We Got the BlueSky Invite Code: Here’s What the App is Like
Bluesky has an air of mystery to it. Let’s see what it’s all about.
Ok, so you’ve likely heard of Bluesky? The Twitter-alternative championed by the platform’s former CEO Jack Dorsey.
While it has received some media attention, especially in light of Elon Musk’s hectic behavior, the platform has an air of mystery to it. Primarily, because it’s not that easy to get in.
To join it, you need to have a special invitation code. And you don’t get one just like that. You need to spend some time on the platform before receiving them and sharing them with others.
GN was lucky enough to get one, so I decided to test the platform and see what it’s all about.
So, first things first: the registration
It was extremely easy. The whole process took around 1 minute at the very max using the invitation code. And what do you know! It’s Twitter all over again. Or pardon, X, though in all fairness it’s difficult to understand what it is given the dubious success of Musk’s brand roll-out (the iconic blue bird is yet to fully disappear or the word Twitter in general).
Like on X (Twitter), the platform immediately offered to follow certain people and feeds. Such as Fungi Friends, MLB, Gardening, and other things.
Source: Bluesky
After that, you end up on your personal profile. And yes, we’ll repeat that one more time but the whole thing does look and feel like Twitter a lot. The bar to the left as well as the colors only serve to underscore that.
Source: Bluesky
As well as the overall user experience. GN previously tried out Mastodon and one of the impressions we got was that in spite of the good intentions, it is just not sexy interface- or functionality-wise. Also, it’s a tad too focused on Twitter
Meanwhile, Threads, the userbase of which has been steadily declining, is just too instagrammy and doesn’t have a clear purpose to it, other than kill off X.
Bluesky might turn out to be a better option in that respect. And it also seems to value its users to the extent that it gives you a personal welcome. That’s touching.
Source: Bluesky
But the grand question persists: Will that be enough for people to discard X (Twitter) and opt for Bluesky or other platforms instead?
It goes without saying that following Musk’s takeover of the platform, it has turned into a hotbed of toxicity and overt hatred. Not least because he took the decision to unblock many vile figures, including representatives of Russian propaganda.
To some – especially the toxic kind – this might not necessarily sound like a problem, which is also why probably in terms of users it's still very much ahead of Blueskt and Mastodon. But to those who are willing to find a more respectful communication platform, it is a serious challenge. This Bluesky post by born miserable certainly encapsulates that feeling.
Born Miserable’s post. Source: Bluesky
We will keep exploring the platform and will provide a more detailed user experience review over time.
Previously, GN reported that the former Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey unveils a new web platform.
