Bluesky is a relatively new social media platform from the creators of twitter/x. It's a familiar interface that seeks to provide a haven for those who need a respite from existing social media offerings. Additionally, Bluesky is an excellent space for education professionals.
If you're thinking about migrating or just trying out Bluesky, here are some things you should know!
What is blue sky?
blue sky is a social media platform used to make short comments on a variety of topics. The platform is similar to other popular forms of social media, so if you're already familiar with using services like facebook or x, Bluesky will feel natural to you.
Your feed will show the accounts you follow and will be updated periodically. One way to curate your feed based on what you want to see at any given time is by creating custom feeds. Bluesky offers you the algorithm specificallyrather than using a general algorithm for the entire site.
What makes Bluesky different?
Bluesky is designed with accessibility in mind. The platform was created using what is known as the AT Protocol. This means that Bluesky is as transparent as possible in its creation and use. Consequently, its use for educational purposes, group meetings and other instances will be much more uniform and secure than with other platforms.
Unlike other forms of social media, the AT Protocol allows your information to be accessible and not locked within the platform. If you've ever felt uncomfortable with a company having sensitive information about you on its networks (and if you decide to go elsewhere, your information will stay with that company), then Bluesky should put you at ease. If you decided to move to another platform, your information will go with you.
Starting a social media account can be a daunting task, especially if you've had existing profiles for years. Bluesky not only provides a family network to stay in touch with friends and family, get news and information or collaborate with colleagues, but it also allows you to keep your personal information safe and secure.
How to use Bluesky
First, start by creating a profile with your information, as you would with any other social media platform. After setting up your profile, confirm your email address and you're done!
As with other social networks, you can post comments, images, links, videos, and other content. You can also search for posts by hashtags and users.
According to the Bluesky support site, there are currently no plans to be able to make your profile private. As Bluesky is a public platform, posts and certain actions (such as likes or blocks) are made public.
Deleted posts are said to also be removed from Bluesky's servers, removing all traces of the information you no longer wish to have on the site.
If necessary, you can also request your information from Bluesky.
Once you have an account, you can moderate others' posts, including blocking them, muting them, and flagging them for abuse. To learn more about creating custom feeds and adjusting the type of information your feed receives (and more about moderation), you can visit here.
Many users offer starter packs, which are a curated collection of favorite or related accounts that you can follow. And of course, once you're officially on Bluesky, we encourage you to follow technology and learning on Bluesky!
How can educators use Bluesky?
In addition to following specific users, such as Bluesky Education Peepso tech & Learning as mentioned above, users can search education related topics by hastag (#), such as #edtech, #STEMeither #ai. Users can also participate in public discussions about education, teaching, educational technology, and more, and find all kinds of teaching advice, best practices, and suggestions.
Like twitter/x, Bluesky also displays “trending” topics on the platform, so it can be used to help students explore current events and happenings. Until now, Bluesky has been a more transparent and closely monitored platform, so much of the nasty bot-generated content is not present.
