The article discusses Bluesky, a social media platform launched as an alternative to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, which has experienced significant growth following the recent elections. Initially designed to control its growth, Bluesky has surged to over 15 million users amid discontent with other social media platforms, prompting a rapid scaling of operations. Despite this success, Bluesky’s small team faces challenges related to site outages, content moderation, and cultural clashes between long-time users and newcomers. Founded on the principle of decentralization and user control through an open protocol, the platform aims to offer a more customizable and user-friendly social media experience, distinguishing itself from its competitors. As rival platforms take notice and attempt to imitate some of its features, Bluesky’s executives emphasize their commitment to fostering a developer-friendly ecosystem.

Key Points:

• Bluesky's user base grew to over 15 million following the election, doubling in a short time.
• The platform was initially launched as an invitation-only prototype to manage growth.
• Bluesky is experiencing "growing pains," including site outages and content moderation challenges due to rapid user influx.
• The platform is built on an open protocol, enabling user control and customization, contrasting with the "walled garden" approach of competitors like Facebook.
• Bluesky emphasized a non-exploitative approach, planning not to use user data for AI training.
• Cultural clashes have arisen between established and new users, prompting Bluesky to consider additional features to enhance user experience.
• Rivals, including Threads, are taking notice of Bluesky's features and user growth.
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