Web3 will soon have a new social network to invade. Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter, created Bluesky in 2019 as a side project before leaving Twitter. He brought it with him after leaving his role as Twitter CEO and the first public beta came out in February. How is Bluesky different from Twitter?
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey is back with a new social media app
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How is the Web3 Social Network Bluesky Different From Twitter?
Bluesky is a decentralized social media platform. It’s built on Authenticated Transport, or AT for short. To clarify, this technology is a protocol that allows for interoperability between multiple applications.
Currently, social media apps are siloed from one another. For example, your Instagram followers don’t automatically port over to your YouTube account. By contrast, AT technology allows for different social media apps to “talk with each other”. Your social media profile is similar to a crypto wallet interacting with different Web3 applications. Your settings and profile can therefore be consistent from one app to another.
This feature is helpful if a platform goes out of business or the user simply doesn’t want to use it anymore. In either of these situations, users would be able to retain their followers, messaging history, and media when opening an account with a different app.
Bluesky also looks to solve the touchy subject of algorithm bias. Twitter was famously called out in recent years for suppressing the social reach of users posting content deemed politically incorrect. This “shadow banning” raise ethical concerns about political agenda infringing upon free speech rights. Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, took the matter seriously enough to publish Twitter’s algorithm for how content is disseminated on the app by publishing the algorithm’s source code for review.
Now, Jack Dorsey’s new app takes it a step further. Bluesky users will be able to select algorithms that dictate what content they will see. Additionally, users will be able to share their algorithms, offering an opportunity for experts to curate timeline experiences. By offering increased transparency, Bluesky looks to avoid some of the mistakes made in the past by its predecessors.
Bluesky will look quite familiar to Twitter users
Image Credit: The Verge
How is Bluesky Similar to Twitter?
Bluesky is nearly identical to Twitter from a user interface perspective. Users can like, retweet, and comment on posts just like they can on Twitter. There will be some familiar faces on Bluesky as well.
Large Twitter influencers have already created accounts on Bluesky. DeGods and y00ts founder Rohun “Frank” Vora is posting regular updates about his projects and Farokh Sarmad has already brought the Rug Radio ecosystem over to the new platform as well. Deadfellaz founder Betty and artist Vinnie Hager are also in the mix at an early stage.
So far, users are enjoying the Bluesky experience. Many beta testers note the chill vibe on the app and have appreciated the prevalence of shared artwork instead of shared unwarranted opinions.
While it’s too early to say whether or not the new social media app will be a success, Blue seemed well-positioned to appeal to the Web3 community’s desire for increased transparency, decentralization, and interoperability.
