It’s all Bluesky(’s) over here…

So, we took the jump. We deleted our X account. It felt like a sad moment, with connections and history wiped out with the click of a button. But we’re choosing to look at it as the start of something new.

Let’s recap on the facts. Elon Musk has been named an appointee of the Trump administration. He continues to use X as a way to manipulate political opinion and distribute propaganda for the far right. How could we stay?! 

Over the last few weeks, like us, huge masses of users have abandoned the platform citing these overt political messages coupled with increased rates of discrimination, threats of violence, and overall hateful content on X as the reason.

With leaving announcements from legacy establishments like The Guardian, X has seen a massive decrease in users, who are now turning to alternatives like Threads and Bluesky. 

We were pretty keen on Threads when it came out but sadly, due to the non-linear timeline, random algorithm pushes and the disconnect with ‘real world’ issues, it never lived up to expectation. 

So what about Bluesky, why is that going to be any different?

Well, it's built on the AT Protocol and is a decentralised social media network meaning that users can control nearly all aspects of their feeds and over time, once integrated with the fediverse, will be able to export their posts and followers to any other decentralised network. 

While there is no one for one with what Twitter used to be, Bluesky is the platform that feels most familiar to long-time users. It has a chronological feed, similar functionality in replies/quoting, and a simple design that prioritises substance over style. 

In stark contrast to X, Bluesky has heavily invested in its trust and safety team, with numerous moderation tools and one of the most reactive blocking systems online. We are so pleased. Additionally, verification is not pay to play, but instead can be done through the adding of a domain to a profile so users could theoretically post from @welovecats.org rather than @welovecats.bsky.social. 

Bluesky also offers other community building features like custom feeds, starter packs, labelers, and more; all of which could be used to build a more connected community.

It’s clear that this is just the beginning, and we’re eager to explore what lies ahead in this new digital landscape. Let’s be honest: we all deserve a better online space. And with Bluesky, it feels like we’re heading in the right direction.