Bluesky, the social network that dreams of itself as an alternative to X (formerly Twitter), has just made a meteoric rise in the ranking of the most downloaded applications in the United States. Propelled by the recent controversial changes of its rival, Bluesky rose in the space of a week from 181st to 5th place on the American App Store, doubling in the process behemoths like TikTok and Instagram. An exploit which comes just after X’s controversial decision to thoroughly review its system for blocking unwanted users.
Organic growth boosted by those disappointed with X
According to figures from the analytics company Appfigures, no less than 500,000 new users joined Bluesky in a single day. Impressive organic growth reflected in many countries around the world:
- Japan, Thailand, Taiwan : Bluesky grabs 1st place
- Hong Kong : the app takes 2nd position
- Canada, South Korea : Bluesky reached the top 5
- Singapore : the social network rises to 8th place
In total, downloads of the application have literally exploded more than 1,000% in nearly 90 countries. A sudden craze which seems directly linked to the latest decision dated X.
The platformElon Musk indeed chose to thoroughly review how blocking worksallowing blocked users to continue to see public posts from people who blocked them.
For many users, this is too much change. Between the repeated changes, the removal of account certification, the reinstatement of banned users and now the weakening of the block, part of the community seems to have reached its breaking point. And it is Bluesky who benefits from it.
What sets Bluesky apart from
If at first glance, Bluesky looks a lot like X with its vertical news feed dotted with likes and shares icons, several key features differentiate the two platforms:
- The possibility to use your own domain name as a nickname (ex: @mondomaine.fr).
- And community moderation system based on shared block and mute lists.
- The choice of algorithm that determines the content displayed in his timeline.
- Of the tools to prevent harassmentsuch as the possibility of hiding replies to your posts.
In addition to these specificities, Bluesky can already count on the presence of many personalities within its emerging community. There we find pell-mell politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezwriters like Stephen King or William Gibsonactors of the caliber of Le Var Burtonbut also recognized media like the New York Times.
The future looks bright for Bluesky
Bluesky is riding the wave of discontent that is swelling against X and its leader Elon Musk. By focusing on personalization, user control and the fight against abusive behavior, the social network launched by Jack Dorsey is about to establish itself as THE refuge for all those who no longer recognize themselves in X.
We will have to wait a few more months to see if this dynamic is confirmed, but one thing is certain: Bluesky has succeeded in its entry and intends to shake up the hierarchy of social networks. The war for the throne of X has only just begun, and Bluesky has serious arguments to make.
A bit of a geek and passionate about new technologies, I bring you the hi-tech news of the moment but not only that… I am closely interested in current affairs and I love analyzing it. So I do everything possible to make it understandable for everyone. I believe journalism must go beyond the facts, adding passion and thoughtfulness to truly engage and enlighten.
2024-10-19 05:31:00
