Twitter alternative: Bluesky social network opens registration for everyone

Bluesky, a social media platform that was previously available only by invitation, is now open for registration to everyone, TechCrunch reports. Created with the support of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, Bluesky represents a promising alternative to Elon Musk’s X in the microblogging arena.

Prior to its public launch, Bluesky had amassed about 3 million subscribers. At first glance, the platform resembles Twitter, but it is distinguished by its decentralized infrastructure – the AT protocol, which is completely open source. This ensures transparency and allows developers to utilize the protocol, offering the potential for a wide range of innovations, including proprietary algorithms and entirely new social platforms.

Bluesky’s decentralization approach allows it to explore multiple innovations simultaneously without being limited to a single organization. This flexibility is aimed at increasing user control and curation of their social media experience, unlike centralized platforms where users have limited influence over algorithm changes or app updates.

Despite its similarities to Mastodon, another decentralized social network, Bluesky operates on a different protocol, which creates interoperability issues. However, Bluesky focuses on user experience, aiming to make the platform accessible and enjoyable for all users, not just those interested in the technical aspects of decentralization.

The platform introduces an open federation, allowing developers to create separate servers similar to Mastodon, giving users the ability to switch between them without losing content or their network of contacts. Additionally, Bluesky plans to allow users or organizations to create their own content moderation services that others can subscribe to, offering a new approach to internet and content security.

Bluesky’s path was unique, originally planned as part of Twitter’s transition to the AT protocol under Dorsey’s leadership. However, with Dorsey’s departure and Twitter’s acquisition by Elon Musk, Bluesky spun off into a separate entity that now competes with X.