Julius
@a9fq2.bsky.social
1. Exploring if Bluesky is a satisfying example of decentralized social media
2. Using Bluesky to network more in Salt Lake City
3. Computational linguist, data engineer, researcher looking for work
2. Using Bluesky to network more in Salt Lake City
3. Computational linguist, data engineer, researcher looking for work
It is possible that great things can come from the advent of decentralized social networks.
December 18, 2025 at 1:15 AM
It is possible that great things can come from the advent of decentralized social networks.
Imagine if all platforms based on interactions of people - Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and so on - could all move over to a decentralized model like this, with the AT Protocol. Imagine being able to run targeted queries for jobs you want, or set up your own automation scripts.
December 18, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Imagine if all platforms based on interactions of people - Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and so on - could all move over to a decentralized model like this, with the AT Protocol. Imagine being able to run targeted queries for jobs you want, or set up your own automation scripts.
Time will tell, but it is possible we will see the creation of totally different social media interfaces and functionalities, since it's up to anyone to decide how they want to interact with the data.
December 18, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Time will tell, but it is possible we will see the creation of totally different social media interfaces and functionalities, since it's up to anyone to decide how they want to interact with the data.
Conceivably, your entire way of interacting with a "social network" can be radically different. You don't have to accept the exact newsfeed UI the app comes with. People can write extremely specific filters and queries that show you only the exact content you want to see.
December 18, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Conceivably, your entire way of interacting with a "social network" can be radically different. You don't have to accept the exact newsfeed UI the app comes with. People can write extremely specific filters and queries that show you only the exact content you want to see.
If you wanted to, you could use BlueSky completely via scripts from the command-line!
December 18, 2025 at 1:08 AM
If you wanted to, you could use BlueSky completely via scripts from the command-line!
That returns structured JSON. From there, I can extract the text, archive it, analyze it, transform it, or integrate it into my own tools without scraping, browser automation, or permission from a platform owner.
December 18, 2025 at 1:07 AM
That returns structured JSON. From there, I can extract the text, archive it, analyze it, transform it, or integrate it into my own tools without scraping, browser automation, or permission from a platform owner.
Given the first post in the thread:
bsky.app/profile/a9fq...
I can fetch the thread with a single HTTP request:
public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsk...
bsky.app/profile/a9fq...
I can fetch the thread with a single HTTP request:
public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsk...
December 18, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Given the first post in the thread:
bsky.app/profile/a9fq...
I can fetch the thread with a single HTTP request:
public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsk...
bsky.app/profile/a9fq...
I can fetch the thread with a single HTTP request:
public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsk...
People can build and bring their own tooling to the network.
For example, imagine I want to export this entire thread into a single piece of text. I don’t have to manually copy and paste every post. Because Bluesky exposes a public, standardized API, I can retrieve the thread programmatically.
For example, imagine I want to export this entire thread into a single piece of text. I don’t have to manually copy and paste every post. Because Bluesky exposes a public, standardized API, I can retrieve the thread programmatically.
December 18, 2025 at 1:06 AM
People can build and bring their own tooling to the network.
For example, imagine I want to export this entire thread into a single piece of text. I don’t have to manually copy and paste every post. Because Bluesky exposes a public, standardized API, I can retrieve the thread programmatically.
For example, imagine I want to export this entire thread into a single piece of text. I don’t have to manually copy and paste every post. Because Bluesky exposes a public, standardized API, I can retrieve the thread programmatically.
You don’t have to use a specific interface to interact with Bluesky. The protocol itself is the interface.
The implications are potentially profound: it brings the openness, composability, and creative experimentation of open-source software into the world of social networks.
The implications are potentially profound: it brings the openness, composability, and creative experimentation of open-source software into the world of social networks.
December 18, 2025 at 1:00 AM
You don’t have to use a specific interface to interact with Bluesky. The protocol itself is the interface.
The implications are potentially profound: it brings the openness, composability, and creative experimentation of open-source software into the world of social networks.
The implications are potentially profound: it brings the openness, composability, and creative experimentation of open-source software into the world of social networks.
This means you can interact with public Bluesky data directly and precisely: writing exact API queries to search posts, profiles, or patterns of activity, instead of scrolling endlessly through feeds.
December 18, 2025 at 12:59 AM
This means you can interact with public Bluesky data directly and precisely: writing exact API queries to search posts, profiles, or patterns of activity, instead of scrolling endlessly through feeds.
One of the most important consequences of this design is that programmatic interaction with the Bluesky network is open by necessity. Because the system is federated, data is exposed via standardized HTTP APIs rather than locked behind a single proprietary UI.
