Why I’m using Bluesky

I first heard of Twitter in 2009, when someone mentioned it in a comment on my blog. What made me create an account was when Namecheap announced a contest where they were giving away free credits to buy yourself a domain.

Back then, I didn’t have the means to get my own domain because I was too young to own a card. Asking my parents to let me use their card to buy one was a no-go, because in those days the internet was still a mysterious black box that no one around me trusted. Winning that Twitter contest was my only chance to finally ditch the random subdomain from my hosting platform.

That Christmas I managed to win myself a domain which I was so excited to use on my blog. I wish I could tell you that domain was pawlean.com but it wasn’t — it was something far more embarrassing which I won’t share 😆

Over the years, I kept building my blog, writing daily, replying to comments from the blogging community (“blogosphere”) and teaching myself front-end development along the way with the adjustments I made to my blog.

Twitter was the site I used to share updates of changes I’d made, promote my new posts and read what my blogging friends from all over the world were up to. I enjoyed my friend, Georgie’s tweets the most! I’d tell my real life friends that I had a friend from the other side of the world (in Australia) who I ended up quite literally “growing up with” on the internet.

It felt great to be part of this digital space, surrounded by people I loved interacting with. This was my first real experience of social media—before the complex algorithms and invasive ads.

Back then, it was about people.

It’s funny writing that given that it’s a common theme I’ve come back to time and time again, in my work and elsewhere. We may be onto something here…

My Twitter usage grew over time, alongside my blog and other platforms like LinkedIn. Eventually, I found myself accidentally creating an online presence that quite literally launched my career.

If you told me back then that I’d get hired from a tweet or that my consistent blogging and replying to every single interaction across platforms would put me in rooms I could only dream of, I would’ve probably laughed in your face.

My online spaces will always be important to me as a place for expression, connection and collaboration with people around the world. It’s where my communities are! And so I will always follow my heart (and the vibes) and recently it led me to Bluesky.

I shared some quick thoughts on my Instagram, and got a couple of questions from friends and followers which was actually the inspiration to write this post.

Bluesky Social 🦋

Bluesky stands out because it’s built on the AT Protocol, which makes it more than just another social app—it’s a network of interconnected platforms that allows users to control their online presence. Unlike traditional platforms, Bluesky’s decentralized nature means you’re not locked into one platform’s vision. Instead, you have flexibility and ownership over your content and data, creating a user-centric ecosystem that feels empowering and inclusive.

For me, this means returning to a community-focused social media experience. Bluesky feels like the early internet, where people connected based on shared interests without the distractions of algorithms and ads.

The possibilities feel limitless: a network where your content, profile, and connections move freely, without corporate control. This is exactly the kind of foundation that fosters people-first communities—something I’m excited to be a part of. 💜

My favourite Bluesky resources

• Bluesky App Overview
• Interesting Bluesky dashboards
• Map of every Bluesky account
• Accessibility settings
• Detaching quotes
• Blocking that works
• My first Starter Pack – all the must-follow folks I’d had the pleasure of working with
• Bluesky DNS Configuration on Vercel

Am I off Twitter?

While I’m not leaving Twitter anytime soon, I’m investing more time on Bluesky.

I’m so grateful to Twitter no matter what and will talk about the fun times.

Like when I joked about deleting my account, jumped in a pool after I reached 10k followers, created a thread of my bloopers, curated a wholesome thread of why people follow me or laughed at my own memes [1][2]

…Even sharing big milestones in my life–Twitter knew it first [1][2][3][4][5]

But recent events fully kicked me to seriously looking for a new home to establish my community somewhere else, Bluesky has proved to be the real viable option.

A people-first space that feels authentic, creative, and driven by the users is exactly the kind of platform where I want to continue to build my own online presence and engage with a supportive community. I’m so excited 🫡

“Mr. Bluesky, please tell us why” I didn’t properly start using the platform sooner. 😆 Here’s to blue skies ahead—see you there! 🩵