I’ve been a long time reader/occasional poster on twitter. However it has become increasingly unpleasant, reflecting its increasingly unpleasant owner. So, like many others, I’m heading over to BlueSky, which is, on first look, pleasingly free of pornbots and Russian meme farms.
Is anyone else doing the same? Do say hello: @landocakes.bsky.social
Other social media platforms are available and feel free to punt them here.
Or alternatively, has the whole social media thing had its day?
I’ve been adrift from the socials for some time having ditched Twixxer not long after Musk aquirred it. I was aware of the alternatives but none appealed until BlueSky so I signed up. It reminds me of what Twitter used to be a very long time ago. There are a lot of familiar faces with more appearing on a daily basis. There is a Word starter pack. You’ll find yours truly along with everyone from Archie to Lenny ready to welcome you.
Word starter pack, you say?
silly question but how do I find the starter pack and join?
This is vexing me as I didn’t find it, it found me. I’ve been trying to find a link to it and so far come up with zilch which is frustrating as I know it exists but entering various combinations into the search function isn’t working out. I’ll keep at it though.
https://go.bsky.app/Td7x6Tw
Found it.
Ta mon ami.
Blimey, everybody who is anybody is there..
*waves* The water’s lovely. I found this a really good starter guide. The bit of software it recommends to find those you follow on Twitter is a great bit of kit. Obviously it will only find those who have opened a BlueSky account but I found a quarter of my number at the first pass. You can then repeat the process every few weeks, as more people join.
@pencilsqueezer, @hubert-rawlinson, @slotbadger, see above 👆
Ta Niall
Merci @pencilsqueezer and everyone!
Thanks Niall. 🙏
Thanks.
I don’t know how one becomes involved with a starter pack but should anyone want to follow me then @flyingsaucerboy.bsky.social ought to do it. I can’t promise much.
I ditched Twitter on principle shortly after Musk took over and I’ve recently deleted my account, having stayed off it for months.
Signed up for BlueSky as soon as it was possible and waited ages to get an invite – it’s been fairly slow until recently and is definitely taking off now and many of the people i used to follow are now there.
I didn’t realise there was such a thing as a Word starter pack – will check that out
Reading the words “Twitter…has becomes increasingly unpleasant” on a new thread, had to check the date to ensure it wasn’t one of those zombie topics that keep coming back.
FWIW, here and the below-article comments in The Times are the extent of my social media involvement
I’ve ‘met up’ with @landocakes on blue-sky but I’m not sure how to find this word starter pack.
I’d never used twixxer and threads is bobbins.
I deleted my Twix account when Musk took over and set up camp on Mastodon. Bluesky and Threads launched on the promise that they would offer the ability to interact with people on independent Mastodon servers but that hasn’t come to pass. Bluesky seems pleasant but it’s still funded by Russian Crypto VC types.
https://mastodon.social/@Doctor_J_
I joined BlueSky earlier today. Thought I’d give it a go, even though I rarely used Twitter. Will say hello to you, Lando.
Same here – I’m at
@albumtoalbum.bsky.social
I joined a couple of days ago and thanks to Lenny Law spotting my farewell tweet and following me I’ve found a few of the Word old guard to follow.
I’m @alan-m-1.bsky.social if anyone wants to say hello.
BlueSky is a really nice place full of nice people
..smiling at me. Nothing but BlueSky do I see.
Not for long.
You are missing out. As long as you only select “Following” it’s full of info and fun and quite often quicker news notifications with in- depth analysis at least the equal of most newspapers and media outlets.
The only downside to Following Only is that you are in your own bubble surrounded by like- minded people where we all love each other and rail about Trump and talk about our favourite music….Hold on, hold on.
Not missing out on anything Lodey, Got few enough hours in my days as it is
Fair enough
I joined BlueSky mainly to (a) keep up with MiniBreakfast, the only reason I was on Twix and (b) to interact with listeners to my Charity Shop Classics guest show.
Left unfiltered it’s full of shite (I joined a couple of weeks before the US election) but locked down to people you know is a rather nice bubble.
Is it impolite to ask for Mini’s handle ( Moose, wherefore art thou?)? I did follow her on Twitter…
She’s still on as Car Boot Vinyl Diaries
Of course, more fool me. Cheers
I was never an active participant on Twitter but I did spend way too much time doom-scrolling. Deleted it recently with relief and think I’ll hold off joining BlueSky for now and enjoy a much needed social media and indignation/anger detox.
