After Elon Musk's acquisition and the subsequent enshittification of Twitter, which he renamed "X," there has been a mass exodus of users from the social media site. In December, the Guardian reported that X had lost 2.7 million users over a two-month period, during which time Bluesky gained 2.5 million. According to a poll by Nature, most scientists have left X for Bluesky.
Bluesky looks a lot like Twitter because it was created as an initiative within Twitter and became an independent entity in 2021. Its goal was to create an open and decentralized standard for social media that would give users more control over their experience and data.
Over 5,300 self-identified scientists responded to the Nature poll question, "Do you use X?" Seventy percent of respondents said no, 52.5 of whom said they used to use X but left. Only 13.6 said they used X more than Bluesky. Respondents presented a variety of reasons, including a higher level of civility and a sense of safety for students and trainees.
Other marks in Bluesky's favour noted by survey respondents include the perception that there are fewer "Nazis" on the platform than on X, and less racism; that it is not owned or deemed to be influenced by Musk; and that it does not host advertisements.
Bluesky also offers "starter packs," user-created lists of accounts and users to follow. These packs make it easy for new users to populate their feeds with relevant content quickly.
Previously: Bluesky CEO taunts Musk with "billionaire proof" design claim