X competitor and social media platform, Bluesky, recently celebrated a significant milestone, amassing over 2 million users. The app, backed by Jack Dorsey, looks forward to pioneering a “truly open social network” while incorporating a major feature from Twitter.
This decentralized social media app is gearing up to introduce a public web interface, enabling non-logged-in users to access posts—albeit currently requiring an invite code for sign-up. This move mirrors a prominent feature once integral to Twitter/X, something that owner Elon Musk has oscillated on.
Musk tanked Twitter in 12 months. Let that sink in.
The company underscores that its primary focus will be the federation phase, allowing individuals to establish their servers using Bluesky’s open-source network AT Protocol. This initiative aims to empower users to have more autonomy over their online spaces. Ultimately, the AT Protocol is envisioned to facilitate limitless connections and applications.
According to Bluesky’s blog post, one of its pivotal features is being “billionaire-proof”, ensuring users have the freedom to choose and exit, rather than being subject to the control of private entities or opaque algorithms. The company also emphasizes seamless connectivity with friends and relationships across different platforms.
Upcoming platform features encompass push notifications for mobile devices, user lists, suggested follows, email verification, diverse thread sorting options, speed enhancements, and improved accessibility through enhanced alt text, screen flashing, and component labels.
By enhancing posts’ accessibility and incorporating more features, Bluesky is clearly striving to reach a wider audience and accelerate its growth, positioning itself as a viable alternative to Musk’s X. Notably, the platform experienced a surge in sign-ups following Musk’s announcement of implementing a nominal monthly fee for all X users in September.
Topics
Social Media
Meera is a Culture Reporter at Mashable, joining the UK team in 2021. She writes about digital culture, mental health, big tech, entertainment, and more. Her work has also been published in The New York Times, Vice, Vogue India, and others.
