I'm gonna give Bluesky a try but so far it's still dominated by what I can best describe as "theater kid energy" or "the vibes of an RA trying to organize a dorm activity"
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
there's also the more fundamental issue of "why am I posting on a social network where no one really sees what I'm saying and therefore I am basically LARPing using twitter"
If no-one sees what you’re saying, how come I’m here to ratio you?
Seriously, engagement-per-follower is like ten times what it is on X (even engagement, period). Twitter is dead and gone. It’s been replaced by X, a site for bots and neonazis.
Sam don't insult your readers. I'm following Scientists, writers, professors & experts in many fields. You have to choose whom you follow here. No algorithm is going to push engagement, that's up to you.
As for theatre kids, here are a few : Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Chita Rivera etc
I mean, there's 13 million people here. I know that's dwarfed by a lot of other social networks, but it's not no one.
And I can only speak for myself, but this is my main social network. It's this and an old Facebook account I barely use except to keep track of old friends and local events.
It's become really easy to track down accounts you previously followed on Xitter. If you're worth following folks will find you. Get yourself on some lists and starter packs. It really shouldn't take much effort. Probably as much as what you have expended on this thread.
I guess you have to think about why you feel the urge to leave twitter and if it's important enough for you to lose some visibility. The argument of "I have to stay because everyone is staying there" is circular and becomes self fulfilling.
If you want more engagement, you need to use tags, alt text, and follow a lot of people and share there things to build an audience. It feels more empty if you're not participating in the platform, and it is going to take some work to get it to Twitter levels, but ppl are reaching that here.
I’d like to question the assumption that you believe your post should garner attention. Help me understand the rationale for that assumption. i.e. Who is Sam Biddle, and why should we care?
Serious suggestion: you might want to embrace the idea of using Bluesky for a different purpose than you did Twitter. This place is not as good for audience-building but in my experience FAR better for learning, engaging with people and, you know, enjoying yourself
We see you. I'd think a tech writer could gather a few stories out of the platform itself to start. Like, how is this governance safer than, say, threads? Are these leaders actually just fun and quirky or is Paul really a nefarious code monkey for his evil cat?
The quantity of engagement might be smaller than you’re used to (for now), but I promise you the quality of engagement will instantly improve if you give it a fair chance.
Also you’re welcome for not giving in to the temptation to reply with snark
Nobody owes you an audience. If your grievance is that you want more people to listen to you than are currently inclined to do so, that is either a skill issue or a patience issue.
I mean, as opposed to
“why am I posting to a social network (“X”) that’s so filled with bots and troll farms at this point therefore I am basically MMORPGing using Twitter”
I mean, I may not be some big city social account (snaps suspenders) but BlueSky and Mastodon are working for me and others.
If you just want an audience you're probably in the wrong place, it’s about interaction. At least at first, it’s on you to make yourself interesting in other people’s conversations and find peers you want to engage with. You aren’t just going to appear and have an audience knocking down your door.
Not to "nuh uh" this post, but...how much quality engagement have you gotten on Twitter lately?
This isn't rhetorical; I have no idea what the answer is. But the journalists I've watched stick around here are the ones who express surprise at the quality interactions they have after engaging a bit.
No idea why I'm chiming in here with unsolicited advice - but this needs to be more of a thing. You should use your domain https://www.sambiddle.com since you have it. It's like a built in blue check. Your handle will then be Sam Biddle - @sambiddle.com. Will help you LARP more effectively
I promise I do not mean this as a dunk (at least, not a dunk on you) but this thread has way more likes than your account on the other site usually picks up
None of this is a defense of twitter which of course gets more unpleasant to use with each passing day. I guess I am just questioning the extent to which I still have an interest in a site/app like that at all.
Yes, if one is put off by energy, excited discussions, earnest debates and disagreements, I suspect one may have just gone off sites / apps like this one. Plenty of other things to do with one's time.
