Bluesky, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s latest endeavor, is looking promising. Dorsey infamously stepped down from Twitter amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately led to multi-billionaire Elon Musk purchasing the social media giant. Since Musk’s takeover, the platform has seen numerous tech and ethical issues.
Bluesky is currently still in beta testing, and remains on an invite-only system with a waitlist. Users are sharing that the platform looks a lot like Twitter’s original format, which Dorsey helped create. The true test of Bluesky’s success lies in the technicalities, and tech experts are already combing the terms of service for holes.
Bluesky finally starting to feel like old twitter and it's amazing! Follow me on there. pic.twitter.com/g4sWBQoVVN
— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) April 27, 2023
BlueSky Terms of Service gives Jack a 'perpetual' & 'irrevocable' license to all your content (posts, name, likeness, pics)
BlueSky can delete your account for any reason, but may refuse to delete it if you ask
You can't screenshot BlueSky
All disputes = individual arbitration pic.twitter.com/mHxYkuA4EM
— Ashley M. Gjøvik (@ashleygjovik) April 27, 2023
Twitter’s Issues
Notably, the company opted to abandon the legacy verification program. Under Twitter’s original guidelines, celebrities, journalists, media organizations, and government officials could provide information that confirmed their identity in order to verify their accounts. Under Musk, only Twitter Blue remains. Twitter Blue is a paid subscription service that allows for customers to edit their tweets, and receive the once-coveted blue check mark of verification.
Cost aside, the lack of verification based on merit has already created a host of issues. Many journalists feel that Twitter Blue allows for a wider spread of misinformation, as now, anyone can be verified. The verification change combined with a more lax approach to combatting hate speech is driving users off by the droves.
Many are holding out hope that Dorsey’s endeavor will usurp Twitter. The successful tech entrepreneur had the power to start Twitter from much less, so some feel that it is entirely plausible for Bluesky to also become a hit.
ADVERTISEMENT
I'm on Bluesky at https://t.co/UvbqCtURlf. When it fully launches, I'd bet it's going to just usurp this site. It works and it looks and feels like this one, which is all we ever asked.
Comes down to moderation, desktop experience, and reliability, but it feels like the answer.
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) April 27, 2023
Given the invite-only scheme of the platform thus far, Twitter users are sharing memes asking the internet for invites.
Me waiting for a Bluesky invite from all of my close friends that are real pic.twitter.com/Grevklz5VM
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) April 27, 2023
https://twitter.com/kashanacauley/status/1651721231157321728?s=20
Elon Musk is yet to comment on Bluesky. It is unclear whether Dorsey attempted to reach Musk before going ahead with the new site. An official public launch is to be announced.
