site’s “moderation, desktop experience, and reliability.”
As of October 18, the site has a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars on the Apple App Store. One reviewer wrote, “It feels like early Twitter, but more organic.”
Who is using it?
Below is a small list of some of the people and groups posting to Bluesky, some more than others.