I haven’t used Twitter for ages – 4 or 5 years. I don’t miss it which is strange because I really enjoyed it at the start. I’m not completely sure it was because it got less pleasant or I got bored. I haven’t really thought about BlueSky. I’m not sure it fills a gap I have.
I have given it a go. Thinking back on how much I enjoyed Twitter, it will be interesting.
@leedsboy.bsky.social
I’m gcu-grey-area@bsky.social
I left twitter last week after 15 years. Even using it in ‘following’ only mode I’d had enough.
I’ve been there for a while but didn’t know there is a Word starter pack! You’ll be hearing from me shortly!
I’ve signed on. I think it’s going to take time to learn how to use it and rebuild the list of follows/followers. I’ll see if it does the job of replacing Twitter.
And how do I get onto the Word Massive list?
@marksay.bsky.social
If you want to be included in the starter pack you need to speak to @hpwonderful.bsky.social
Jings, it’s like 2003 all over again. I’m down as Seuras Og, to tally with fb. Will still answer to retro or even, shhhhhhh, now I’m retired, George, but don’t tell.
None of the twitter type stuff for me. I waste enough time as it is. Those of you eagerly finding people who post here can now find them in 3 places? Facebook also.
You could have just left it at the first sentence. Each to his own, eh?
Quite. Being approximately like minded people it is handy to see who people are following or who is now on the new place who may have migrated with a new handle.
Exactly – it’s been rather fun seeing names that I’ve haven’t heard from in years.
I’m in under my alter ego of Johnaonline. Twitter is a poisonous place – I pretty much only use it follow my football team. BS seemed very empty of life when I signed up a while back but now I’ve found my tribe I’ll use it more often
Just joined. I’m an Afterworder, not a Massive member, but many of yous have kindly followed me back. Judging by my Twitter past, I will post one message, then be dodo dormant until Elon buys this one, but you never know. Can you guess what my handle is?
(Where’s Moose when you need him?)
Not on Bluesky, I’ll be bound.
And Rob C. He was on twitter, but I haven’t heard from him or one of his incarnations in ages.
Just signed up – 3 followers – waves to Pencil , Lee and Niall. And thanks for those tips Niall.
Signed up, joined the AW starter pack. Thanks @pencilsqueezer I would have never have found it.
@wmatt.bsky.social
Same here. But I’ll probably lurk rather than contribute – even more so than here.
@jmceightmv.bsky.social
Looks good so far…I’m signed up as @togsandgarms.bsky.social if in the highly improbable event anyone might be interested!
In today’s Financial Times: “Exciting times indeed, in the rarified atmosphere of what once was the Twitter-zone. X, as the rebranded site is now known, has suffered a further precipitous drop in members, following owner, Elon Musk, openly championing the ultimately successful U.S. presidential campaign of Donald Trump. This drop is dwarfing the earlier losses sustained by the troubled platform, with a scramble taking place for other sites. Notable amongst these is BlueSky, seen to be a less of a political war zone, with perceived fewer “trolls” and “bots”, each features that have proven off putting at Musk’s failing enterprise. A recent development has seen the average age of recruits to BlueSky soar, with the so called “zimmies” embarking en masse. Rather than fans of the elderly protest singer, the Jokerman hitmaker, Bob Dylan, real name Robert Zimmerman, although many are, these represent evacuees from underground pro-age network, The Word, and from the related Afterword. Based originally around a long defunct popular music magazine, they form a potent opinion base, which a spokesman has described as being “like The Oldie, but without the joie de vivre”, these pensioners have been outspoken critics of Musk, Trump and the current state of mainstream musical events, out of their control or influence. It will be interesting how this turns out, and whether this heralds a fracturing of the available vox pop. By contrast, the Jerry Zuckerberg helmed Threads seems mainly to be picking up gen Z participants, leading to a potential area of interface friction between these two available options”
We’re famous!!!!!
I’ve just read the article I think you may be referring to, @retropath2. While there’s a risk of it being an echo chamber, I’d say, why should it? A long as there’s moderation, it’s up to the users how much Torygraph/Spectator/Unherd type posts they let into their ‘progressive’ feed. Thanks, Jemima in Store Newington…
*wanders off to find those feeds*
*comes back* None of the buggers are bothering with Bluesky.
