As more and more changes appear on Twitter led by Elon Musk, more and more people are looking for an alternative to the social media app. The decentralized Mastodon app is a promising alternative for some, but others find it too complicated.
At the end of February, another decentralized alternative to Twitter appeared on the App Store: Bluesky. The app is backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and is an invite-only beta available on iOS.
What is Bluesky?
Bluesky is a decentralized social network. That is, it runs on its open-source Authenticated Transfer Protocol, where servers can interact with each other. And to please Twitter users, the app’s interface looks a lot like Twitter’s.
The app hasn’t been fully rolled out yet, so there isn’t much information about the details of the app. But as far as we know, Bluesky users can post text and photos and like or refer other people’s content. Like on Twitter, users can add a header image, profile picture, and bio and can see how many followers each has.
Bluesky says its AT protocol allows users to take ownership of their online identity and transfer their account from one provider to another. According to Bluesky’s blog, users have full control over their algorithm, allowing them to be empowered over their app experience.
How can I create a Bluesky account?
For now, the application is only accessible by invitation. So without an invitation you cannot use the app. But you can join Bluesky’s waiting list and try out the beta.
It is not yet known when Bluesky will be available to the public. According to the app’s website, it will be launched soon, but no specific date has been announced yet.
Why are decentralized social networks becoming popular?
A few months ago, it was discovered that Meta was working on a decentralized social network intended to compete with Twitter. Like Mastodon and Bluesky, Meta’s decentralized social network aims to give users more control over their social media experience.
In particular, decentralized social media applications aim to give users the greatest control over the content they consume. On traditional social networks, the app controls what people see and when they see it.
On Twitter, Twitter Blue subscribers get the most exposure on the app because they’re paying for an upgraded version of Twitter. Apps like Bluesky are determined to create customizable algorithms that let the user choose what content they see, when they see it, and how often they see it.
Source: “ZDNet.com”