Bluesky: Will Jack Dorsey’s app offer users an alternative to Twitter?

Following his resignation as Twitter CEO in November 2021, Jack Dorsey is looking to make a comeback in the social media business with Bluesky, which hit app stores on Tuesday night. Although the app is only available as an invitation-only beta, this likely signals that the app’s public launch is imminent.

Bluesky is essentially a Twitter spinoff, incubated by Twitter before forming as a separate organization. It runs on a decentralized social networking protocol that allows users to collaborate to create a social network that is decentralized or not controlled or owned by any entity.

Bluesky was also integrated as non-profit corporation in the United States, meaning that the company recognizes positive impacts on society, workers, the community and the environment as legally defined goals in addition to profit.

Optimized user interface

But will Dorsey be able to offer a viable alternative to Twitter, which has undergone changes under Elon Musk that have put some users off? Experts think it’s pretty unlikely that a platform like Bluesky can outwit Twitter.

Prateek Waghre of the Internet Freedom Foundation said: “While decentralized social media platforms have grown in prominence over the past 4-5 years, this is largely motivated by concerns surrounding traditional social media sites. However, the centralized social media protocol has its own benefits in terms of optimized engagement, better response times, and overall better user experience. Even though users are concerned about the harms of mainstream social media platforms, users prefer the streamlined user interface of a centralized social media platform like Twitter.”

In its initial avatar, Bluesky offers users a simple interface where they can click a plus button to create a 256-character post that can include photos. While Twitter asks “What’s up?”, Bluesky asks “What’s up?”.

fight a fight

Bluesky isn’t the only decentralized social media platform available in the market – many other platforms like Mastedon, Steemit, and Minds are also trying to leverage blockchain technology to create a social media site that’s more resilient is more anti-censorship than traditional, centralized social media sites. Another advantage of a decentralized social media site is that it could offer users greater control over their data: this is why platforms like Mastedon have gained prominence following Musk’s Twitter acquisition, with users leaving Twitter, because they were offended by Musk’s moderation guidelines for trying decentralized platforms.

Internet researcher Srinivas Kodali said, “Jack Dorsey was likely motivated to endorse Bluesky because he disagrees with authoritative social media moderation policies as followed by Musk.”