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Bluesky adds direct messages

bsky.social

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Re: Bluesky adds direct messages

#51

Post by _djo_ »

shadowfacts wrote: post #44
snapcaster wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel for them, because even if they (and weirdos like us on this site) value decentralization and other related values the average customer just DOES NOT CARE. They're trying to compete with other platforms without this handicap and very people people are willing to give them any "credit" for it

I'm a little bit sympathetic, but they've also kinda tried to have it both ways. They spent ages inventing a new protocol for decentralized microblogging, and then ages more before you could actually use a server other than theirs. But DMs is now where they don't want to spend the time up front to do it the right way?

To be fair, they’re a tiny team with a ton of things on their roadmap and limited time to do it all. It seems they’re taking it slow on core stuff that they really need to get right, because it can’t be changed later, while adopting pragmatic solutions for things that users want now and which can be swapped out for better implementations in future.

Re: Bluesky adds direct messages

#53

Post by Barrin92 »

ramesh31 wrote: post #45
Barrin92 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I as a developer have yet to even figure out how it's supposed to work You go to https://joinmastodon.org/ , click on "join" (or pick another server if you are adventurous), fill in your username and email and you're good to go. Why do people invent fictional horror stories about a service that's at this point functionally as easy to use as any bog standard website?

>You go to https://joinmastodon.org/ , click on "join" (or pick another server if you are adventurous), fill in your username and email and you're good to go. And that gives me access to the entire service? Or just bits and pieces of it? And how do I find other services? Asking around? Who's seeing my data if I sign up on another server? What are the anonymous operators of said server doing with my password and email…

Yes, it gives you access to the entire service, you don't need to find anything. Messages and accounts in Mastodon are visible across the network. The operators of almost all instances aren't anonmyous, the address of the default server operators is literally listed on the about page.

If you have zero knowledge and don't care Mastodon functions exactly like Twitter. If you care more, you can invest time, host your own server, do what you want, that's optional.

If decentralized systems don't work it's amazing that my grandfather is able to send emails every day. Which is btw the exact equivalent to Mastodon. You don't care you sign up for Gmail, if you do, run a server out of your basement.

Re: Bluesky adds direct messages

#54

Post by legutierr »

ziml77 wrote: post #33
DataDive wrote: post #11

Zawinski's Law: > Every program attempts to expand until it can read mail. Those programs which cannot so expand are replaced by ones which can. I think nowadays we can substitute email with chat/DM.

It's important though because it allows you to communicate things that don't really belong in the open while remaining under your identity on that platform and avoiding the need to link that identity with your identity on a different service.

Exactly. I often wish GitHub had a messaging capability, for these same reasons.

Re: Bluesky adds direct messages

#56

Post by wmf »

neiman wrote: post #49
stebalien wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a stop-gap because people want DMs and implementing them correctly (decentralized, e2e encrypted, etc.) is non-trivial. Rushing e2e encryption is not a good idea (and no, you can't just slap on matrix/signal and call it a day). The alternatives are to: 1. Wait a bit longer for something half-baked that appears to meet the goals (i.e., something you're going to regret but will be unable to replace). 2. Wait even…

> By making the protocol centralized and stupid-simple, it's also stupid-simple to replace in when everyone is done painting the perfect bikeshed. Can you recall any example of anyone replacing a centralized protocol with a decentralized one?

Bluesky.

Re: Bluesky adds direct messages

#57

Post by tedunangst »

ramesh31 wrote: post #45
Barrin92 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I as a developer have yet to even figure out how it's supposed to work You go to https://joinmastodon.org/ , click on "join" (or pick another server if you are adventurous), fill in your username and email and you're good to go. Why do people invent fictional horror stories about a service that's at this point functionally as easy to use as any bog standard website?

>You go to https://joinmastodon.org/ , click on "join" (or pick another server if you are adventurous), fill in your username and email and you're good to go. And that gives me access to the entire service? Or just bits and pieces of it? And how do I find other services? Asking around? Who's seeing my data if I sign up on another server? What are the anonymous operators of said server doing with my password and email…

And you know the answer to all those questions for bluesky?

Re: Bluesky adds direct messages

#59

Post by nwoli »

Kind of lost interest in blueskys future after they announced they hired twitters former trust and safety lead. Twitter has issues today for sure but that isn’t one aspect I’d like back (eg shadowbanning and lying about shadowbanning etc).

Re: Bluesky adds direct messages

#60

Post by wmf »

ethbr1 wrote: post #21
ncallaway wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From using Bluesky it feels like the goal is to build a social media experience that’s as decentralized as possible without sacrificing the user experience. So, they want the experience to be like Twitter for the users that don’t care about decentralization, but to be backed by something like ATProto underneath for those who care. I’d say Mastodon is more “the entire point is that it’s decentralized”. Bluesky it’s a…

When you're competing against goliath first-moved closed platforms, pragmatic eventual-decentralization makes sense. What use is first delivering today's table stakes features 5 years from now, albeit fully decentralized and open?

Twitter is over ten years old so arguably all its competitors are "late". Bluesky doesn't have 5 years of runway though.
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