If You've Signed Up for Bluesky, You've Signed Up for Offloadable Moderation
Bluesky aims to reduce moderation but shifts responsibility to users, raising concerns about abuse and harassment. Critics urge awareness of its limitations and encourage users to share their experiences.
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Bluesky, a platform created to reduce moderation responsibilities, has been misrepresented as a safer alternative to existing social media. The platform's foundational ethos is to minimize bans and offload moderation tasks onto users, which has led to significant concerns about its effectiveness in managing harmful content. The concept of "composable moderation" allows users to label posts, but this system places the burden of moderation on individuals rather than the platform itself. Critics argue that this approach can lead to abuse, where users can ostracize others through false accusations, creating a hostile environment. The platform's leadership, influenced by a desire for decentralization akin to Bitcoin, has not effectively addressed issues of harassment and misuse of features. As a result, users may find themselves vulnerable to negative experiences without adequate support from the platform. The article calls for greater awareness and discussion about Bluesky's moderation practices, urging users to share their experiences and caution others about the platform's limitations.
- Bluesky was created to reduce moderation responsibilities, not enhance them.
- The platform's "composable moderation" system shifts the burden of moderation onto users.
- There are significant risks of abuse within the labeling system, potentially harming users.
- Leadership's focus on decentralization has not effectively addressed harassment issues.
- Users are encouraged to share their experiences to raise awareness about Bluesky's limitations.
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3 commentsThis is why the 1st Amendment is so important and also why it was created not for the things that people want to hear, but for the things that they don't.
> Bluesky waffling over what to do about multiple high-profile cases of harassment,
And links to: https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/13/bluesky-is-at-a-crossroads...
An article which, to put it bluntly, is a poorly-researched, absolutely atrocious hit piece targeting Jesse Singal.
As one X user put it:
"Absolutely insane Orwellian nightmare coverage of an app where viral misinformation has resulted in incitement to murderous threats against a journalist for impartial and scrupulous coverage of an ongoing medical scandal."
Which I think sums up the situation perfectly.
Related
The Dawn of Decentralized Social Media
Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform, launched publicly on February 6, 2024, experiencing significant user growth, original content creation, and effective moderation against suspicious accounts and low toxicity levels.
How Bluesky, Alternative to X and Facebook, Is Handling Growth
Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform launched in February 2023, has surpassed 15 million users amid rapid growth, facing challenges like outages while promoting user control and developer engagement.
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Bluesky has surpassed 20 million users, offering customizable algorithmic feeds to reduce harmful content exposure, promoting user control and community engagement, though challenges in personalization remain.
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Bluesky has gained over 20 million users, challenging Twitter's dominance. Critics call it an echo chamber, but it promotes user-driven content and customization, allowing diverse interactions and perspectives.
Bluesky Has a Death Threat Problem
Jesse Singal experienced severe threats and doxxing on Bluesky, revealing inadequate moderation and slow responses to violent behavior, raising concerns about user safety and the platform's reputation as a safer alternative.