Have you jumped on the Bluesky bandwagon? Many authors, agents, librarians, and teachers are finding this platform to be a welcome alternative to X, formerly known as Twitter.
In many ways, the two platforms are similar. Posts are kept brief with a limit of 300 characters. You can like, reply, follow, block, and repost. You can even send direct messages to other users. There’s enough familiarity to make Bluesky comfortable for converts.
Bluesky Bonuses
Bluesky definitely has some attractive advantages. For example, Bluesky users have more control over their online presence. There is no baseline algorithm on Bluesky. Do you want to browse posts in chronological order? You can do that! Want to curate your own feed? You can do that, too!
Bluesky isn’t controlled by a single person or entity. According to Vox, “Bluesky’s open source, decentralized framework gives you a lot more control over how your feed works than X or even Threads.” The issue of control has brought a lot of users to Bluesky.
Bluesky Tips
A recent issue of School Library Journal is filled with great Bluesky user tips. Debbie Ridpath Ohi offers lots of information, which I encourage you to check out. But if you’re looking for a quick run-down of the highlights, here they are:
- Create your profile and make a post to get started. You probably want to choose the same username across profiles so you’re easy to find.
- Decide what kinds of posts you want to see (and what kind you’d prefer NOT to see), and adjust your Settings and Moderation options accordingly.
- Hashtags are helpful in curating your content. You might find that #BlueSkyTips is a good resource!
- If you find the account of an agent, editor, publisher, or author you want to follow, see if they have a Starter Pack. (Hint: Debbie Ridpath Ohi has one.) This Starter Pack gives you a quick list of related accounts you might want to follow.
- Find your people and make the first move. Go ahead and engage with posts that vibe with your interests.
Bluesky Resources
To learn more, check out any of the following resources:
- November 14, 2024 Vox article by Adam Clark Estes
- September 17, 2024 SLJ article by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
- Bluesky information on Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s website
You may be a Bluesky expert at this point, you might be mulling over the move, or you may be somewhere in between. So far, I’ve set up my profile, I’ve followed some accounts, and I’ve liked some posts. Now it’s time for a deep breath and a deep dive (or maybe a skydive?). On today’s agenda, I plan to make my first post. See you on Bluesky!
