In November, social media saw a lot of changes. Bluesky became incredibly popular, gaining over 20 million users — and I was one of them. Today, I want to share my journey from Twitter to X, and why I ultimately moved to Bluesky (and why you might want to consider it too).
As illustrations I used screenshots from Web Design Museum.
I started using Twitter back in 2009. It was such an unusual and exciting platform — no photos, no videos, just 140 characters of text. It felt like a rebellious, fresh and innovative space filled with random people sharing their thoughts. At first, no one knew if it would catch on, and many doubted it, but eventually, it grew.
At the time, I lived in a small industrial city in Russia, where not many locals were on Twitter. To connect, we even organized Twitter parties, where everyone who used the platform could meet up and have fun. At some point, I knew every person in my hometown who had an account!
Back then, it was all about fun. I even remember when you could post a status via SMS, as smartphones weren’t common yet. There were desktop versions and new third-party clients appearing almost weekly, many of which were super cool. You could customize your account with colors and background images, and the timeline wasn’t algorithmic. People discovered each other through hashtags, which felt new and exciting.
One of the best things was how close the community felt. You could tag a celebrity and actually get a reply! That’s something I’ve never experienced on any other platform.
In 2016, when I moved to China, I stopped using Twitter actively. It was blocked there, so I needed a VPN to access it, which wasn’t convenient. By then, I felt more connected to other platforms and my own blog for creative expression, so I drifted away from Twitter.
X
In 2023, I started using Twitter (now X) again. A few things drew me back:
- I became interested in AI, and Twitter was the easiest way to find updates and connect with like-minded people.
- I moved to the United States, where many people rely on Twitter for news and updates.
- At my job I organized a book club, and we read Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson. I wasn’t a fan of the book (or Musk), but I wanted to see what he had done with the platform—for better or worse. Spoiler: it was worse.
Still, I found a lot of inspiration, like the #buildinpublic community, where people share their projects and ideas.
But outside that bubble, things got weird.
Why I’m getting out of X
It kept getting worse. Bugs, lags, and no syncing between mobile and web drafts. While they retained a chronological timeline, much of the focus shifted to the “For You” page, with shadowbans if you didn’t follow certain “rules.” And the name change was terrible, lol
For instance, posting links gets deprioritized, so people put them in the first comment, which is clunky and annoying. The algorithm also aggressively promotes Elon Musk, even if you mute him.
During the 2024 US elections, the platform became unbearable — bots, fake news, hate, and endless Musk posts.
I found myself posting and engaging less. The excitement was gone. So, I canceled my subscription and started looking for alternatives.
What are the alternatives?
There aren’t many options right now, but I explored three: Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky.
Mastodon
Mastodon is too techy for me. Even though I’m comfortable with tech, the user experience felt unfriendly, starting with account creation. I tried it for a few days but couldn’t stick with it. It gained popularity after Musk bought Twitter, and I know a few people thriving there, but it’s not for me.
Threads
Threads is tied to Meta, so I wasn’t optimistic about it. I tried it and wouldn’t recommend it. Its close connection to Instagram feels absurd, especially since I stopped using Instagram and Facebook over two years ago.
Bluesky
I’d heard about Bluesky but didn’t see the point at first. That changed in November when I noticed a developer I respect, Mubs, had stopped posting on X. When I asked if everything was okay, he said he’d moved to Bluesky.
Ten minutes later I created an account.
Why Bluesky
Bluesky reminds me of Twitter in 2009. The community is kind and supportive, there are no intrusive marketers or ads, and the platform works smoothly. It feels fresh, like a breath of air.
You can choose the feeds to follow, so you have control over the algorithms, which is incredibly cool. Plus your identity is tied to the protocol, not the platform, so if anything happens, you can easily transfer the data. And overall it looks… fun?
I’ve been using Bluesky daily for a month now and still love it. That’s why I’m sharing this post — after making sure it’s worth recommending.
How to Start with Bluesky
Visit bsky.app and sign up. If you have a website, you can link a custom domain for personalization, which is pretty cool.
Start by following interesting people (you can start with me!). Bluesky also has a fantastic feature called Starter Packs, curated lists of accounts on specific topics. For example, there’s one for build in public community, and you can find more packs in the directory.
Once you’re comfortable, check out Grow Bluesky for tools to gain followers, track analytics, and connect with others.
Most importantly, engage with people. Don’t just scroll—comment, post, and interact. Let’s make social media social again!
Hope you’ll enjoy the journey!
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