Bluesky Social Network Ditches Invite Codes, Opens Registrations to All

[MacRumors]

Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has now opened registration for everyone.

On Tuesday, the emerging X and Threads competitor said it was ending its invite-only system, which has managed to gain it over three million users since it debuted a year ago. The public benefit company, which has just under 40 full-time staff, has been busy building out its moderation features and achieving better stability during is closed beta period.

Users who install the Bluesky Social app or visit bsky.app will be able to sign up and join the conversation platform, which should look familiar to users of the old Twitter – a feed to which people can post messages up to 300 characters long as well as photos and video.

The difference with Bluesky is that its servers use a decentralized Authenticated Transport (AT) Protocol that will allow users to opt-in to a microblogging experience that isn't run by the company, allowing them to create an account under a given domain name and then use their profile in rival apps that use the same network.

Another advantage of the AT protocol is that it can operate based more on a user's preferences than algorithmically driven content, with user-curated feeds that people can use to find other users or topics, with customizable moderation tools also available to them.

AT will rival ActivityPub, the decentralized protocol powering Mastodon, and soon, Meta's Threads enabling interoperability between the two platforms. Later this month, Bluesky will also begin allowing outside developers to host their own servers on the AT Protocol and create their own rules.

In an interview with The Verge, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber said Bluesky's profit stream will eventually include charging users for additional features in its app, as well as taking a commission on purchases like custom feeds that developers will be able to sell as digital products.

The Bluesky Social app is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store [Direct Link].

Article Link: Bluesky Social Network Ditches Invite Codes, Opens Registrations to All

 

[HeavenDynamic]

Too late!

 

[Joe Mac User]

ActivityPub, the decentralized protocol powering X

X is not using ActivityPub. X is still closed and likely will remain so until it shuts down (hopefully soon, JMO).

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I checked it out and it seems like another Mastodon. AKA a very small low traffic website with only one opinion allowed and just everyone telling each other their farts don't smell.

 

[contacos]

well this is about 6+ months too late

 

[m4mario]

Thanks Jack, but I'll stay in a place where there is good traffic and I can hear both sides of the political spectrum rather than just one.

 

[JeffPerrin]

Am I the only one who sees the "Bluesky" name and in my head pronounces it as "Bloo-ski"? 🙃 Feels like it should be two words. I guess they couldn't buy out the owners of "Blue Sky." (But leaving the S lowercase and asking people to pronounce it as two words sounds like legal trouble down the road. That bill will come due!)

 

[Muzzakus]

This will last as long as my erection

 

[hugodrax]

Lol too late. They lost the momentum.

 

[Deine Mudda]

Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has now opened registration for everyone.

On Tuesday, the emerging X and Threads competitor said it was ending its invite-only system, which has managed to gain it over three million users since it debuted a year ago. The public benefit company, which has just under 40 full-time staff, has been busy building out its moderation features and achieving better stability during is closed beta period.

Users who install the Bluesky Social app or visit bsky.app will be able to sign up and join the conversation platform, which should look familiar to users of the old Twitter – a feed to which people can post messages up to 300 characters long as well as photos and video.

The difference with Bluesky is that its servers use a decentralized Authenticated Transport (AT) Protocol that will allow users to opt-in to a microblogging experience that isn't run by the company, allowing them to create an account under a given domain name and then use their profile in rival apps that use the same network.

Another advantage of the AT protocol is that it can operate based more on a user's preferences than algorithmically driven content, with user-curated feeds that people can use to find other users or topics, with customizable moderation tools also available to them.

AT will rival ActivityPub, the decentralized protocol powering Mastodon, and soon, Meta's Threads enabling interoperability between the two platforms. Later this month, Bluesky will also begin allowing outside developers to host their own servers on the AT Protocol and create their own rules.

In an interview with The Verge, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber said Bluesky's profit stream will eventually include charging users for additional features in its app, as well as taking a commission on purchases like custom feeds that developers will be able to sell as digital products.

The Bluesky Social app is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store [Direct Link].

Article Link: Bluesky Social Network Ditches Invite Codes, Opens Registrations to All

I don’t even know anyone that cares about this network.
Would never use it myself as everything is still going on on X.

