35 Million Bluesky Users Say 'No Thanks' to Big Tech—Here’s What We Can Learn

Exploring the Paradigm Shift Towards Decentralization and Empowered Digital Communities

Welcome to this edition of our newsletter, where we delve into the transformative wave of decentralized social media. As more users flock to platforms like Bluesky, are we witnessing the dawn of a new era in digital interactions? Join us on this journey to uncover the implications of user ownership and decentralization in today's online landscape.

🌟 The Decentralized Revolution

Quick intro for tech enthusiasts!

• Swipe left on Big Tech: Over 35 million Bluesky users saying 'bye-bye'! As highlighted in the recent article, Bluesky, built on the open-source AT Protocol, empowers users by allowing them to control their data and transition seamlessly between platforms.
• Why this matters for social media: Discover alternatives to centralized power. The shift towards decentralized social media protocols, such as AT Protocol, is reshaping how we interact online and offers a counter-narrative to the growing concerns associated with platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
• Dive deeper: Seeing the Politics of Decentralized Social Media Protocols - arXiv.org and Decentralized Apps (DApps): 16 Examples to Know - Built In

Stay informed and get involved in the decentralized movement!

🛠️ Developers' Insider

PSA for devs! What to know:

• Building with AT Protocol: Empower user control and cross-platform integration as seen in platforms like Bluesky, which allows users to seamlessly transition between different social media applications while maintaining ownership of their data.
• Key advantage: Seamless data exchange for decentralized applications (dApps), including exchanges, DeFi lending platforms, and various social media outlets, all contributing to a more democratized online space.
• Curious? Explore new avenues: Seeing the Politics of Decentralized Social Media Protocols - arXiv.org and Decentralized Apps (DApps): 16 Examples to Know - Built In

As the landscape shifts towards decentralized solutions, understanding the AT Protocol and its operationalization of user control is crucial for developers looking to innovate in this space.

💼 What's in it for Researchers?

Heads up, researchers! Dive into decentralization:

• The framework of the future: Explore the newly introduced framework that elucidates the value-driven trade-offs among decentralized social media protocols, such as ActivityPub, AT Protocol, Nostr, and Farcaster. This framework is crucial for understanding how these protocols operationalize decentralization and the implications for user control and data ownership. A detailed examination can be found in the article Seeing the Politics of Decentralized Social Media Protocols - arXiv.org.

• Analyze the impact: The shift towards decentralized social media protocols is not just a technical evolution but a socio-technical transformation that reshapes power dynamics within online interactions. By analyzing how protocols like AT Protocol enable user control, you can gain insights into their influence on decision-making and governance structures within these platforms. As highlighted, the rise of Bluesky, which is powered by AT Protocol, reflects this growing trend.

• Food for thought: Ready to contribute to the change? As the ecosystem of decentralized applications (dApps) expands, encompassing everything from social media platforms to financial services, researchers have a pivotal role in assessing the implications of these developments. Investigate how user adoption, like the surge to over 35 million Bluesky users, challenges traditional monopolies in the online space, as discussed in Decentralized Apps (DApps): 16 Examples to Know - Built In.

Stay engaged and be part of the conversation that is reshaping the digital landscape!