How decentralized is Bluesky really? -- Dustycloud Brainstorms
dustycloud.org

This is a pretty great, long form post about the structure of Bluesky, and how it’s largely kinda pretending to be decentralized at the moment. I’m not trying to make a dig at it. I’ve enjoyed the platform myself for a while, but it’s good to learn more about how it actually works.

This article was shared on Mastodon via its author here.

    • Nima@leminal.spaceEnglish
      13·
      4 days ago

      if there is, I haven’t seen any. ive been using it quite a bit. its probably like most social media where if you don’t engage with that kind of content, it doesn’t show it to you.

    • DomeGuy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      122·
      4 days ago

      Thats not really what happens, unless you’re so toxic that old-twitter would actually ban you.

      Bsky has a “nuclear block”, that essentially removes you and the target from even existing on the version of the site each other see. If you’re ok with just talking to folk who are on your side of a “no, shutup” line, like “trans women are women” or “trans is a mental disorder” you’ll be fine.

      The issue is that a bunch of folk who abscribe to the second apparently just want to troll the first, so they get blocked by their targets, have no fun, and then complain to reporters still on twitter.

        • Lumidaub@feddit.orgEnglish
          2·
          4 days ago

          “They” don’t have that. Most labellers are user made and people can subscribe to them or not.

            • Lumidaub@feddit.orgEnglish
              3·
              3 days ago

              I do think it matters a lot whether it’s a thing the app offers natively to everybody or something certain users have implemented on their own and that other users can choose to use or not. You don’t blame the contents of a mod on the game itself, do you?

              • solrize@lemmy.worldEnglish
                11·
                3 days ago

                If there’s a widely used mod that makes the game worse, that’s a good reason to not play the game. It doesn’t matter who made the mod. Using the mod (e.g. an aim bot in a shooter game) is toxic user behavior and if the game ops tolerate it, they deserve blame too.

                • Lumidaub@feddit.orgEnglish
                  2·
                  3 days ago

                  Is it “widely used”? An aim bot directly affects everybody else, actively making the game worse. This only affects a small number of people who choose to opt-in and trust the labeller’s opinion. I can’t even find that labeller and I learnt about it from you. And again, it’s not BSky that offers the labeller - that IS an important distinction.

                  • solrize@lemmy.worldEnglish
                    1·
                    3 days ago

                    No I don’t think the distinction matters. Twitter sucks because it’s full of Nazis. It’s irrelevant that Twitter doesn’t supply the Nazis itself. The culture that a platform fosters is part of the platform.

                    As for the visibility of the labelling on bsky, idk, I guess I’ll take your word for it. It had sounded like a built in feature that was visible to everyone, but ok, maybe not.

        • WalnutLum@lemmy.mlEnglish
          1·
          4 days ago

          The way some moderation lists (ban/labeling) work is algorithmic.

          You can actually host one of these services yourself!

    • flying_gel@lemmy.worldEnglish
      113·
      4 days ago

      I tried to look this up but I couldn’t find much. The “worst” I found was this:

      Some users have expressed concerns about the platform’s moderation practices, suggesting that the community’s emphasis on inclusivity and respect may lead to over-sensitivity, where even minor disagreements or differing opinions are met with significant backlash. This environment can create a perception of excessive policing of content, potentially discouraging open dialogue.

      Where are you reading that people are saying that it’s worse than twitter? Is it right wing people that are saying that because they put emphasis on inclusivity and respect?

      • CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.worldEnglish
        15·
        4 days ago

        That’s exactly what it is. The trolls and bot runners and MAGA chuds are pissed that we can completely prevent them from interacting with us there. And with curated blocklists it doesn’t even require work for the average user.

        They can come to bsky but they’ll just be screaming at each other while the rest of us talk about cool stuff.

        • Drunemeton@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          4 days ago

          It’s one of the best features of bsky!

          Lists, feeds, starter packs, and moderation tools that work, have all led to a very vibrant and engaging social media experience!

          The user base isn’t afraid of quickly dealing with antisocial behavior.

          You can tell which way your media outlets position themselves by how they report on this aspect of bsky. Egalitarians will cast it in a positive light, while Elitists will cast it in a negative light.

      • lennivelkant@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        4·
        4 days ago

        But the best people - all the best people - and these really are good people, you know? They’re good, the best, just wonderful people, and they say - I didn’t ask, they told me!