Soon after Elon Musk bought Twitter and changed it into X, a bunch of competitive social media platforms cropped up, including Mastodon, Threads and Bluesky. Recently, Bluesky has gained momentum with scores of users flocking to the platform since the US elections and, most recently, during the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul boxing match. Here are some of the things to know about the budding social media platform.
Bluesky is founded by former Twitter CEO
Bluesky is founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who announced the platform in 2019 and launched as an invite-only in February 2023. A year later, the social app opened registration to the public. Since then, it is reported to be generating significant buzz as a potential alternative for users seeking a different social networking experience.
Decentralisation is the key
Unlike traditional social networks, Bluesky is built on a decentralised framework known as the “Authenticated Transfer Protocol” (AT Protocol). This means that no single entity controls the network, promoting greater user freedom and control over their data. A similar concept is also seen in Mastodon
Twitter-like basics
If you’ve used Twitter, you’ll feel right at home on Bluesky. The interface is strikingly similar, with features like posts, replies, reposts (similar to retweets), and likes.
Focus on communities
Bluesky emphasises the importance of communities and personalised algorithms. Bluesky distinguishes itself with its emphasis on customisation and algorithmic choice, which essentially means that users have more control over what they see in their feeds, fostering a more personalised experience.
No advertising and subscription
Currently, Bluesky is ad-free, providing a clean and uncluttered user experience. Additionally, there is no subscription like X.
Bluesky offers new features and tools
Bluesky’s offers a bunch of features, including recently rolled out video posting, pinned posts and custom fonts. Users also have the ability to detach their posts when someone else quotes them.
Bluesky crosses 15 million users’ mark
Recently, Bluesky crossed the 15 million user mark amid a recent surge of user signups during the US presidential election.
Tyson vs Paul: A big moment
As Netflix’s live boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was mired by streaming issues, however, just like X, people also preferred Bluesky for posting jokes and memes, thereby, increasing the conversation on the platform.
