Bluesky was a no-start when they pushed their exclusivity marketing BS. And this after I was loath to use Mastodon because I thought “federation” was too complicated to understand (I’m old: 57 and should be at a point where all this “newfangled” technology is way beyond my wheelhouse).

Bluesky never responded to my request (nor did Tildes, which is why I am here). Mastodon.world was very easy to set up (as was signing up on Beehaw). Federation is not that complicated to understand or work with.

The bottom line is the federation architecture is what folks are looking for when they talk about wanting a user experience that works for them, but they, we, have to put in the effort. Top-down solutions will always follow what the top thinks is best, which as we have seen is not for the benefit of the user.

I get really frustrated by this paralysis through over-analysis (and I am INTP - the POSTER CHILD of over-analysis and it’s concomitant paralysis). Just do AB testing and see which platform gives you the experience you enjoy most. The perfect time to test new systems is to do so in parallel with the old system that is failing.

As an old-fart GenX, I can’t believe I’m the one to tell people to stop being afraid of change.

But really, I don’t have any trust in Bluesky with the ex-Twitter CEO in any way involved. And I am sure as hell not playing their exclusive club game.

When your platform advertises itself as decentralized, and a simple “host bluesky instance” search results in articles telling you to join the main instance’s waiting list… that sounds too stupid for me to give them the time of day.

I am surprised anyone uses or takes them seriously.

created a custom algorithm for Black users called Blacksky, said it was unfortunate that Bluesky tried to offer custom algorithms as a “solution” to the moderation debate

That's a very interesting approach, but in my opinion if a user is being repeatedly rude towards a particular race, it's unlikely they'll be encouraging positive discussion elsewhere on the platform. Why keep them around and use an algorithm to make their account look like a clean slate to some users?

The ACLU, for example, can label certain accounts and posts as “hate-speech.” Other users will be able to subscribe to the ACLU’s content filter to mute content.

This is also really interesting, my only concern here personally is the amount of manpower required for this to be effective, especially when the platform gains a lot of users, and whether that manpower is being compensated in some way, seeing as bluesky is a for-profit (public benefit?) company

“We do not condone death threats and will continue to remove accounts when we believe their posts represent targeted harassment or a credible threat of violence. But not all heated language crosses the line into a death threat,” Graber said in a weekend thread. “Wisely or not, many people use violent imagery when they’re arguing or venting. We debated whether a “death threat” needs to be specific and direct in order to cause harm, and what it would mean for people’s ability to engage in heated discussions on Bluesky if we prohibited this kind of speech.”

Well I was curious about Bluesky (they're still on a waitlist when I check so even their beta has bad actors lol) but a space that hems and haws about death threats? You can be the rudest son of a bitch and never threaten harm! This reminds me of that stupid decision by the Supreme Court that "oh well they didn't REALLY intend to kill you". If someone threatens me, it becomes my job to decide if it was real or not? Wtf?

Goddamn free speech absolutism has taken some crazy pills. I remember 'fighting words' concept, a death threat used to be understood as almost enough to warrant self-defense preemptively. Now everyone does it and "don't really mean it". 🙄

As long as it's a for profit and funded by VCs, then it's subjected to pressure to chase profit by the investors. And as long as it's pressured to chase profit, then it wouldn't want to alienate the sizable far right population.