Why are x .com users leaving the platform for blue sky?
Thanks for asking! Since Elon Musk acquired social network Twitter in October 2022, the company has been pretty much constantly in the spotlight and not really for the right reasons.
It started very shortly after, with controversy erupting when the new owner fired 80 % of the company's workforce, including CEO Parag Agraval.
Of course the change of name from Twitter to x .com then followed in summer 2023.
There's been a great deal of disillusionment among long -time Twitter users, many of whom have now chosen to leave the platform completely.
Just last week, The Guardian announced it would no longer post on x, and many other famous figures have also opted to do the same, like Stephen King and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Many are heading over to Blue Sky, a platform which was actually thought up by Twitter co -founder Jack Dorsey in 2019, and launched in 2021.
The app's logo is a blue butterfly, and its interface resembles that of x.
But users say there's one key difference – moderation.
Conversations are healthier, and online violence is less prevalent.
According to The Guardian, Blue Sky offers users the chance to more heavily moderate their experience.
This includes the ability to select the algorithm that drives what you see, helping create custom feeds – for example a feed for mutual followers, a feed for cat photos, and one for your special interest.
Generally speaking, Musk changed many of the platform's rules to impose his ultra -libertarian vision.
He eliminated all forms of restrictions, even on hateful content, incitement to violence and disinformation.
The previously suspended accounts of figures like Donald Trump, Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate were all reinstated.
More broadly, x has often been accused of promoting the views of its owner, including Republican party ideologies, far -right American beliefs, fake news and conspiracy theories.
Many are dissatisfied with the close ties between Musk and Trump, and how x has seemingly attempted to use its algorithm to influence people's opinions.
Just How Widely Used Is Blue Sky For Now?
As of November 2024, there are around 15 million users worldwide.
That's still a long way behind its competitors.
X boasts 580 million accounts, and Metta's Threads 285 million.
But in September, Blue Sky had just 9 million users, so there's clearly been a big rise in popularity of late.
That's largely down to Brazil's suspension of x .com in September, as well as the impact of the recent U .S.
presidential elections.
It's hard to say whether we should expect to see Blue Sky rivalling other bigger platforms in the future.
For now, it still needs to find a viable business model, as there's no billionaire owner, and the company has shunned an advertising -based approach.
Currently, it's funded through fundraising and business angels.
There you have it! Now you know what Blue Sky is!
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