“Spokesman.” Come on cough, who’s the grass?
I cannot tell a lie, the grass was …. eeuurghh, promptly expires.
Pensioners?!
I know. I was shocked. I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.
Will there be Wordle and lists and YouTube posts on Bluesky (Word starter pack)?
Edit on seeing the retro post above: Can we have this as the new staple, please?
“like The Oldie, but without the joie de vivre”
(Old enough for a Saga holiday, but not for me pension)
I imagine you can use it like the Afterworders page on Facebook putting on things don’t need to be posted on here. Little one of things cartoons etc. Certainly it’s easier to post photographs on there and blue-sky etc than it is on here.
Or just to have a ‘chat’ with someone and see how they are and what they’re doing, and at most of our age their ailments.
Do they do group chats on Bluesky? Or maybe we just need a regular Zoom/ Teams drop in link for vocal lol.
Never been on Twatter – never really appealed. Facebook and this place services my social media needs.
But … as I’m seeing more and more posts saying “I’m now on Bluesky” should I pop in and have a look?
The techno-dullard has signed up
@philpelling.bsky.social
What does it all mean, how useful will it be, who knows, who cares, I now have another site to check in on daily
I have just joined as @unclewheaty.bsky.social
6 followers already.
I too have taken the plunge and very nice it seems too – @ martinthegreen.bsky.social
Just joined with the word stater pack . Was on instagram & Threads but didn’t use it much . What is the difference between them all ? Markbut.bsky.social
Tell you what, it’s just plain lovely seeing some names who haven’t been about recently.
Found the Word starter thingy.
sarahg1705.bsky.social
I convinced myself I didn’t want it but then I went ahead and did it just the same.
@austinfis.bsky.social
Ive joined Bluesky and deleted my twitter account having much reduced my usage since Musk take-over, but I think Im going to try to get off these kind of social media platforms altogether. They are a time-suck, addictive and seem to serve no real purpose – ie. I dont think my life is better because of them. Despite what Elon says – they are not a reliable source of news and information. Quite the opposite. I think I’ve decided the problem is not twitter, its social media generally and ultimately the kind of people it attracts.
Um, isn’t this ‘ere social media? (Possibly sequestered media to large)
I have high hopes for Bluesky although I doubt I’ll have any more to say than I did on Twitter, which I never really warmed to. So much anger and posturing.
Thanks @pencilsqueezer for the tip re. the Word gang – great to see some familiar old names on there.
I don’t know how long it will be before toxicity starts to creep in and I sincerely hope that it will be kept to manageable levels but people do have some bad habits. Fingers crossed. I do wonder what exactly their business model looks like because I can’t see it remaing what it currently is, whatever that may be.
Their CEO has been on the ‘Quiet Riot’ podcast talking about how they’ll make money. Not ads or data selling.
Regarding toxicity, the ‘Block’ feature on BlueSky is fantastic; block someone, and you never hear from them again, including if they appear in the timeline of someone you follow.
Yes the blocking function is good. What I like is after blocking a lot of the usual mouthbreathers when I first signed in I haven’t had cause to block any account since so something is working. I hope it works out, I really do.
That’s reassuring – but how are they intending to make money?
One of things their CEO was very keen on was having different levels of functionality. She thinks that content providers, artists and people who make stuff would pay – in some way – for the ability to link to their websites, shops, etc. Your profile on Bluesky would allow you to do this, while what you get from the current site would remain free. Payment might be by subscription, but she also mentioned that Bluesky could take a small percentage of any sales you made.
I’ve got 3 followers. I feel quite giddy. I am @svengarlic.bsky.social. The original Word Blog name. Round here I’ve changed my name so many times now I don’t know what I look like. I am likely not to post but I will look in quite often in hope of enlightenment and laughs.
4 now.
Make that 5.
6 now 👍
You’re up to 8….
You’ve hit 13.
Blimey!
16 now…perhaps neither of us will ever post anything!
Quite possibly. I like the idea of posting artworks as Pencil is doing. Tanita Tikaram does this. There’s a tip for a follow. I think some photos maybe. Not requiring wit or opinion. Brace yourselves.
I’ve no idea who half these people are.
