Bluesky: Meet the Twitter creator’s social networking project

a Bluesky is a social networking project created by Jack Dorseyfounder and former CEO of Twitter, who gained fame after Elon Musk Get the podium From the blue bird. Still in the development stage, the initiative is starting to gain attention Many disgruntled users With social media.

However, the project goes beyond a “simple decentralized social network” and It may change the way these platforms work in the future. then TecMundo It answers some questions about Bluesky.

Bluesky is a protocol that aims to facilitate interactions between different social networks.source: Dole777 / Unsplash

What is bluesky?

a Bluesky is a project to create an “open and decentralized” format for the social network. Basically, the platform will be developed from A standard protocol that allows different social media to work together.

The concept aims to allow social networks to interact with each other through an open standard. However, the platforms will retain their own regulation and moderation systems.

Bluesky’s idea was conceived by Jack Dorsey as a solution to Twitter’s failings in 2019. In this case, the social networks have been accused of “data embezzlement, disinformation and electoral interference.”

without undermining the freedom of users, The protocol should help platforms have more control over posts. Furthermore, Dorsey used this concept to advocate for banning Donald Trump on multiple platforms in 2021.

“This is more important than the algorithms that drive feeds. Social media can shape cultural discourse and needs to exist within a system of checks and balances,” highlights a Bluesky blog article.

Bluesky will work similarly to other Internet protocols.source: Melina Valli / Unsplash

How will Bluesky work?

Today, large social media companies, such as Alphabet (Google, YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram), operate on one side. In this case, developers need significant technical permits for certain applications and interactions.

then Bluesky will have a similar function to the protocols HTTP and TCP/IP Used to surf the Internet and send emails. These technical standards allow computers and email services to communicate through a single network.

“A decentralized protocol open to public conversations can allow users to choose their own experience And developers have the freedom to innovate without the permission of the platform,” highlights text from Bluesky developers.

Basically, the new standard aims to allow A Twitter user is chatting directly with someone on Instagram, for example. In addition, developers can create cross-platform compatible applications, services, and algorithms connected to a single hybrid network that contains elements of blockchain and peer 2 (p2p).

Bluesky should facilitate migration between social networks.source: Nordwood Themes / Unsplash

Why is the social networking protocol important?

As Bluesky explained, The protocol and social network offer three important features: portability, trust, and security. These points will be essential for building and strengthening the concept of the “social internet” in the future.

with portability, Users will be able to switch between platforms without losing data Or you need to make a new registration. This process is similar to switching carriers without losing the number and device.

The Bluesky’s open network premise is to create a transparent and verifiable system. This makes it possible for people to evaluate the performance of the services themselves and they are free to move to another platform if they are not satisfied.

Finally, you will use technology Self-authenticating encrypted security components. For example, users will have “virtual fingerprints” and cryptographic signatures that will replace entries in databases with login storage.

The Bluesky app is currently in the testing phase.source: Bluesky / Disclosure

When will Bluesky be launched?

There is still a long way to go before Bluesky becomes an effective social network and Internet protocol. Although the initiative was created while Jack Dorsey was at the helm of Twitter in 2019, The research phase started with a group of 40 to 50 people only in 2021.

After more than a year of development, the project announced the launch of the Bluesky app and beta testing of the Authenticated Transfer Protocol (AT Protocol) in October 2022. The work attracted more than 30 thousand interested To know the platform.

even with Recently purchased Twitter By entrepreneur Elon Musk, the protocol design for decentralized social media will not be affected. For more information, the The current CEO of the social network Was willing to adopt technology in the future.

Despite progress in 2022, there are no official expectations for Bluesky’s release to the general public. However, this is expected to happen by 2024.