Bluesky Social - Jack Dorsey's decentralized vision for Social Media

Bluesky Social - Jack Dorsey’s decentralized vision for Social Media

In his latest presentation, Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, presented Bluesky Social, a social network based on blockchain technology. He described it as “an open protocol that enables anyone to build anything.” In addition, he showed how the application could be used to develop a decentralized version of Twitter.

The idea behind Bluesky Social is to make possible a social network that is free of censorship and control. The basic principle is simple: the data is stored in a distributed ledger called the Blockchain. Anyone can access it and verify the information.

The purpose of Bluesky Social is to allow users to communicate directly with each other without using intermediaries like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

What is Bluesky?

Bluesky is an ongoing effort to decentralize its infrastructure and make it easier for developers to build distributed social platforms. The team wants its users to be able to take advantage of the technology behind blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum while still being able to maintain control over what happens within their individual networks.

The goal is to provide a common framework for building social networks and messaging platforms. In addition, Jack believes Bluesky could help solve some of the problems associated with centralized social networks like Facebook. For example, it could improve privacy because data stored on provider servers would be encrypted.

Why do we need decentralized social media?

The rise of Bitcoin came out of a distrust of central financial authorities. Likewise, the rise of decentralized social networks like Steemit and DTube is beginning because of distrust for centralized media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Outside of a few significant bans, Twitter has retained a positive reputation, while Facebook has been dealing with a steady stream of bad press and negative public opinion for several years.

On the other hand, Facebook has weathered a relentless bombardment of bad news and negative sentiment since 2016. From Russian election interference to Cambridge Analytica data breaches, antitrust investigations, and psychological torment of teenage girls. Even Fast Company called Facebook the worst brand of 2020.

The future of decentralized social media

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., have been migrating towards blockchain technology for some time now. But what happens when you combine the best parts of both worlds? For example, what does it look like when you can vote on issues without relying on third parties? This is where the Bluesky Social Network comes into play.

Bluesky is a decentralized social network built upon the Ethereum blockchain. It allows people to connect and communicate with each other while maintaining complete control over their data. As the name suggests, the network uses blue sky technology, meaning there is no central authority controlling the system. Instead, the network utilizes a distributed ledger called the Blockchain to store information about every transaction that occurs within the network.

The Authenticated Transfer Protocol, or “the AT Protocol”

The AT Protocol is a new federated network built around decentralization. It combines the benefits of blockchain technology with the convenience of centralized networks. It allows users to choose between different providers and ultimately decide which ones work best.

What distinguishes the AT Protocol?

Portability of accounts Companies with no obligation to their customers should not control their online identity. They should be able to switch service providers without losing their personal data or social networks.

Algorithmic selection Algorithms determine what we see and whom we may reach. If we want to have confidence in our online spaces, we must be able to manage our algorithms. Users of the AT Protocol have more influence over their experience thanks to the open algorithms mode.

Interoperation The globe needs a varied market of linked services to ensure healthy competition. In addition, the Web needs to feel natural in its interoperation. The AT Protocol incorporates the Lexicon schema-based interoperation framework to resolve coordination issues.

Performance Many innovative protocols ignore performance, which causes lengthy loading times before you can view your timeline. Since they don’t consider performance optional, they’ve prioritized building for quick loading at massive scales.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the AT Procol from Bluesky Social is an exciting part of a social media universe without a central hub. As social media moves toward a decentralized future, this decentralized protocol shows Jack Dorsey’s vision and what he learned from his time at Twitter. It aims to give end users, businesses, and governments social connections that are connected, interoperable, scalable, and secure.  

Want to learn more?

Bluesky Blog - https://blueskyweb.org/blog/

The AT Procol Overerview Guide - https://atproto.com/guides/overview

Bluesky Protocol - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluesky_(Protocol)

The Authenticated Transfer Protocol - https://atproto.com/

Bluesky Social Github - https://github.com/bluesky-social

TLDR; Short Take

• Bluesky created the AT Protocol to build a decentralized social protocol.
• The AT Protocol is a federated social network protcol that integrates ideas from the latest decentralized technologies.
• Some features of the AT Protocol include account portability, algorithmic choice, interoperation, and performance.