Been great to see all the names and give everyone a hug, but I used twitter for news , informed commentary and Aussie footy – rules and NRL. There doesn’t seem to be much of any of that.
I started by following some news accounts (usual suspects) and also a few journo’s. My feed is ok but I suspect (hope) it will improve as it gets to know me.
It’s worth looking out for more feeds and ‘starter packs’ that take your fancy. Also, follow lots of people. Over-follow at first, and trim the list down to refine your feed.
If you’re using the ‘Following’ tab – which is my preferred – it can seem rather quiet. Like Malc, I was there early on, and have watched my feed get busier.
Also, as there’s no algorithm pushing stuff at the Following feed, so if you like someone’s post, hit the Like button. The number of engagements with a post might seem low compared to twitter, but they’re all real users, and not P0rn-Bot Armies.
Most who have migrated from X seemed to have kept more or less the same handles so are generally very easy to find: the Search bar is your friend. I’m pretty certain I’m following all of the people/sites I had on X.
@australianfootball.bsky.social
That’s not you, is it, you scamp.
I have the same handle as Twitter. For reasons known only to me and a few glasses of whisky it is:
padcrerandbum.bsky.social
Yeah well I never really ‘did’ xitter. Duly added.
p0ns0nby.bsky.social
Been on there for some time, having joined back when you had to be given an invite code to join. It was (unsurprisingly) rather quiet for a while but is really picking up now.
I’m on too.
@mrpaulhewston.bsky.social
I am so innovative with the names I use online.
@mods any chance we can get a link like we have for the other place to post our new items?
The other handy thing is block lists – people have created lists of complete tossers and you can block them all at once.
I’ve followed lots of people I’m interested in beyond the Word/Afterword enclave – I know, I am a slut. Is there a way to pin a list of just Word people and our burblings?
I’ve worked it out. Create a list. Then pin it…
Here’s one I made earlier:
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:42bkhwzv7egnobpvh756kv2r/lists/3lbfayju5ab24
Like many of the prior posters I had resigned my position in the Twitterati some time ago and wasn’t really missing it until someone mentioned Sir Leonard of Law, and Mrs. Valparaiso’s boy. I think what did for me before was increasingly just doomscrolling and building up frustration with the likes of people. This time round I’ve just put it on my phone (which I’m not surgically attached to) and resolved to look at it as more of a magazine in a dentist’s waiting room than an energy vampire to be religiously serviced and maintained. @doyoudoanywings
This might be interesting for the curious. Quick guide on what’s what.
https://little-flying-robots.ghost.io/the-great-bluesky-migration-i-answer-some-of-your-questions/
I confusion. All this blocking and lists of people to block. On Twitter I only look at those I follow so how do the assholes, as described, pollute my feed? Or is it that I might be offended by a comment to a post of mine or by a person i follow? If that happpens and they really piss me off I block em.
Anyone can see, share, quote or comment on your posts, or pop up in the comments on posts you’re looking at. It just means you can remove them completely, en masse if you choose to.
Junior – have you pressed the “Following” tab? If you are on “Articles” you get all the random stuff
I never did Twitter. I have been on Facebook for ages, but I don’t post much snce the Brexit wars, where I go into some right dong dongs, and that’s full of idiots now. This will end up exactly the same.
Hands up who remembers our old pal Vim Fuego? Well he’s on BlueSky now and would really dig getting in touch with folk his handle is @joefuego.bsky.social
I like it so far, and digging in to the technical side of it, it seems less likely in the future to be controlled by a socially inadequate rich berk.
Just a, perhaps unkind, thought – whilst it’s lovely to see all those AWers over on BSky let’s not forget that almost all of them no longer frequent this forum. I’m really liking BSky as a safe new place to get informed opinion (and lots of silly laughs as well) but our pub is still where I spend most of my internet time. The majority of the big hitters continue to ignore this site, more fool them.
Some of them moved away because they didn’t like our interesting new direction at the time. I’ll say no more.
Say more, please
Wasn’t it the sad effects of the cocaine?
Indeed? I’m also interested – what was the new direction which chased them all away?
@allium-sativum
Don’t leave us hanging …
What on Earth is a “big hitter”
To me it means those who seemed to treat this place as a private gentleman’s club rather than a pub where anyone could talk whatever bollocks they liked.
