Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky attracts over 800,000 new users within 24 hours of public launch

Bluesky, a decentralized, open-source social network backed by Jack Dorsey, attracted more than 800,000 new users within a single day of opening its doors to the public, according to the platform’s public data. This influx is expected to push the platform’s total registrations to over 4 million later today.

Bluesky, which previously required an invite code for access, announced on Tuesday that it now allows open sign-ups for everyone. The platform’s goal is to build a user-friendly social network with the capacity for community contributions.

You can now sign up for Bluesky without an invite! 🎉https://t.co/rUyMjYVEkt pic.twitter.com/PaT4Z6hJnu

— bluesky (@bluesky) February 6, 2024

While still outpaced by its primary competitor, Mastodon, which has exploded from 400,000 to 8.7 million users since Twitter’s ownership change last October, Bluesky’s rapid growth reflects a broader shift in social media. This shift sees decentralized platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon become attractive alternatives for users wary of Meta’s dominance in the digital social space.

Following its public launch, Bluesky encountered bumps with its custom algorithmic feeds, which went offline overnight during a surge in user activity. At press time, the app is back to regular operations. Technical team member Paul Frazee explained the glitch, saying:

“When there’s a large increase in database usage, the system enters a multi polar tachyon flow which overloads the power couplings, which we all just experienced,” wrote Bluesky engineer Paul Frazee.

Dorsey began incubating the Bluesky initiative in 2019 while leading Twitter. While sharing the same management as Twitter at that time, the platform said that it operates independently. The similarity in look and functionality to Twitter is apparent at first glance, with familiar features like search, post creation, and resharing. However, Bluesky’s use of the AT Protocol sets it apart, offering users more control over their interactions with the platform.

Bluesky gained attention with its public launch, but the platform still has a lot of work to do if it wants to become a major player in a digital market dominated by centralized control.

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