Beyond the Blue #5
Every week @ferran.cc sends you a newsletter with the latest Bluesky and AT Proto news
Welcome to the 5th issue of this newsletter!
This week's newsletter is packed with great updates, and particularly, one that has me quite excited: the possibility of seeing an alternative to Reddit built on top of the AT Protocol that could enable internet communities that are not reliant on a company or centralized entity. I share some things about it in the News section.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter. If you do, please share it on Bluesky and among your friends!
News
Graysky app developer, Mozzius, has announced a new feature on its Bluesky client that allows to see the list of people you have invited. This gets added to the current list of awesome features in this client, including some highly requested ones, such as being able to see your own likes or translate posts with just one click.
If you want to see your own likes you can also follow this custom feed made by @jcsalterego.bsky.social. Or, if you're up for some fun, you can follow Like Roulette, a custom feed that selects a user from your recent likes and displays their liked posts.
Chris.chabot.dev has developed Home+ what, in my opinion, is the best custom feed that has been created for Bluesky so far. It’s basically an algorithmic feed that shows posts of those you care about and adds interesting content from your extended social circles. I highly recommend following Chris because he consistently updates the algorithm to further enhance the experience.
@pfrazee.com take on the recent Reddit blackout (users strike) and the concerns surrounding the potential takeover of subreddits by its parent company. He emphasizes the importance of Bluesky being built on a protocol that prevents a single company from having complete control and minimizes single points of failure.
In line with this, it appears that several developers are already thinking and working on a Reddit-like experience using the AT Protocol, and there is even a possibility of seeing it soon in the Skyfeed client. This showcases the versatility of the AT Protocol and its potential to provide users with a decentralized alternative to the biggest hub of online community in the world.
SkyFeed client core dev @redsolver.net always leaves us in awe with their incredible work! First, they gave us a sneak peek into custom feeds, and now they've announced that we'll be able to create custom feeds right within Skyfeed itself!
According to @pfrazee.com (Bluesky app core dev) we may see the in the future the possibility of thread moderation for OPs. I can image this feature to have great big pros and cons at the same time it opens up new possibilities for social media UX. At the same time, we must be careful to balance moderation and freedom of expression.
Bluesky NYC community leader, @emmanuel.bsky.nyc, just announced a proposal to add a Q&A Bluesky/ATProto site on StackExchange. You can follow and support the proposal here.
Featured Articles
Why are blocks on Bluesky public?, a post by the AT Protocol core devs introducing the first version of the user blocking system in Bluesky, and the technical aspects and limitations. They also mention some technical alternatives for future versions, including the potential use of zero-knowledge technology!
What is Bluesky?, a fantastic article by @rose.bsky.team about Bluesky and AT Proto, written in a way that is easily understandable for everyone. This content is particularly valuable for journalists and individuals who want to understand more about the protocol and the project.
Featured apps tools clients
Graysky: A remarkable iOS/Android client for AT Proto, developed by @mozzius.dev, that offers almost all the features found in the official Bluesky client. What I particularly love about it is the ability to view my own likes and a list of the people I've invited to Bluesky. Mozzius is doing an excellent job of providing a sneak peek at upcoming features before they are even released in Bluesky, along with an innovative UX.
Don't forget that you can find more apps, tools and clients in the Bluesky Community Hub.
Featured Skeet
Bluesky Stats
Number of users: 130.272 (+17.001)
Number of skeets: 4.74M (+71M)
Data extracted from Jaz's Bluesky stats on 25-05-2023