Bluesky Twitter alternative opens sign-ups to public

Think of social media, and Twitter, Facebook, and other popular networks come to mind.

However, there are emerging options like Bluesky that might be refreshing alternatives. Bluesky is one of these growing competitors, and it recently opened registration for everyone. You can download it for free on Android and iPhone.

Competition is important in sustaining innovation and improving customer experience. As more companies like Bluesky enter the social media market, we are more likely to receive new and exciting features. Moreover, this social media contender sets itself apart from the rest with its unique approach to online connections. 

Let’s discuss Bluesky and how this social network competitor fares against long-standing platforms like Twitter.

What is Bluesky?

The Bluesky website says Jack Dorsey, the former Twitter CEO, founded the platform in 2019. He paid the company to build an “open social protocol for public conversation.”

In 2021, it became an independent company and cut ties with Twitter a year later. Still, the platform pursued its initial founding mission to “develop and drive large-scale adoption of technologies for open and decentralized public conversation.” 

Bluesky’s most unique feature is no single company controls it. Instead, it created the AT Protocol or Automated Protocol, which is an open-source framework for building social apps. 

In other words, it enables people to create proprietary social networks. You decide the purpose of your network and its rules. Also, it’s up to you whether you’ll stick with a network or leave for better ones. 

Bluesky says this autonomy gives the platform a unique advantage over long-standing platforms by giving users control over their online content. 

If they don’t want to see specific content, they could block it or move to a friendlier network. On the other hand, Facebook and Twitter always show ads to users, even when they don’t want any.

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Bluesky compares the experience of moving between cities, with each user creating separate urban spaces. However, it only accepted user registrations via waitlist in its early days. 

Alternatively, you had to receive an invitation code from an existing user. On February 6, 2024, the company allowed everyone to create a free account on the website.

Head to bsky.app via a web browser to create a new account or learn more about the platform. Alternatively, download Bluesky for free on the Google Play Store and the App Store.

Should you try Mastodon?

Two years ago, there was a sudden exodus of Twitter users to lesser-known platforms, specifically Mastodon. Unlike other platforms, it splits into numerous servers. 

These servers focus on specific interests, such as PC gaming and gardening. However, they could communicate with each other via the Fediverse. 

This system also contains other social platforms. These include Funkwhale for music, PeerTube for videos, PixelFed for pictures, and NextCloud for file sharing. 

You could create a Mastodon server, but you will need technical know-how. That is why most people look for existing ones instead. 

Head to joinmastodon.org to easily find servers. At the time of writing, it has 106 servers. However, servers have different registration requirements. 

Some allow anyone to sign on, while others maintain an invite-only community. Also, you could keep your server to yourself and use it as a personal blog site.

Unlike Twitter, Mastodon allows 500 characters for public messages called “toots.” Even better, you could share links and the following file formats:

Images

• JPG
• GIF
• PNG
• Audio
• MP3
• OGG
• FLAC
• OPUS
• AAC
• M4A
• 3GP

Video

• MP4
• M4V
• MOV
• WebM

You may launch surveys and edit Mastodon posts. However, its Direct Messages feature does not work like regular DMs.

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It limits the visibility of a post to the people mentioned. In other words, they are toots that only a few people can see, not person-to-person messages.

Mastodon has three timelines, unlike Musk’s platform. The Home timeline shows all posts from everyone you are following.

The Local timeline shows all posts from your server. Also, the Federated one shows all posts from every server where you follow someone.

Should you try other social media apps?

Facebook and Twitter popularized social media worldwide, but other platforms are emerging to take their place. Perhaps it’s time to try these alternatives.

Maybe these social media networks could provide features absent in the larger ones. Even better, they might grow and take over these long-standing brands.

Nonetheless, technology continues to improve, so we must adapt accordingly.