Show HN: I organized Bluesky feeds by categories and growth rankings

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Directory Site UX and Features

  • Several users found the site confusing: multiple hamburger menus, “Feed Directory” perceived as only a top-30 list, and unclear navigation, especially on mobile.
  • Others praised it as a well-designed way to quickly scan and add feeds.
  • Requests included: clearer categorization, inclusion of “sports,” better search, and visibility into feed growth within categories.
  • The author reports rapid iteration: category system expanded (28 main categories, ~160 subcategories), search added, and a programming/software-development category created.

Category Coverage and Curation

  • Users noted missing or odd categories: e.g., no general “sports” while “eSports” exists; “Real Housewives” under Science & Technology; “College Football” under Research & Academia.
  • Some niche or explicit feeds (e.g., a pee-photo feed) surfaced, prompting remarks about very specific or adult content.

Bluesky Community, Content, and UX

  • Multiple commenters say Bluesky feels dominated by U.S. liberal politics, anti-Musk/anti-Trump sentiment, and election-related posts.
  • Some report bots, porn in search results (e.g., for technical keywords), and poor alignment between their expressed interests and the default feed.
  • Advice from others: Bluesky works better once you follow enough people or curated lists; without that, you mostly see trending content. Opinions differ on the quality of “booster packs,” with some finding them overloaded with politics.
  • A few describe Bluesky as a “desert” in niche areas (including company niches and programming), with low engagement compared to X.

Mastodon vs Bluesky vs X and Federation Debates

  • Comparisons:
    • Bluesky: easier onboarding, centralized search, cleaner UI, better brand name, ATProto design that keeps likes/comments unified across instances.
    • Mastodon: nonprofit, federated, but perceived by some as harder to use, fragmented by instances, weak global search, and prone to instance-level blocking/defederation.
    • X: still considered best for real-time sports and engagement despite management concerns.
  • Disagreement over whether Mastodon’s federation model and culture are sustainable:
    • Critics cite fragmentation, anti-growth attitudes, moderation drama, and technical limitations (likes/replies fragmentation, high infra costs).
    • Defenders argue email-like federation is workable, account moves are supported, and Mastodon remains healthy with significant daily users.

Broader Governance and Public-Sector Ideas

  • Some suggest city-run ActivityPub servers as public infrastructure; others raise concerns about government-controlled moderation and legal responsibility for policing content.

Programming and Tech Content

  • Several commenters note that programming topics and tech chatter are weaker on Bluesky vs Reddit or Mastodon, though the new programming category may help.