 

[diggy33]

This will last as long as my erection

For help with that you need BluePill

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Thanks Jack, but I'll stay in a place where there is good traffic and I can hear both sides of the political spectrum rather than just one.

I'd rather find a place where they talk about something other than politics, from either spectrum.

 

[Six0Four]

I checked it out and it seems like another Mastodon. AKA a very small low traffic website with only one opinion allowed and just everyone telling each other their farts don't smell.

Truth social?

 

[JosephAW]

It’s all fine at dandy until App Stores removes it because of some violation.
Don’t have any social media apps on my devices so they can’t track and do hidden notifications, run everything thru Safari.

 

[Kazgarth]

I have it, it's nothing but a small echo chamber.

 

[Jensend]

Pre-Musk Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, and Blue sky are functionality similar enough that I don't care much about the differences. So it basically comes down to where the people who I want to follow are, which is still mostly X.

I've mostly been using Mastodon lately, but I just signed up for BlueSky, but I see even fewer posts from people I know on BlueSky than on Mastodon. The only difference I see with BlueSky is that some of the "main characters" who left X are now there. I prefer following smaller accounts rather than big accounts with big drama.

I just signed into Twitter for the first time in a month to download my data, and sure enough, on the trending sidebar was the name of someone who is a saint among the right because he killed two people at a protest/riot. I've seen his name trend several times, and I am just sick of it.

 

[Tres]

I hate social media but I installed it and made an account just to check it out. It has an awful, awful UX and onboarding process. Once I logged in it proceeded to fill my feed with a bunch of people posting anime (possibly due to me living in Japan), even though I’d chosen not to follow anyone. I then immediately deleted my account and the app.

X is terrible too and there’s definitely room for a good competitor, but this ain’t it.

 

[RickDEGH]

Am I the only one who sees the "Bluesky" name and in my head pronounces it as "Bloo-ski"? 🙃 Feels like it should be two words. I guess they couldn't buy out the owners of "Blue Sky." (But leaving the S lowercase and asking people to pronounce it as two words sounds like legal trouble down the road. That bill will come due!)

I saw the url and I seriously thought “bs - ky”

 

[airwalk331]

Another social media network? I'm good.

 

[k1121j]

Here comes the bots

 

[Supercyborgninja]

A replacement is needed for Twitter and BlueSky had a good shot at it. I still think they’ll be the recipients of any major derailing from Twitter.

 

[jimbobb24]

Does it have community feedback fact checking. Because I don’t think I can go to a platform without that. It is downright brilliant. It makes X indispensable. Everyone’s outrageous claims can get community feedback and easy links establishing their nonsense. From the president of the country to the president of Boeing they are not safe from a community backed fact check. It’s really transformative for social media.

 

[IllegitimateValor]

Where’s your preferred stream of lies? The comments here seem to imply this post should’ve had comments limited due to its political nature.

Both “sides” support [redacted] and [redacted] but there’s more perspectives available who refuse to believe or repeat the deceptions and don’t support the authoritative structures of either political color.

Unfortunately I’m used to the firehose of filth. Wish there was an Omni-app to give me one feed of em all. (One that would also fix Twitter’s bass-ackwards putting worst replies on top “feature”).

 

[gsurf123]

Too late. That ship has sailed. This guy created/lead Twitter and Square (I think that is right credit card company). He will not get lucky again because he is entering a saturated space of limited value and virtually no upside. Twitter was good because there was nothing like it and it worked on mobile before the iPhone. Square greatly simplified accepting credit cards albeit at the fixed rate of 2.6% + .10 swipe fee for (in person sales only, other sales type have higher fees). I have a business and fees average in the 1.75% range, but that required motivation to make happen. A lot of people like simplicity and Square offers it. There one big advantage was the iPhone credit card swiper. No one else had anything like it.

BlueSky will not be his 3rd success. Check out Mastadon for a look what BlueSky's success will look like. Scammed a lot of investors to back it who probably know that money is long gone.

 

[drinkingtea]

Such a dated app UI in comparison to Threads. It looks very 2000s. Yuck.