Xodus

Musk's acquisition of Twitter started the first wave of exodus (or simply the Xodus) but it was not definitive. People were trying Mastodon or Facebook's Threads, but none of that reached the critical mass. It may be different this time, as the US presidential elections has polarized the audience to the levels previously unseen.

I personally tried all those options but also sticked with Twitter. But over the last couple of months it has become clear the platform has clearly become algorithmically biased and flooded with bots. Nothing in common with the officially claimed "free speech". Even to a casual reader like myself it has become mostly a sewage, in which even funny orange cat videos could not make it to the surface.

The recent shift of users from x.com to Bluesky might have been sparked by Taylor Swift fans, but then it has accelerated like an avalanche. The Guardian was next. And now it seems like everybody is moving. Including some old friends of mine who parked themselves temporarily on Threads, moved to Bluesky last week. And so did major Polish politicians including the PM Donald Tusk.

We'll see how it goes but chances are there will be the critical mass this time. Interestingly it also appears moving over from one platform to another is not a big issue, especially when the winds of change are supportive. Many people report restoring over 50% of their followers within couple of days. So if X is not sticky, perhaps the only worry is if Bluesky will handle the traffic, including post moderations. With the current wind of change Bluesky should have no issues quickly raising capital and expanding the operations. It won't happen overnight though and the 20-strong team may just be unable to last the marathon. But if users and government agencies are forgiving short term, everything may end up well.

I'm not too active on social media, mostly using LinkedIn to promote my business and treating Bluesky as a reflection of my private views. Luckily this blog has weathered all the quakes of the past 20 years, so you can always find me here.