Last December, we suggested that elected officials leave X (formerly Twitter). Ever since its purchase by Elon Musk, the site has become a hotbed of misinformation. The velocity with which lies spread on X accelerated in the leadup to last week’s elections, thanks in no small part to the site owner’s efforts to distribute false information under his name.
In the face of the site owner’s new focus on right-wing conspiracy and his love for Donald Trump, people are leaving, and fewer people are using X. The good news is that there’s a new option and it’s a great one–Bluesky
Bluesky is a new social media platform that, interestingly enough, started off as a research project at Twitter (under its previous ownership) before being spun off as a separate private company. (It now has no connection with X.) Under the hood, it’s very different from twitter, and is designed in such a way that there’s no chance the site could be taken over by a megalomaniacal billionaire. But the day-to-day experience is very much like pre-2020 twitter, with some great additional features.
No default algorithm
There’s no algorithm telling you what to see, whether it’s Elon trying to push right-wing memes on X, or Mark Zuckerberg’s effort to increase engagement by promoting left-wing election conspiracy theories on Threads. So, by default, you see posts by the people and the lists you follow, in chronological order.
Multiple optional algorithms to choose from
Bluesky allows users to develop their own algorithmic feeds. They provide a couple of examples, such as “Discover” (which shows trending comment from your network) and “Popular with Friends” (which shows posts your friends have liked), but users can create their own. And there are thousands to choose from.
Starter Packs
Bluesky lets anyone build starter packs of cool people to follow. For example, you can check out the Chapel Hill/Carrboro starter pack, which includes people throughout our towns who use Bluesky. (These are super helpful because again, there’s no algorithm shoving posts down your throat, so you need to follow people to get content.)
Nuclear block and block lists
A big problem on X is that the place has been overrun by right-wing weirdos who like to troll or seal ion, or well meaning people who retweet these jerks into your feed. Bluesky has tools to address that. First, you can block people, and it’s called a “nuclear block” because those people can’t see your posts, and you will never encounter their posts, even if someone tries to bring them to your attention. Second, there are lists of people you can block that are updated by community volunteers. For example, i’m subscribed to a “Transphobes and homophobes” list which blocks a lot of people who like to just “ask questions” about gender and sexuality. Social media is much more pleasant when you don’t have to be quite as anxious about assholes barging in on a discussion.
No weirdo billionaire owner
This speaks for itself.
The biggest problem with any new social media network is getting a critical mass of users so there’s reason to come back throughout the day. That was definitely a problem when I joined in July 2023, and there have been slow points since then. And, it took a while for the site to add video. But it has grown steadily, and ever since the election, the exodus from X has accelerated and Bluesky has become incredibly active. Hours ago, WCHL Chapelboro joined, and their presence is a great sign that Bluesky is becoming the social media site for local discussion.
And, literally as this piece was being written, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted on Bluesky for the first time since July 2023. Her post has received 17,500 likes and 2,200 responses in 35 minutes. She joins other national elected officials who have recently joined. including Senator Ed Markey.
What’s left? We really need official Town of Chapel Hill and Town of Carrboro presences, as well as UNC and other affiliated accounts such as UNC men’s basketball. They’re on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and do a great job of sharing information and responding to questions. We think they should move over and engage on Bluesky.
Twitter was a great source for sharing information. That time has passed. Bluesky is the new place to be, and everyone should be a part of it. Be sure to follow Triangle Blog Blog and this list of Chapel Hill/Carrboro elected officials, and join the Chapel Hill/Carrboro starter pack, and tell me about other people who should be added to the starter pack (which can include you!).