Quitting X for Bluesky is the very much the current “thing to do”. Surely all the nasty rudies who filled X with their insults will be following the masses too? And will the fact that Bluesky is literally run by angels really make it so different to the one run by the billionaire antichrist? I’m too lazy to investigate a new format and I only use X for news, never joining in. Plus I’m a satanist.
I think they have a starter pack for satanists.
I struggle because I have no idea what to do. What’s a follower? How do I retw**t? Can I add a Tidal playlist or a YouTube clip to posts? If I press the wrong button, will I start a nuclear war?
Calm down now. Calm down.
A follower is someone or other entity that follows your account. That means they can see what you post the same way you can see the posts of the people or other entities you follow. If you don’t want them following you then block them or if you just don’t want to see their posts mute them.
To repost something you like or think others might find interesting or appealing just click on the two little arrow symbols that are under each post. Don’t forget to click the heart symbol before you do as that is considered only polite.
Adding Tidal playlists or anything else means adding those items onto your device’s clipboard (copy link). Once you open BlueSky and click on post the link from your clipboard will appear, click on that and voilà Bob is your gender reassigned auntie.
Finally you really can’t break anything. If you have second thoughts about anything you have posted or just want a bit of a tidy up you can always just delete that individual post.
Hope that helps.
Thank you. That does help. But, there could still be a nuclear war?
Yep but if that happens at least we’ll know who to blame.
That Putin fella really hates being unfollowed, doesn’t he?
I just have him muted. There are only so many Pussy Riot videos one man can stand.
I have mutes on
Elon
Musk
Farage
Boris
Cat
So far which seems to be working well.
😿
What has the ILMDHM ever done to you, @twang ?
There still could, Tiggs, but rest assured that you didn’t start it.
“Calm down now. Calm down”.
You missed an open goal – “Easy, tig(g)er” would have been my approach.
I have ended up following over 800, mainly climate scientists, which I think is too much. I may put them into feeds and unfollow unless they are really exciting. I wouldn’t unfollow you lot though – I need my daily lolz.
I heard him in a Scouse accent.
Ey! Ey! Ey! From now on, pencilsqueezer’s words will have a Liverpudlean tone in my ear. Can we get him a bubble perm and a tache?
That’d be dead sound that would la.
Im there as @spoodledude.bsky.social
For those interested, it’s possible to turn a ‘starter pack’ into a ‘list’ without having to follow all or any of the starter pack members.
More information here:
https://nws-bot.us/bskyStarterPack.php
I don’t really get the mute thing. If I see something from someone with a different political bent to me I am interested to know what their thinking is, whether I agree with it or not.
That’s fine and entirely up to you. Personally I’ve been listening to what the Right have got to say for all of my life and I don’t feel any need to spend anymore of my precious time listening to them. I know what they think. I know I will disagree. There is absolutely nothing any of them can say that will change my mind and vice versa. So I prefer to utilise that space to post stuff about music, art, books, film and general silly stuff. The occasional piece usually from Hope Not Hate may get reposted by me but that’s because I support their work. Everyone gets to make of it what they want. There isn’t a right way or a wrong way there’s just your way.
Fair enough. I change my mind according to the last thing I read. Not sure if that’s a strength or a weakness 🫤
I guess at 68 I’m stuck in my ways although to be entirely honest I’ve been a pinko woke lefty ever since I started paying attention. I have no problems at all with hearing alternative views to my own firmly held beliefs but I don’t like extremists of either persuasion forcing their objectional and often downright insane ideas upon me while virtually spitting in my face for simply having the temerity to exist and hold opinions contrary to theirs and that’s what Twitter turned into and that’s why I left. If BlueSky goes the same way I’ll leave that too. As for BlueSky being an echo chamber then so what? It’s not as if the net or elsewhere is short of Right Wing echo chambers and it is amusing watching some on the Right chucking toddler tantrums because they are being chucked off the platform simply because they have gotten so used to spewing their hateful rhetoric without being moderated and are now finding out that there is a site that so far won’t tolerate that sort of behaviour. Long may that continue. I don’t seek out their company in my real life and I feel no need to spend time amongst them online. I’m fussy about the company I keep. I don’t apologise for that.
And relax. That was a bit of a rant. Sorry.
Ah, okay. This explains a lot.
Hello! and Sorry!
@mod-team-2 is there a way to embed Bluesky posts? It looks site-dependent from what I’ve read.