December 18, 2025 at 12:59 AM
One of the most important consequences of this design is that programmatic interaction with the Bluesky network is open by necessity. Because the system is federated, data is exposed via standardized HTTP APIs rather than locked behind a single proprietary UI.
When you browse Bluesky, you are usually querying an appview service (such as the official Bluesky appview), which builds its view of the network by subscribing to relays. That’s why you can see posts from many different PDSes even though you’re using a single service.
December 18, 2025 at 12:59 AM
When you browse Bluesky, you are usually querying an appview service (such as the official Bluesky appview), which builds its view of the network by subscribing to relays. That’s why you can see posts from many different PDSes even though you’re using a single service.
Each PDS publishes its existence and updates via relays. Relays aggregate data from many PDSes and make it available to services that subscribe to them.
December 18, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Each PDS publishes its existence and updates via relays. Relays aggregate data from many PDSes and make it available to services that subscribe to them.
On Bluesky, data is not stored in a single central database or server. Instead, anyone can run a Personal Data Server (PDS), which hosts user accounts and their data. In that sense, each PDS is like a small, independent “mini-Bluesky” that users can choose to register with.
December 18, 2025 at 12:58 AM
On Bluesky, data is not stored in a single central database or server. Instead, anyone can run a Personal Data Server (PDS), which hosts user accounts and their data. In that sense, each PDS is like a small, independent “mini-Bluesky” that users can choose to register with.
After that, I will show examples of ways that BlueSky is fundamentally different from say, Facebook or Twitter/X, and certain ways this opens extremely positive possibilities for how it can be used.
December 18, 2025 at 12:27 AM
After that, I will show examples of ways that BlueSky is fundamentally different from say, Facebook or Twitter/X, and certain ways this opens extremely positive possibilities for how it can be used.
Some people may not know that BlueSky is actually moderately decentralized. It runs on a protocol called AT Protocol. In this thread, I'll explain a bit about how it works.
December 18, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Some people may not know that BlueSky is actually moderately decentralized. It runs on a protocol called AT Protocol. In this thread, I'll explain a bit about how it works.
Countless incidents speak to the idea that when you use a lot of mainstream technology platforms, those platforms are actually using you: harvesting data and coercing engagement, not offering a transparent, useful tool that authentically benefits you.
December 18, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Countless incidents speak to the idea that when you use a lot of mainstream technology platforms, those platforms are actually using you: harvesting data and coercing engagement, not offering a transparent, useful tool that authentically benefits you.
Some people think decentralization has great potential as an antidote to a lot of the problems we have seen with the rise of big tech. Big technology companies are so vast, powerful, and even monopolistic, that they can often afford not to care about how their product affects their users.
December 18, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Some people think decentralization has great potential as an antidote to a lot of the problems we have seen with the rise of big tech. Big technology companies are so vast, powerful, and even monopolistic, that they can often afford not to care about how their product affects their users.
Bitcoin is decentralized. It is a system whereby people are able to use and exchange a currency, where no single actor has the power to regulate how the system is, what other people can and can't do.
December 18, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Bitcoin is decentralized. It is a system whereby people are able to use and exchange a currency, where no single actor has the power to regulate how the system is, what other people can and can't do.
Democracy, to some extent, is decentralized: decision-making power is spread across all members of a society. The body, and brain, are self-organizing systems where each piece has certain ways it can interact with other pieces, resulting in emergent order.
December 18, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Democracy, to some extent, is decentralized: decision-making power is spread across all members of a society. The body, and brain, are self-organizing systems where each piece has certain ways it can interact with other pieces, resulting in emergent order.
Decentralized systems, in their most ideal form, are not like this. Power is not concentrated in a single actor, entity or organization.
There are many things in nature and society that you could claim have features of "decentralization".
There are many things in nature and society that you could claim have features of "decentralization".
December 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Decentralized systems, in their most ideal form, are not like this. Power is not concentrated in a single actor, entity or organization.
There are many things in nature and society that you could claim have features of "decentralization".
There are many things in nature and society that you could claim have features of "decentralization".
In some ways, the advantage and disadvantage of centralized services and systems is top-down control. YouTube has the power to decide what you can and cannot do, post, or say, on YouTube. They choose the terms of service, how you make an account, what your content feed is like, and so on.
December 18, 2025 at 12:16 AM
In some ways, the advantage and disadvantage of centralized services and systems is top-down control. YouTube has the power to decide what you can and cannot do, post, or say, on YouTube. They choose the terms of service, how you make an account, what your content feed is like, and so on.