Bluesky: Social Network Championed by Jack Dorsey Now Open for Sign Up

Twitter-like social network Bluesky, co-founded by Jack Dorsey, now open to all after invite-only period with unique features and interoperability.

Bluesky, a social network co-founded by Jack Dorsey, has opened its doors to the public, allowing anyone to create an account and join the service. Previously, membership was by invitation only, requiring individuals to seek out existing members and request an invite. This exclusivity period allowed the platform to develop moderation tools and other features.

Similar to Twitter, Bluesky, which was recently acquired by Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, offers a linear timeline of posts from accounts users follow, with the option to switch to algorithm-driven timelines. While the platform does its own moderation, it plans to allow users to implement alternative moderation schemes in the future.

In an effort to promote user freedom, Bluesky intends to enable users to transfer their data, including friends and followers, to other social networks. This initiative, referred to as "federation," aims to make social networks interoperable. While platforms like Mastodon and Meta's Threads use the ActivityPub federation algorithm, Bluesky has adopted the Authenticated Transfer Protocol, making it the only service to do so.

The company's goal, as stated in a whimsical cartoon included in the announcement, is to be "the last social account you'll ever need to create." However, the process of making social networks interoperable may not be as straightforward as it seems. Each federation algorithm has its own advantages and challenges, and the choice of protocol can impact the ease of transferring accounts and other important features.

Despite the complexities of federation, Bluesky's move to open its doors to the public marks a significant shift in the platform's accessibility and potential impact on the social media landscape. As the platform continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how users will respond to its unique features and the broader implications of making social networks more interconnected.