Blacksky grew to millions of users without spending a dollar

What Blacksky Is in the Bluesky / ATProto Ecosystem

• Commenters clarify Blacksky is not a separate network but an alternative implementation on the AT protocol: a Rust backend, its own PDS/relay, and a forked Bluesky client with different defaults.
• It reuses Bluesky feeds and moderation “labellers,” so everything fully interoperates; users on any AT client can subscribe to Blacksky feeds and moderation and vice versa.
• Some see it as an important proof that ATProto is real multi‑implementation infrastructure, not just Bluesky-the-company.

Decentralization, Identity, and Lock‑in

• There’s debate over what “decentralized” means:
  • For some, it’s about credible exit and portability (data + followers + identity), not about everyone self‑hosting.
  • Others argue Bluesky/Blacksky are still “mostly centralized” because users depend on hosted PDSs and relays.
• ATProto’s DID system comes up: did:web (DNS-based) vs did:plc. Commenters note did:plc is currently effectively centralized via plc.directory, despite its self‑certifying design, and so still requires trust in a central operator.
• DNS itself is used as an analogy: the protocol is decentralized, but the real-world root hierarchy is not easily opted out of.

Moderation, Community Control, and Race

• Blacksky’s core appeal is presented as distinct moderation and feeds tailored for Black users and cultures, drawing comparison to “Black Twitter” as a case study in digital resistance.
• Some commenters see this as necessary because mainstream platforms are hostile or saturated with racism; others question claims of systemic exclusion from “capital and distribution,” pointing out almost no ordinary user of any race owns platforms.
• ATProto’s pluggable moderation and feeds are highlighted as decentralized at the “group” level: different communities can run their own filters and norms while still participating in a shared graph.

Comparisons: Mastodon, ActivityPub, Threads, P2P

• Many contrast ATProto with ActivityPub/Mastodon/Lemmy:
  • ActivityPub is praised as mature, easy to self‑host, and genuinely federated, but confusing for non‑technical users.
  • ATProto is seen as more “hub‑and‑spoke”: a big central service plus optional satellites, potentially more approachable.
• Some wonder why Blacksky didn’t simply use Mastodon; others argue the AT stack makes experimentation with new apps (feeds, analytics, streaming, blogs) easier.
• Threads’ partial federation with Mastodon is cited as creating user confusion (duplicate accounts, inconsistent visibility) and showing how messy real‑world federation can be.

User Experience, Performance, and Adoption

• Several users praise Bluesky’s responsiveness compared to Twitter, while others find it just as slow or slower than well-run Mastodon instances.
• Commenters stress that most people don’t care about protocols; they just want “batteries‑included” apps. Historical patterns (Gmail, GitHub, Coinbase) are cited as examples of decentralized tech re‑centralizing around convenience.
• Some believe influencers and power users might value ATProto’s portability and moderation choice enough to shift behavior; others think only a small minority will ever move off the main instance.

Broader Reflections: Centralization, Addiction, and Opting Out

• A recurring theme is whether “social” almost inevitably means centralization, because people go where everyone already is; others argue smaller, federated communities are healthier and more “community‑minded.”
• A number of long comments reject the premise entirely: no protocol change will fix phone addiction, algorithmic outrage, or political doomscrolling; the only real solution for them was quitting social media and partisan news, regaining time and mental health.
• Others take a middle ground: decentralized systems and user‑selectable algorithms won’t solve addiction, but they at least reduce corporate control and offer more humane defaults.