The digital landscape has been significantly reshaped of late, with a major exodus occurring from Elon Musk’s brainchild ‘X.’ Following an election where the richest individual on the planet played a pivotal role in a convicted criminal becoming the occupant of the White House, it is estimated that about 115,000 US-based users brought an end to their memberships on the platform once known as Twitter on a single Wednesday. Such an environment paves the way for alternative platforms such as Bluesky, Threads, and Mastodon, which are witnessing substantial growth. The question that emerges, however, is which of these is poised to take over the role that Twitter once held? Also, if you are among those making the transfer, which of these platforms is truly suited to your needs?
Of all these platforms, Bluesky displays most promise of filling the void left by X. At first glance, its interface and functionality match closely with the older versions of Twitter. But delve a little deeper, and you’ll uncover some unique and admirable features. The platform allows users to incorporate custom timeline filters and algorithms developed by fellow users, or prevent themselves from uploading images without adding a descriptive caption for visually impaired users using screen readers. Posts, while officially known as just that, have earned the nickname ‘skeets’ among users.
The popularity of Bluesky soared in September as it added over 2 million new users, following a government’s decision to block Twitter. In terms of user experience, it mirrors the earlier days of Twitter – when it was a lively, unstructured, space for exchanges that didn’t take themselves too seriously. It is currently populated by active users with niche expertise and candid opinions, a plethora of obscure local memes, and abundant real-time political and sporting commentary.
In contrast, Threads has emerged as a more popular choice over Bluesky, boasting approximately 275 million active users per month in contrast to Bluesky’s 17 million. However, from a user’s perspective, it appears more solemn and restrictive. It brings with it AI-influenced moderation that is often stringent, and an uncompromisingly algorithmic default feed that often collates posts spanning from mere seconds ago to published a couple of days prior, showing user posts they’ve already reviewed.
Mastodon, the third contender, is undoubtedly the most intricate. It bears similarities to Bluesky in terms of its decentralized model, free from the control of any single entity or organization. Unlike a typical cohesive social network, Mastodon is more of a coalition of different social networks, all interlinked. Upon creating an account, users need to join a specific ‘instance’ as their primary base.
The nature of these instances is quite diverse, run by various entities ranging from corporate firms, educational institutions, to just simple enthusiasts. Each of these instances comes with individual rules and guidelines for moderation. Posts are allowed a significant length of up to 500 words, reminiscent of a blog or Tumblr post thereby delineating a unique user experience.
It is not surprising therefore that the user base of Mastodon tends to lean towards the tech-savvy. As a key part of the ‘fediverse’ – a unifying term for social media platforms with shared technical standards, Mastodon’s goal is to streamline these platforms. The aim for the future is seamless integration among these services.
The aspiration is to reach a stage where opting for one social network over another bears likeness to selecting a web browser or an email service, less about exclusivity and more about personal preference. This would mean content from each service can be viewed through any other, essentially allowing users to decide how they want to engage with the inner activity.