7 things to know about Bluesky before you join – and why you should [Video]

Every time I think social media is done evolving, something shakes things up. Twitter was the go-to for years, with algorithms steering what we saw. But Bluesky has arrived, offering something different — an open-source, decentralized network that puts control back into users’ hands. 

Also: 8 Bluesky tips every new user should know

Now that it’s open to all, I’ve spent time exploring how it works, and it’s a breath of fresh air for those of us looking to own our digital identities.

What exactly is Bluesky?

Bluesky runs on the AT Protocol, and while that sounds technical, it boils down to this: Bluesky lets you carry your social graph — essentially, your connections — with you across apps that adopt the protocol. 

Unlike Mastodon, though, Bluesky’s AT Protocol doesn’t currently connect with ActivityPub, the standard behind the Fediverse and the Mastodon distributed social network. That means Bluesky remains …