Image: PBS
Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, has stepped down from the board of Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform he helped initiate. Bluesky made the announcement in two separate posts today, expressing gratitude to Dorsey while confirming his departure. The platform also stated that it is actively seeking a new board member who shares their vision of creating a social network that empowers users to control their online experiences.
This development follows a query from a user on X, who asked Dorsey directly if he was still serving on Bluesky’s board. Dorsey simply responded with a concise “no,” offering no further explanation. Interestingly, Dorsey appeared to be quite active on X yesterday, purging his follow list to just three accounts while endorsing the platform as “freedom technology,” a nod to Elon Musk’s involvement.
Details surrounding Dorsey’s exit from the Bluesky board remain sparse, with neither Bluesky nor Dorsey himself providing specific reasons for the departure. Presently, Bluesky retains two board members: CEO Jay Graeber and Jabber/XMPP inventor Jeremie Miller. Dorsey initially threw his weight behind Bluesky in 2019, championing it as a project aimed at crafting an open-source social media standard that he hoped Twitter would transition to. Subsequently, he joined Bluesky’s board of directors after it split from Twitter in 2022.
However, Dorsey’s involvement in Bluesky appeared to be minimal. In a March interview with Nilay Patel on Decoder, Graeber hinted at Dorsey’s distant engagement with the project, describing it as him “being Jack Dorsey on a cloud.” Despite occasional feedback, it seems Dorsey was not deeply embedded in the day-to-day operations of Bluesky. Additionally, several months prior to the interview, Dorsey had closed his Bluesky account.
Dorsey’s departure from Bluesky raises questions about the future direction of the platform and its ongoing mission to redefine social networking. While his initial backing lent credibility to the project, his departure leaves a vacuum that Bluesky aims to fill with a new board member who shares their dedication to user-centric social media.
Bluesky’s journey from inception to Dorsey’s departure underscores the complexities inherent in developing decentralized social media platforms. The pursuit of creating an alternative to traditional social networks, where users have greater control over their data and interactions, remains an ambitious endeavor fraught with challenges.
As Bluesky navigates this transition, the tech community watches closely, curious about the platform’s trajectory and its potential impact on the broader landscape of social media. With Dorsey’s exit, Bluesky enters a new chapter, one that will likely shape its future direction and influence in the evolving digital sphere.