It won’t take much for critical mass to move somewhere else though and Bluesky remains the most ‘Twitter-like’ platform with the lowest barrier of entry (unlike Mastodon or Threads)
I understand that you're a "journalist" and therefore used to doing the intellectual equivalent of instagramming your own turds and getting attention for it, but have you tried having something of value to say instead of whining?
I have definitely found that I use it far less frequently than I used Twitter. And I miss that BlueSky doesn’t (yet) seem to be a valid source for following critical information in an emergency in the way Twitter was. I’m not sure if BlueSky has an API yet for auto updates but that would help.
It was always better over here that Threads, people just went with the option of least resistance. Idk why people are choosing Bluesky over Threads now, I know ppl are fleeing Twitter, I think they are making the right choice though.
I initially chose threads. It felt like there were more ppl there and the app looked and felt more clean / professional. I did that despite really not liking meta as a company and additionally hating the product direction of threads. Came over here bc ppl were buzzing and now this is the place
Where the graph is (network effect) is the single most important factor (behind boycotting Elon and fascism) until true federation happens, which it might never in a frictionless enough way for mass adoption
Over the last few days I've found myself coming here instead of Twitter as my first option for posting and reading posts
And while Sam isn't totally wrong about the energy here, it was so much worse in the early days - that's not nearly as dominant now, or even dominant at all, really
Since the demise of (free) TweetDeck, I've been using Xitter only via curated lists. I've discovered most of the folks on my lists are now here, so I'm getting the same content without the hateful slop. Will take a while to get the same scale and reach, alas.
I dunno man. If you talk to interesting people, learn interesting, things, and get a laugh now and then it seems worth it to me. If not...ok if it's not your thing. Just don't see a need to dump on the people here who like it.
I think the sentiment is similar from other privilege queens capitulating and facing the reality that they need to start from scratch again. This' the "I was the cool kid in middle school but now I fear I'm just one of the nerds again," angst. This guy has likely never known a lack of access/reach.
I did the Journo thing for some years to the point where I was confident enough to simply walk in the back doors of events and simply act like I belonged. I was never seriously challenged or removed, including a Wrestlemania event post-9/11. Privilege is a helluva drug.
This is a better app than Threads and better ownership than both others; everyone needs to switch over and it will bring back the glory days of Twitter.
I hate all the "welcome newbies, here we..." platform wanking which was also pretty constant on early Twitter. But there has to be a town square somewhere.
You're following 320 people. Insufficient. There is no algorithm. No one is granted an audience by right here, whatever their previous $hitter status. It's democratic like that. What the hell do you expect?
Bluesky is what you make of it. It's up to YOU to curate your space. It's not a one-size-fits-all app, there can be vastly different user experiences from person to person. Find someone that you used to follow on Twitter, see if they have a starter pack, and follow every account in that.
Odd. I am seeing what you said, despite having no particular interest in doing so. Could it be that the platform does in fact work? My account is brand new. We need to reacquaint ourselves with the fact that we ARE humans, not megaphones for specific narratives. So, welcome Sam. Who are you?
Did you happen to see fellow journalist @sophyridge.bsky.social ‘s post saying she got 250k followers on Twitter and less than 10k here BUT posting the exact same message encouraged way more engagement here than in the other place💥
Oh no we need you here sooo badly! You’re so much cooler and smarter than us please stay! We’re just dumb nerd we need the cool genius sam biddle to make this place better
People are here because it's not the nazi site and it has the potential to replace what Twitter was. If that's not why you're here then it may not be for you. At some point Twitter was tiny also.
Early twitter was kinda what you made it-be a heavy-hitter, or just post some things and interact with people you find to be cool. Same energy here-make it what you want-with the bonus that it can’t be made into poop by one idiot over night.
Like everything in life, Sam, it is what you make of it. The excitement around this site is that it is evolving every day and with such positive energy. Why don't you stay for a bit and immerse yourself in it?
