The Bluesky Bubble: This is a relapse, not a fix
Bluesky has gained 1 million users in a week due to dissatisfaction with X, but it still lags behind Meta's Threads. Its long-term sustainability and unique identity remain uncertain.
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Bluesky, a new social media platform resembling Twitter, has gained significant traction, adding 1 million users in just one week. This surge is largely attributed to dissatisfaction with X (formerly Twitter), particularly among users frustrated with issues like algorithmic feeds and impersonation. Despite its rapid growth, Bluesky still lags behind Meta's Threads, which reportedly adds 1 million users daily. The article suggests that while Bluesky may offer a nostalgic return to early social networking experiences, it has yet to establish a unique identity or purpose. The current social media landscape is more fragmented than in the past, raising questions about the future of major platforms. The author expresses skepticism about the sustainability of social media, suggesting that the rise of Bluesky may be a temporary response to the decline of X rather than a long-term solution. Ultimately, the piece reflects on the challenges of moving away from social media habits that have become ingrained in user behavior.
- Bluesky has rapidly gained 1 million users in one week, driven by dissatisfaction with X.
- It still trails behind Meta's Threads, which adds users at a faster rate.
- Bluesky lacks a distinct identity or purpose compared to its predecessors.
- The current social media environment is fragmented, leading to uncertainty about the future of platforms.
- The author questions the sustainability of social media and suggests a potential decline in its usage.
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With Bluesky, the social media echo chamber is back in vogue
Bluesky is gaining traction as users leave X, particularly progressives in the UK. However, it faces criticism for fostering echo chambers, raising concerns about the viability of inclusive digital discourse.
With Bluesky, the social media echo chamber is back in vogue
Bluesky is attracting users dissatisfied with X's divisive environment, especially among progressives, leading to concerns about echo chambers and a significant decline in X's active user base.
Bluesky capitalizes on X woes with funding and user growth
Bluesky, a decentralized social network, has grown to over 13 million users since February 2024, supported by $15 million in funding, and plans a subscription model while ensuring free basic services.
Bluesky adds 700k new users in a week
Bluesky added over 700,000 users in a week, reaching 14.5 million, primarily from the US, amid dissatisfaction with X, and enhanced its platform with new features to attract users.
Bluesky adds 700k new members as users flee X after the US election
Bluesky gained 700,000 users after the US election, reaching 14.5 million, as users leave X due to misinformation concerns. The platform offers moderated features and has notable endorsements.
14 commentsThe irony of publishing an article intended for a mass audience about how people shouldn't talk to each other. Obviously journalists are the only ones who can be trusted with such power...
Some interesting feeds I've seen are only posts by mutuals, lots of curated feeds that just show a subset of posts by a small number of accounts (whether or not you follow them), a following feed that filters out reposts/replies, a custom open source Discover algorithm based on your likes.
This feels way more interesting to me than anything Twitter/X has ever tried to do, even if you really like their single algorithm and the way their following feed works.
Counterexamples include LinkedIn, HN and various subreddits (not all) - they're operating at large scale, very lively but low levels of nasty (as a percentage).
haven't all of us of a certain age participated in a forum that eventually devolved into drama, and then everyone picks sides, and someone makes a new forum, and half the group leaves?
That's all that's happening on X. Now we have a bunch of twitters: X, Bluesky, Truth, Fediverse.
They're all twitters and the X exodus is just a twitter split. X will go on, but smaller, and people will share posts between the twitters the way they always have shared posted between social media sites: with screenshots.
Nature is healing.
I don't think Bluesky will succeed unless it offers something different to the basic Twitter experience. It's hard to picture enough people giving up Twitter (or using both) for it to reach the critical mass required to sustain it.
I wasn't persuaded, because I remember ello.co [0] (which shut down in July 2023). It too was run by a public benefit corporation, but it couldn't sustain itself because t-shirt sales and affliate links weren't bringing in enough revenue, and they never got their freemium model off the ground.
No great loss, which is what I'll say when Bluesky starts to rot because its operators need to provide ROI to the VCs backing them [1].
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ello_(social_network)
[1]: https://decrypt.co/288157/bluesky-raises-15-million-no-crypt...
"About the Author
Ian Bogost is a contributing writer at The Atlantic."
As an oldlennial, I am not sure I care for this term.
Related
With Bluesky, the social media echo chamber is back in vogue
Bluesky is gaining traction as users leave X, particularly progressives in the UK. However, it faces criticism for fostering echo chambers, raising concerns about the viability of inclusive digital discourse.
With Bluesky, the social media echo chamber is back in vogue
Bluesky is attracting users dissatisfied with X's divisive environment, especially among progressives, leading to concerns about echo chambers and a significant decline in X's active user base.
Bluesky capitalizes on X woes with funding and user growth
Bluesky, a decentralized social network, has grown to over 13 million users since February 2024, supported by $15 million in funding, and plans a subscription model while ensuring free basic services.
Bluesky adds 700k new users in a week
Bluesky added over 700,000 users in a week, reaching 14.5 million, primarily from the US, amid dissatisfaction with X, and enhanced its platform with new features to attract users.
Bluesky adds 700k new members as users flee X after the US election
Bluesky gained 700,000 users after the US election, reaching 14.5 million, as users leave X due to misinformation concerns. The platform offers moderated features and has notable endorsements.