How to create a daily feed of articles and photos of things that actually interest YOU, without all the craziness and no advertising. This site is fast gaining in popularity, because its better than Twitter/X and Threads.
Why did I start using BlueSky Social?
I keep my Facebook posts limited to my “friends” because making them open to everyone in the public often attracts unwanted attention. BlueSky offers safer public experience with excellent filters to fine-tune your content, allowing you to avoid annoying posts while still seeing those of interest. If you’ve used X (formerly Twitter), you’ll find BlueSky similar but better, thanks to its ability to mute annoying content, including spam accounts.
Exploring BlueSky Without an Account
You can explore BlueSky without even creating an account. Start with this BlueSky link It shows a Discover Tab, which shows various popular posts. You can also use the “Feeds” Tab to search for posts on specific topics like art, science, politics, sports, etc.
LESSON 1 – THE BASICS
If you decide to sign up and create an account, which you can do from the same screen linked above, you’ll be able to set up automatic filters and create posts, known as “skeets” (similar to Twitter’s “tweets”).
While you are creating your new account, it’s a good idea to select items from their list of interests when creating your account to tailor your experience. Happy skeeting! 🌟
It’s a good idea to follow the suggestion in the “Getting Started” panel and find 10 accounts (people) to follow. This helps BlueSky understand what kinds of posts to show you in the Discover Tab, and you’ll see posts from those specific accounts in the Following Tab. Accounts are generally more people-focused rather than topic-specific, so when you follow an account, you’ll see all their posts across various topics of interest. The blue ring in the circle shows your progress in completing this task.
Understanding Hashtags and Feeds on BlueSky
The hashtag (#) symbol at the top and side of BlueSky is your gateway into “feeds.” Feeds are generally based on topics of interest and include posts from many people who share an interest in that topic. The posts shown in the feeds are much broader than the old basic use of the #hashtag keyword approach. Users can create custom feeds by combining multiple hashtags to create a shared personal feed, as well as their own hand-picked posts, which may not even have that keyword in them. Some users also use more advanced computer algorithms with code to curate their feeds.
Basic Etiquette
- LIKES: It’s nice to click the heart “like” icon when you see a post that you appreciate. A “like” does not necessarily mean that you agree with the content of the post, just that you appreciate that it was posted. Posts need at least two likes to be displayed in the “Top” feeds, so it’s a way to measure the degree of interest in that post. You can see the ones not quite there yet by using the Latest Tab in the feeds.
- FOLLOWING: When you decide to “follow” someone, it notifies them that you are following them. If someone follows you, it is courteous to follow them back! However, it’s smart to peek at their profile first to ensure they are the type of person you want to have in the content of your feeds. Unfortunately, some spammers will just follow everything they see to build up artificial status.
LESSON 2
There is so much more to BlueSky Social, so I hope to add more details in subsequent posts for some important topics.
How to remove unwanted content – moderation tools
Editing your posts
There is no “edit” feature. So the only way to edit a post is to delete the original one, and re-post the new version!
Starter Packs
Use “Starter Packs” to quickly find appropriate friends to follow. Use the search icon to search for your keyword and “starter pack” to find list of people to follow for that topic. (e.g. Travel Starter Pack)
- How to automatically block undesirable accounts and people
- Using the “Lists” feature
- Understanding the two types of Feeds
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to make the most out of your BlueSky experience! 🌟
PS: People in Halifax, Nova Scotia may want to start with this feed: HaliSky — Bluesky
LESSON 3 – More technical guide by a BlueSky user
Origins of BlueSky
This formerly “by invitation only” social application was created by a former Twitter/X employee, with a goal to making it more open, and controlled by the end users rather than a single corporation. It has risen to 25 Million users through 2024 from 2 million. The online help is minimal, but improving.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a social app that shows you what YOU want to see, and are prepared to take some time to “train it” about your personality, then this may interest you. There are a growing number of “Retirement” related feeds.
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