Sounds like a you problem. Theater kids are amazing, and your choice to use them as a negative in an attempt to engagement farm on Bluesky is kinda sad.
here's the solution: leave. just like us theatre kids didn't want you around when we were in highschool, we don't want you around now. you neither add, nor bring, anything of value.
I am no social media wizard by any means… but if you want to gather momentum/reach on a new platform, maybe calling the users “theater kids” might not be the best way to do it?
To be so lucky with theater kids and their energy! They did their job this past year. Journalists . . . sad performance. You have no space to call out anyone.
Please DON’T give it a try. This is like showing up at a party and complaining how annoying it is, and then expecting to be entertained by the people you just insulted.
Signed,
A former theater kid and RA
P.S: Don’t think I didn’t try to warn all you little shits about STDs at bingo 🤣
It was built by the marginalized populations who faced the most danger of remaining on Twitter so jumped ship first - trans people, sex workers, Black people, furries. No coincidence those outsiders also overlap with high school outsiders. As a tech reporter you ought to know that’s how this works.
I think you gotta diversify your feed, my guy. Besides, Theater Kids are just passionate about what they do and I've never had an issue with them. Please don't drag bird app hater culture over here, we worked hard to avoid that. Find your preferred neighborhood and be chill. ✌🏾
Micah I almost disbelieve you were never a theater kid but because I know you to be trustworthy instead of questioning it I will just dub thee an honorary theater kid please join us for singing and french fries at the diner we keep saving
Don't do us any favors. Please. So far you seem dominated by what I can best describe as "kid who got (almost) straight A's in elementary school and has been obnoxious about it ever since" energy.
It has the same "better than thou" energy that led to Mastodon's downfall, that reeks of privilege. Like for example, being told I'm "morally compromising" by staying on Twitter, when this space just insulates everyone from Palestinian journalists posting about genocide. https://bsky.app/profile/niedermeyer.io/post/3laoxgzx2zk2i
Sorry if it comes across as preachy, but walking away from 30k Twitter followers 18 months ago was as much pragmatic as it was moral. As a long-term Musk critic, I had to move on. It took a year to get to 3k here, and now I have a nearly all-new audience trending to surpass my Twitter numbers.
In any case: please don't mistake my personal insufferable preachiness about Elon Musk (the product of shouting from the rooftop about him since 2015) for anything bigger than my personality defects. 14 million people do not deserve to be lumped in with my obnoxious behavior.
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic, but not because you had the privilege of wielding a sizeable Twitter following, does not mean that is the reason why a lot of communities persist on Twitter, specifically, in the context of an ongoing genocide.
I'm being completely earnest when I say: those communities should not assume that Elon Musk will allow them to continue to function on Twitter. Also, it didn't feel very privileged spending a year to get to 10% of my Twitter following! I could have wasted that year, had things played out differently
This place has momentum it didn't have until the last few months. The switching costs for online communities of all kind to dump Twitter and rebuild here have never been lower. Best of all, us preachy Bluesky Elders are being washed out by a flood of normies. The annoying culture will be gone soon.
Yes it's absolutely possible that communities will be targeted further, and will perhaps naturally move to bsky as a result. But browbeating communities about moral compromise (as they suffer) isn't the way to do it if bsky is going to be that replacement. That's all I'm saying.
I have a question: do you find there is more engagement on your posts that encourage actual debate and conversation? I know you have 10% of the followers here vs Twitter, do you find you have different interaction with your posts?
But you were right, and it's not insufferable. Billionaires, who should be reviled in our society, and who used to be reviled as recently as the 1950's as decadent and un-American, aren't just, well, decadent and un-American, but they can become dangerous, as we have all seen.
One of the things I like about Bluesky, as just a regular person without any following or financial skin in the game, is that the comments are from actual people. When you read an article, the comments are about the article, not full of bots. I don't get spammed with engagement bait posts.
I already saw this starter pack which is woefully insufficient but thanks for being snarky to an Arab, being this insufferable is surely going to make me want to engage with this community more!
