Jack Dorsey stepped down from the Bluesky board and deactivated his account this week, citing concerns that the organization is repeating the same errors that occurred at Twitter.
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter (now X), and the founder of its rival, Bluesky, recently stepped down from the Bluesky board and deleted his account, signaling significant discontent with the direction the company was taking. His departure comes at a crucial juncture for the social media startup, which was initially conceived as a pioneering open-source protocol for social media platforms.
Background of Bluesky
Bluesky began in 2019 within Twitter as a small research project aimed at developing a common operating standard that would allow for interoperability among social media platforms. The vision was to create an environment where different platforms could seamlessly interact, enhancing user experience and broadening connectivity options across the digital space. In 2022, Bluesky transitioned into a standalone company, and by July 2023, it had secured $8 million in venture capital.
The Pivot and Problems
According to Dorsey, the original intent for Bluesky was never to become a standalone platform with its own board and external funding. He envisioned Bluesky as a decentralized protocol that Twitter and other platforms could adopt to foster a more open and interconnected digital ecosystem. However, as Bluesky evolved, it adopted a more traditional corporate structure and began implementing features that Dorsey found contradictory to the foundational principles of decentralization.
One of the main issues that prompted Dorsey’s departure was the implementation of content moderation tools. Bluesky’s move to introduce these tools and start moderating content was, to Dorsey, a step back towards the conventional social media model, laden with the same pitfalls he had hoped to avoid. This approach starkly contrasted with the decentralized ethos he advocated, which would ideally limit central control and censorship.
Dorsey’s Critique and Bluesky’s Defense
In his interview with Mike Solana from Founders Fund, Dorsey expressed his disillusionment, stating that Bluesky was “literally repeating all the mistakes we made at Twitter.” He highlighted that the development of another app, rather than a protocol, with centralized control over content and user interaction was a significant misstep.
In response, Bluesky’s CEO, Jay Graber, defended the company’s strategy. Graber emphasized that Bluesky’s infrastructure was designed to be inherently open and more structurally transparent than Twitter has ever been. He argued that while Bluesky offers a straightforward, user-friendly interface, it also provides extensive customization options for those who wish to dive deeper, thereby maintaining a balance between accessibility and advanced functionality.
Paul Frazee, Bluesky’s protocol engineer, also weighed in, criticizing the notion of completely unmoderated spaces as unrealistic and unfeasible given app store regulations and broader social responsibilities.
Market Reaction and Future Prospects
The market and broader social media community have had mixed reactions to Dorsey’s departure. While some applaud his staunch support for decentralization, others are skeptical about the feasibility of a completely decentralized social network, given the practical challenges of regulation and user safety.
Going forward, Bluesky’s challenge will be to navigate these criticisms while continuing to innovate in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving market. Whether it can reconcile the tension between decentralization and the need for some level of moderation and control will be crucial to its success and could potentially set a precedent for future developments in the social media industry.
As Dorsey aptly put it in his final post on X, “Show don’t tell,” suggesting that Bluesky’s success will ultimately depend on its actions and the practical realization of its foundational ideals, rather than its stated intentions. This departure and the discussions it has sparked could be pivotal in shaping the future dynamics of how social media platforms operate and are perceived in terms of user governance and data control.
