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

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A new directory site for Bluesky feeds, organized by category and growth, is drawing praise for helping users discover content but criticism for confusing navigation, missing or misclassified topics like sports and programming, and limited search. Commenters use it as a jumping-off point to compare Bluesky with Mastodon, X, and other platforms, debating issues such as user demographics, political tone, bots and spam, and the quality of recommendation algorithms. The thread also highlights deeper concerns about federation models, moderation, and long‑term sustainability of decentralized social networks.

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.