You literally have to follow more people. There is not an all seeing algorithm to spoon feed you. Seek them out.
The least engaging content on any platform is complaining about the platform itself. Post some thoughts and links and see what happens. It is totally free.
My favorite part about all this scolding, is that it ignores the content of the post completely (politics, privilege, genocide), and focuses on how you can game engagement and grow your platform. Blue tick mark energy.
yeah Bluesky definitely leans preachy. Which is funny because one of the oldest Twitter critiques I can remember (like Arab Spring era) was that it let people pantomime activism without actually doing anything
I don't really give a fuck which platform/s people use, I think it's a waste of breath to make it an issue of morality.
If it interests you, there are lots of Palestinian people on here requesting aid. (I don't know how present/visible those posts are on Twitter)
A Twitter presence is now an endorsement of Musk, Trump and all they stand for.
Which, basically, is Musk & Trump.
That ‘theater kid energy’ you mention is hope - the hope that we can build a platform we actually want to participate in, and that might help us change things for the better.
This is a musing that probably won't age well and reflects badly on you as the author - using labels for people you feel 'need' to be beneath you. You can be better.
everyone’s perception is different. i dont understand your take. and it doesnt really matter. over 1m people in a week have come and almost to a person loves the musk free world
This is funny since bluesky is what you make it since there is no algorithm. Maybe you are staring into the void, and your theater kid energy is staring back.
If "theater kid energy" isn't your style, you might consider adding some starter packs that suit your preferences. You can enjoy a variety of options while exploring them at your own pace based on your personal style.
I will say as someone who was/is absolutely not a theater kid and struggles with people with that particular form of wholesome energy, I’ve still been having a great fucking time on here
I'm 100% not a theater kid; I'm a geek journalist and a software engineer. I can say that this is the most fun of the social platforms by far. However, you have to meet it halfway. Follow fun people, chat with people, and just try to have a good time
Can honestly say bluesky gives back what you put in. Got here with one of the original invite codes, and the people who were engaging and making connections then have created huge followings with no RA vibes. The ability to have smaller communities within the app is only as limiting as your follows
It sounds like Twitter is a much better fit for you. I’m personally charmed by all the craft projects and enthusiasm, but it’s OK to prefer a Twitter punch up if that’s your jam.
Hey Sam, this site has mass block lists and I’ve seen you on several of them since you posted this so I guess the theater kids aren’t interested in your take.😘
Comments
Seriously, engagement-per-follower is like ten times what it is on X (even engagement, period). Twitter is dead and gone. It’s been replaced by X, a site for bots and neonazis.
*reads post*
maybe in a month he'll lose the rust
As for theatre kids, here are a few : Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Chita Rivera etc
And I can only speak for myself, but this is my main social network. It's this and an old Facebook account I barely use except to keep track of old friends and local events.
* Source 1: https://bsky.app/profile/andrewdessler.com/post/3laphnufp222h
Source 2: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zH57HWMtRJw
Also, as you've just learned, if you make bad posts, people will read them.
Also you’re welcome for not giving in to the temptation to reply with snark
If you’re hung up on this being “LARPing using Twitter”, just wait until those blocks and mutes come a-rolling in!
“why am I posting to a social network (“X”) that’s so filled with bots and troll farms at this point therefore I am basically MMORPGing using Twitter”
I mean, I may not be some big city social account (snaps suspenders) but BlueSky and Mastodon are working for me and others.
This isn't rhetorical; I have no idea what the answer is. But the journalists I've watched stick around here are the ones who express surprise at the quality interactions they have after engaging a bit.
Yea, that sounds right, you’ll fit in just fine. Welcome to bsky 😊
It was unusable for anything but elevating Nazis a year ago.
Kid
But you'd need to be a bit slow on the uptake to ignore all of those things, eh?
Everyone should have stopped using Twitter on any personal level a year ago
A great alternative doesn’t yet exist, but eventually one will. Threads was winning as least shitty, now bsky is showing real potential
But for some reason you think we care what you think.
