Rewind: Bluesky CEO Jay Graber on the future of federated social media

Key takeaways

Bluesky has seen explosive growth, jumping from 5 million to over 20 million users due to its unique approach to decentralization.
The app protocol provides users with significant control over their identity and data, distinguishing Bluesky from traditional social platforms.
Moderation within Bluesky will shift towards user-driven solutions, allowing for customized moderation approaches through composable features.
Bluesky aims to foster a community where users can create varied experiences, shifting the focus from central control towards individual empowerment.
The potential for innovative businesses to flourish within the open protocol ecosystem highlights a new era for social media.

Summary

Introduction to Bluesky and Growth Surge

In this episode, Neil Appetel introduces Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky, during a time when the platform had just gained 5 million users. Following the recent election chaos, Bluesky's growth skyrocketed to over 20 million users, drawing users away from X and increasing its competition with Meta's Threads. Jay discusses Bluesky's vision and the significance of decentralization in social networking.

Decentralization and User Control

Jay elaborates on Bluesky's commitment to decentralization, which allows users to take their usernames and followers across different servers seamlessly. She emphasizes the app protocol that underlies Bluesky, giving users flexibility and autonomy compared to traditional centralized networks.

Cooperate-Compete Dynamic

The conversation dives deep into how Bluesky operates under a cooperate-competitiate dynamic. Jay discusses the balance of building a user base while encouraging developers to create on the app protocol. This structure allows for feedback loops that enhance both the app and the protocol.

Moderation Challenges and Innovations

Jay shares insights into the moderation strategies Bluesky is implementing, particularly with the upcoming composable moderation features. This system enables users to create custom moderation tools and algorithms to manage content in a way that aligns with their communities, contributing to a healthier discourse.

Comparisons with Other Protocols

The episode highlights the differences between Bluesky's app protocol and ActivityPub, especially regarding user agency. While ActivityPub is heavily server-centric, Bluesky’s model centers around individuals and their control over their data and experiences.

Future Prospects and Monetization

Jay envisions a future where businesses can emerge from the open protocol ecosystem, thanks to the value generated from decentralized social interactions. Monetization strategies will center on marketplaces for moderation tools and algorithm features that benefit users and developers.

Show notes

Bluesky has really taken off since the election, and since the Decoder team took some time off for Thanksgiving break, we felt it was a great time to bring back the interview we did earlier this year with Jay Graber, the CEO of Bluesky, the upstart competitor to Meta’s Threads and the platform formerly known as Twitter.

At the time, Bluesky was a pretty small platform. It had just reached 5 million users when Jay and I spoke. But since the election, Bluesky’s growth has absolutely skyrocketed to more than 20 million users, and it's starting to put real competitive pressure on Threads at the feature level. As Bluesky really ramps up, it seemed like a great time to engage with some of the core questions behind its design and see if Jay and her team can keep it up.

Links:

Twitter’s heir apparent isn’t X or Threads — it’s Bluesky | The Verge

Bluesky now has more than 20 million users | The Verge

Bluesky moves deeper into moderation hell | The Verge

Twitter is funding research into a decentralized version of its platform | The Verge

Bluesky built a decentralized protocol for Twitter | The Verge

The fediverse, explained | The Verge

Bluesky showed everyone’s ass | The Verge

Can ActivityPub save the internet? | The Verge

Bluesky snags former Twitter/X Trust & Safety exec cut by Musk | TechCrunch

Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech — Mike Masnick

Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23872913

Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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