Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform, experienced significant user traumas recently due to surging demand following the U.S. elections. The platform, which offers similar functionalities to Elon Musk's now-rebranded X, formerly Twitter, faced disruptions on Thursday as the influx of new users tested its server capabilities.
Reports began to appear around 5:15 PM ET on Thursday, indicating issues with the app. A spike caught the attention of Down Detector, which tracked the large number of user reports about difficulties accessing the platform, including the spinning circle of doom many found frustratingly familiar, as it tried to load either the desktop or mobile versions.
To add insult to injury, Bluesky's troubles were compounded by other technical issues unrelated to the influx of new users. Daniel Holms, from the Bluesky team, mentioned on the same day, "We’ve encountered networking issues due to problems with our bare metal provider and Cloudflare DNS issues." He humorously reassured users about the situation, clarifying, "None of these have to do with the increased usage (except maybe we tripped a limit with Cloudflare?) just bad luck."
This bad luck came at a time when Bluesky was enjoying the highest traffic ever recorded on the platform, largely attributed to the user exodus from X. Since Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter and the subsequent political climate created by the recent election, Bluesky saw dramatic growth. Just after the elections, they added over 2.5 million users, bringing their total to around 16 million. It’s telling when you realize more than one million of those new accounts came within just 24 hours.
After many users fled X due to dissatisfaction with Musk’s policies and content moderation changes, platforms like Bluesky, Meta’s Threads, and Mastodon emerged as appealing alternatives. A notable factor spurring this mass migration was the recent election results and Musk's high-profile endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump, believed to skew the platform more toward extreme content.
Meanwhile, X itself is facing challenges. Once home to around 317 million users, it has seen both user accounts and overall traffic decline over the past year. Nevertheless, post-election, X experienced its highest traffic yet, reportedly spiking to 46.5 million visits one day after the election. The dynamics between these platforms are shifting almost hourly as users weigh their choices.
Videos, memes, and other engaging forms of content are significant draws for Bluesky. Many celebrity users, politicians, and journalists have flocked to the service to discuss and share their experiences. The platform’s founders have emphasized their dedication to creating space free from ads and hate speech, romanticizing the early Twitter experience prior to its commercial bombardment and toxic atmospheres.
Some of the new Bluesky users, unable to access the service amid the chaos, expressed their frustrations on other social platforms. Many noted the irony of turning to Bluesky to escape the very behavior perceived to have drove them from X, only to find their new refuge briefly crumbling due to the overwhelming traffic.
Bluesky was founded by Jack Dorsey, X's former CEO, and due to its decentralized model, it stands out by providing users more control over their content and feeds. It is built on open-source standards, enabling users to join various communities based on shared interests without worrying as much about overarching censorship.
Despite the current outages, many users remain optimistic about Bluesky’s future. A recent Twitter post cited it was not only about catching up with those they missed on X but also discovering new interests and engaging with more like-minded individuals without the noise often found on larger platforms.
The episode has sparked discussions among tech observers and analysts about how smaller social media networks can thrive when larger platforms undergo significant changes.
Interestingly, the recent upset may also indicate Bluesky’s potential to reshape how users perceive social media altogether. With user-friendly interfaces and emphasis on community building, it has the tools necessary to make the transition from other platforms smoother and more appealing. Expect Bluesky to use this opportunity to refine its services and cater even more to this massive and rapidly growing user base.
For those eager to be part of this narrative of change, Bluesky's experience is simultaneously thrilling and chaotic. Many anticipate the platform will work through these glitches, solidifying its foundational role as a go-to alternative amid times of upheaval.
Just as folks got accustomed to the unexpected fail whale on X, it seems the same humor and nostalgia now apply to Bluesky and its hiccups. The growing pains might be frightening, but they are all part of the larger story of social media restructuring, as users get accustomed to seeking new homes online.
What remains to be seen is how resilient and adaptable Bluesky can be as it navigates these challenges. With its popularity on the rise, users will likely keep their eyes peeled for both improvements and solutions as momentum keeps pushing the platform forward. Survivors of the digital landscapes gone wrong will surely appreciate these trials as Bluesky continues to etch out its unique space among conventional social media giants.