We don't, which is very "theater kid" but you do, which is very "jock".
Which is what this is... 'I'm important, so listen to me".
And while Sam isn't totally wrong about the energy here, it was so much worse in the early days - that's not nearly as dominant now, or even dominant at all, really
Not today, Satan!
Someone should write a book about the wasted potential of social media.
Be honest. Part of what we're doing here is removing the taint of cringe from honesty.
I mean look at you. You post “twitter is awful. Lemme try out this new place. Ugh. It has theater kids. And a small audience for me.”
You are quintessential twitter energy
For the first time I remember on Bluesky we have a main character for the day. You.
But not really, because it’s the nature of Bluesky to extinguish main characters. Fast.
You’re not even a good one. You’re like a less interesting “Bean Dad”.
I guess I just constantly curate my feed and weed out any nonsense I see as soon as it sprouts.
It’s like a digital garden and I take care of mine pretty well, I think.
Only organic, artisanal shitposts for me.
You could just… not.
I’m just shouting into the void somewhere else — figure I’ll do this for 15 years or so until a Nazi takes over and I have to nuke it all.
The numbers won't be as big, but you won't have as many people ignoring your posts or following you out of obligation and then muting you
Check out her TL and find it.
You might want to stay after all?😉
It just takes a few minutes of self reflection every day
Now better?
Dear me what a self-important little man.
you can help by posting good stuff
be the change you want to see
follow some weirdos, you’ll get the good stuff
I hope I can count on your vote for BOB for US President 2028
https://bsky.app/profile/james.claims/post/3lao3vrjgp22i
here's the solution: leave. just like us theatre kids didn't want you around when we were in highschool, we don't want you around now. you neither add, nor bring, anything of value.
Please DON’T give it a try. This is like showing up at a party and complaining how annoying it is, and then expecting to be entertained by the people you just insulted.
Signed,
A former theater kid and RA
P.S: Don’t think I didn’t try to warn all you little shits about STDs at bingo 🤣
Saw guys and dolls and knew i loved it.
Nathan Detroit is so freaking cool
But if you chuckle and/or snort as a response you have found your home!
with emotion
and so I will DANCE!
to put on the musical that will save america
IT WILL BE LIVESTREAMED ON BLUESKY WITH NON OF THE ORIGINAL CAST
When is the on site Wicked movie field trip?!
I have seen it a few times on stage, excited for the movie. Totally would do a viewing in kabuki if we could make that happen lol.
https://bsky.app/profile/niedermeyer.io/post/3laoxgzx2zk2i
Double-follow!
😀 ok
https://go.bsky.app/SNvMPk3
The least engaging content on any platform is complaining about the platform itself. Post some thoughts and links and see what happens. It is totally free.
If it interests you, there are lots of Palestinian people on here requesting aid. (I don't know how present/visible those posts are on Twitter)
No one at theater camp likes me. I miss my pals at Hitler's Eagle Nest.
Yours truly,
Sam Biddle
Anyway. Fuck off, nerd.
Which, basically, is Musk & Trump.
That ‘theater kid energy’ you mention is hope - the hope that we can build a platform we actually want to participate in, and that might help us change things for the better.
Complaining about it isn't exactly doing you any favors, either.
We're here for the good times!
For ex, just like you, my favorite chapter in HTWFAIP was "Always introduce yourself with 'Hey losers, guess I'll try your shithole'"
Do we have an official cast recording?
Seriously, dude: way to enter a room and announce, "Hi! I'm an unsalvageable douche!"
The Intercept. That’s a kink in its own right.
Also, dumping on BS *while on BS* is a bad idea
Or, rather, ALL the algorithms. You just have to pick which ones to look at by pinning feeds.
Would that more social media have RA energy.
Just leave.
Get over yourself.
Post for the love of the game only. Chasing engagement feeds the brainworms
I don't expect you to listen. No one does