Why Bluesky: or, “So Your Favorite Social Media Site Is Owned By An Oligarch”

Departing the Troll Palace

I recently shared some thoughts on the importance of having a strong Professional Learning Network. One of the most important tools for me in creating my PLN has been social media.

Folks who know me are going to roll their eyes at this post, ‘cause they’ve probably heard me say this a thousand times. But with all the events of the past few months, I think it’s time. Time to move on from Twitter/X/Papa Muskrat’s Palace ‘o Trolls. And the closest replica to what was my favorite online PLN locale is Bluesky.

(It’s also worth noting: Twitter isn’t the only social media company owned by a billionaire seeking to ingratiate himself with the incoming administration. So even if you’re not a Twitter addict like I was, the title of this post might still apply.)

When it first got going, Bluesky was extremely limited, both in size and in abilities. But it opened to the public in February 2024, which did away with the need for invite codes. New features have been added. And Bluesky has recently seen a massive boom in users. Millions of folks have migrated over. 

While Bluesky does not offer every feature that Twitter once did, it has a whole lot going for it. 

You Can’t Take Bluesky From Me

Let’s start with the two big ones: Bluesky is free for all users. And it is decentralized, which means it is incredibly improbable that anyone can come along and buy it to use as their own propaganda machine. 

For me, those were both big reasons to make the switch. After Twitter was purchased, the new owner quickly made his beliefs clear. He showed that he was a “do as I say, but not as I do” kind of person. He forced lots of users to view his posts. He started kicking people off the platform because he disagreed with them, even as he claimed he was creating a free speech haven. Et cetera, et cetera. 

A Big Drawback

Bluesky does not have every feature available on Twitter. There is one particular feature that can be a deal-breaker for some folks: There is not (currently) a way to set your messages to Private. Whatever you post is publicly visible. This is a big problem for some folks, and I completely understand why. It’s possible there will be an option for making your posts private in the future, but it does not currently exist.

However, it’s easy to block users so you don’t have to interact with them. In fact, Bluesky’s blocking is referred to by users as the “Nuclear Block” – “it effectively erases any connection between you and the blocked user in the digital space. Once blocked, they won’t see your posts, not even if they quote you. Additionally, Bluesky allows you to remove any mentions of yourself from conversations, as well as your quotes from other users’ posts.” 

The flip side of this is that it’s possible to see a person’s block list, so folks can find out if they’ve been blocked. But to my mind, if I’ve blocked someone, I don’t particularly care if they know, ’cause I’ve blocked them for a reason.

Moderation

While the lack of private posting is a concern, one area Bluesky has excelled in is moderation. 

Unlike many other social media sites, Bluesky has a robust moderation system. It’s easy to report problematic posts and users. The mods seem to be diligent and focused on protecting users from the harassment that has become so rampant on other sites. 

In fact, when word started going around that many folks were tired of the harassment on Twitter and were moving over to Bluesky, there were a lot of trolls who followed. But they’ve been getting blocked, reported, and removed in large numbers. 

A Big Draw

My main reason for joining Bluesky, and the reason I find myself using it exclusively for social media these days, is the interface. It looks and feels like Twitter from back in the day. 

For a while, Bluesky was very limited in what it could do. At first, it was literally only text – microblogging on a Spartan level. But it now has images, GIFs, it supports link embedding and video uploads. Pretty much anything you could do when posting to Twitter, you can do on Bluesky. 

What’s exciting is that Bluesky is not “done”. The Bluesky team is constantly working on upgrades. And because it’s an open system, there are an increasing number of third party tools that can make your Bluesky experience that much better. There has been a recent proliferation of desktop clients and post scheduling tools. It seems like it’s only a matter of time until Bluesky incorporates more of these features into the main interface. 

No Algorithms

There’s one aspect of Bluesky that I really like, but that some users dislike. Bluesky does not use algorithms to serve up posts in your timeline. Instead, you can follow “feeds”, which are sort of like “build-your-own timelines”. 

I spend most of my Bluesky time on the School Librarians and School Libraries feeds. It’s like a “greatest hits of School Library Twitter”, but without as many trolls. (That said: There are still trolls. But they’re easy to block, and decreasingly getting air.) 

I also like to scroll through my Following and “Popular with Friends” feeds for content that’s not ust school library-focused. 

I have found this social media experience to be much less doom-scroll-filled. I only see the types of posts I choose to see. And I can curate that experience as tightly or as loosely as I feel at any particular time. It’s definitely reduced my general levels of anxiety. 

A Growing Community

When I first went over to Bluesky, there weren’t a ton of school librarians or other educators over there. Yet even with the smaller community, I found myself in some excellent conversations. Now that there are so many more users, it’s really starting to feel like the “good old days” of School Library Twitter. 

While it can be a bit difficult to figure out who to follow, Bluesky has a new feature: Starter Packs. These allow folks to make and share lists of users who have something in common. There are a LOT of starter packs for School Librarians that make finding some people to connect with as easy as clicking a button. 

I’ve also had great luck going to the “Following” and “Followers” lists of school librarians and adding to my own Following list. 

SO MANY Helpful Guides!

There are lots of ins and outs to Bluesky. But never fear! There are also lots of great articles, tips, and suggestions out there to help new users navigate this new(ish) platform. 

• Author and artist Debbie Ridpath Ohi has crafted a really great “Unofficial Guide to Bluesky” to help new users get their bearings. 
• Matt Imrie posted a great guide specifically tailored for UK teen librarians. 
• There’s Ned Potter’s “Library Guide to Bluesky” targeted toward academic libraries. 
• And there is an entire subreddit dedicated to Bluesky where folks ask and answer questions. 

Before You Leave

If you do decide to leave Twitter behind, you should NOT delete your Twitter account. A friend pointed this out to me, and I’ve since heard it from multiple trustworthy and informed sources.

If you delete your Twitter account, a new user can set up an account using your old handle. This opens up the possibility for impersonation on a platform that, despite a decreasing user base, is still heavily trafficked.

If you leave your Twitter account open, but just don’t use it, it’s much harder for someone to impersonate you. 

Plus, there are new Bluesky tools arriving frequently. I recently saw a post about a tool that will import your Twitter posts and re-post them to Bluesky. Considering the quantity of posts I made on Twitter, I don’t know if that’s feasible. But it’s an interesting thought. And there are certainly several threads I’d love to bring over. 

So if you’re looking for a solid microblogging social media site, give Bluesky a go. You might find you enjoy it as much as I do.