Increase in BlueSky Users Skyrockets by 300% following the 2024 United States Presidential Election
Unleash the Blue Revolution: Bluesky, the Plucky Underdog Taking on Goliath
November 26, 2024 at 14:53
Reading Time: 3 Minutes
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In the chaotic world of social media, a new contender has roared onto the scene: bluesky. With the once-beloved X (formerly known as Twitter) seemingly unraveling under Elon Musk's tenure, many prominent figures, including author Stephen King and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, have bailed ship. Even esteemed publications like The Guardian have decided to abandon X.
Enter bluesky, the up-and-coming, silver-tongued lad poised to challenge the social media old guard. bluesky, launched as an invite-only platform back in February 2023 and open to all in February 2024, has experienced a mind-blowing 300% increase in active daily users after the 2024 US presidential election. Analysts predict it will overtake Threads (Meta's X rival) within the next few months. So, what gives this plucky upstart the edge over its competitors?
What is bluesky?
bluesky kicked off as a project initiated by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, while he was CEO in 2019. Twitter forked out some cash for bluesky to craft an open social protocol for public conversation. Now free from Twitter's clutches, bluesky operates as an independent company. It's all about building a "decentralized" social network where no single company calls the shots.
bluesky runs on the AT Protocol, a versatile toolbox for creating social apps that can interact with each other seamlessly. This includes the flexibility to design your own algorithmic feeds and user-generated moderation services without being shackled to a single authority.
bluesky boasts a domain name-based handle system, which allows users to verify themselves by proving their ownership of a certain domain name. For instance, The Guardian registers for @theguardian.com, which lends credibility to their account without needing centralized validation.
To be honest, the tech behind bluesky can be head-spinning. If you're keen to learn more, bluesky's FAQ page breaks it all down further.
Who's in the Driver's Seat at bluesky?
bluesky is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), owned by CEO Jay Graber and the bluesky family. A PBC is a for-profit corporation that prioritizes public benefits while pursuing excellence. The board consists of Jay Graber, Jeremie Miller, Mike Masnick, and Kinjal Shah.
What's Dorsey's Link to bluesky?
The project initially sprang from Jack Dorsey's mind while he was still CEO of bluesky Social. Dorsey exited bluesky's board by May 2024.
Since Dorsey's departure, X has turned into a cesspool, with an ugly rise in racism, homophobia, and bigotry. Community notes have helped combat some of this, but they aren't foolproof.
Mastodon, another potential competitor, has lost its shiny appeal. In many ways, Mastodon resembles Discord, allowing users to bond over shared interests and subcultures.
Musks' admiration for Trump doesn't escape notice, but now he's tapped to join Trump's cabinet in the new year. Making X pro-Trump and "mega-MAGA" seems like a peculiar move, given Trump already has his own social media service, Truth Social, for his official announcements.
bluesky feels like the Twitter of yore. Its gentle blue butterfly logo even has echoes of Twitter's bird. There's a nostalgic charm to bluesky, as if rekindling a long-lost friendship or community. Corporations, many of which have already halted advertising on X due to the rise in bigotry, are yet to jump ship to bluesky. But when they do, it might seal the deal. Prominent provocateurs, banned from Twitter before Musk's takeover, have already been frozen out by bluesky.
Musks vision for Twitter was to create the world's town square-a place for discussion and diverse opinions. He's transformed it into a battleground, fueling division and provocation. Bluesky promises a return to civility and camaraderie.
Technology has become a significant factor in the evolving landscape of social media, and one contender, bluesky, is making waves as a decentralized platform. Following the tumultuous reign of Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter), high-profile figures like Stephen King, Mark Hamill, and The Guardian have abandoned ship, possibly seeking an alternative that encourages respectful discourse and avoids the increasing polarization in politics and general news. Capable of consolidating entertainment, social, and political discussions on a single platform, bluesky appears to be an attractive contender, aiming to overtake competitors like Threads (Meta's X rival) with its innovative approach to social media.
