Question 1

What is Bluesky?

Accepted Answer

At first, Bluesky — pronounced “blue sky,” not “bloo-skee” — seems to function like any other social media site. You sign up with your email, choose a handle and then you can scroll through a timeline and write your own posts. But beneath the familiar presentation, there is something different going on. Bluesky runs on a “decentralized” system, meaning people will eventually be able to use the technology behind it to create their own applications and communities, with rules and algorithms customized to their liking. The goal is to create a system where no single person or algorithm reigns over what users experience. In a blog post, chief executive Jay Graber describes Bluesky’s operating technology as “a foundation for the next generation of social apps” that aims to bring back the “openness and creativity of the early web.” And it’s no coincidence the Bluesky app looks like Twitter — Graber says Bluesky wanted to show how the popular legacy site could’ve been built.

Question 2

Is Bluesky owned by Twitter?

Accepted Answer

Not quite. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey announced plans for Bluesky in a 2019 tweet, while he was still the microblogging site’s chief executive. At the time, Dorsey said that the goal was for Twitter to ultimately become a client of Bluesky, and he committed to funding the new project through its development and beyond. Although Bluesky has received financial support from Twitter, it operates separately and created its own LLC in 2022. After Musk’s purchase of Twitter, it is unclear what kind of relationship the two organizations maintain.

Question 3

Who is on Bluesky?

Accepted Answer

The app’s users initially were limited to tech world insiders and the developers behind it. But as of Thursday, the absurdist Twitter comedian known as Dril, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, singer Grimes and former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning had become some of Bluesky’s early well-known users. Others appeared to be joining quickly, with one person remarking being on the site was like being at a nerdy kid’s house party when the jocks knock down the door.

Question 4

How can I join Bluesky?

Accepted Answer

Bluesky is still at an invitation-only beta stage. To join, you have to either know someone with an invitation code or sign up for the waiting list on its website. Users who are already on Bluesky eventually receive invitation codes to share.

Question 5

How is it different from Twitter?

Accepted Answer

While Twitter users see mostly what the algorithm chooses to show them, Bluesky says it intends to create a system where people can select from a variety of recommendation algorithms to better control their experience. Its creators plan to take a similar approach to content moderation, allowing people to create their own moderation systems and subscribe to those created by third parties. At the moment, you can opt in, opt out or request a warning for content with such flags as “impersonation,” “violent/blood” and “political hate groups.” Another noticeable difference is that there is no blocking feature yet. The site is still fairly bare-bones, and the customizable features developers are promising are not available to ordinary users yet. For now, the main differences between Bluesky and Twitter seem to be that Bluesky’s default timeline is chronological, it lacks the infamous blue checks, and there are a lot of users there who appear be up in arms about Twitter and relieved to be anywhere else.

Question 6

Are there other Twitter alternatives?

Accepted Answer

Bluesky is the latest in a long list of start-ups that have tried to benefit from Twitter’s struggles over the past six months. Those start-ups include Hive, CounterSocial, T2 and Post. Mastodon had the most traction for a time, but overall most have struggled to recapture the drama, fun and weirdness of early Twitter. Instead of flocking to clones, many disillusioned Twitter users have used other existing sites to meet their needs. For example, they’re perusing TikTok, Apple News and Google News to stay up on current events, and Reddit or Facebook Groups to connect with like-minded communities.

What to know about Bluesky, as Dril and AOC join the new Twitter alternative

A new option for people interested in leaving Twitter has big names and minimal features.