It’s been quite a week for Bluesky. More of a stampede than a migration, the general vibe there right now is optimistic and troll-intolerant. It’s great to see actual humans at the core of it, rather than fascism or advertising – it’s absurd that chronological, non-algorithmic conversations should feel like such a novelty!
That said, I’m trying to maintain a modicum of caution about it all. It remains to be seen how long this honeymoon period will last, and surely it’s only a matter of time before the awful people start to infect the place with their awful ways. One thing they absolutely must introduce is some form of verification process. Yes, you can change your handle to your domain name (as I have) but this is very far from perfect – not everyone has a domain to connect to, and it’s all too easy to set up a domain that looks like it could be somebody’s official site.
To get a bit more understanding of why and how the Bluesky thing is happening, and where it sits in the context of other X-alternatives, check out these posts by Ian Dunt and 404’s Jason Koebler.