Wednesday, May 21, 2025

BBC News asks 'Will Bluesky be able to rival X or Twitter?' A Wayback Wednesday special

Happy Wayback Wednesday! I'm continuing my retrospectives about the 2024-2025 blogging year with another roundup of the popular posts on social media, this time on Bluesky and Twitter/X. Before I do, I'm sharing BBC News asking Will Bluesky be able to rival X or Twitter?

You may have seen the word "Bluesky" popping up on your social media pages.

It is an alternative platform to Elon Musk's X and the company said it is growing rapidly with users and new sign-ups.

So, what is it and why are so many people reportedly joining?
While BBC's subject line asked about Twitter/X, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber compared herself and her running of Bluesky to Mark Zuckerberg of Meta. I plan on getting to Zuckerberg and Meta's legal fight with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Flashback Friday, when I finish this series with the blog's year on Instagram and Threads. For a comparison focused on Twitter/X, I turn to Fast Company explaining Why Everyone Is Leaving X for Bluesky!

The breakdown of Bluesky's ascendant year and what they plan to do next.
That's a good capsule summary that accords with my experience. For more detail, I turn to Virtualization of the Public Sphere - Exodus of Users from X to Bluesky by Atmiki Pai.

Today, we will be discussing the virtualization of the public sphere, taking a deeper dive into the rise and fall of social media platforms.
I agree with the findings about why users left Twitter/X for Bluesky, although the numbers show that Bluesky's growth has slowed. That indicates that the answer to BBC News asking "Will Bluesky be able to rival X or Twitter" is no, not any time soon. That's O.K., for reasons I described in CNBC describes 'How Bluesky Grew From A Twitter Side Project To An X Competitor'.
I've grown my followers faster on Bluesky than I ever did on any other platform. It took me 13 years to get to 1,000 followers on Twitter/X. It took me one month on Bluesky. I now have nearly 3,000 followers two-and-one-half months after I joined. That's almost triple the 1,075 friends and 174 followers I have on Facebook, the next largest audience I have on social media, and that took 17 years to achieve. I'm also getting more engagement in the form of likes, reposts, and replies on Bluesky than X, although Facebook still beats both, but not enough link clicks from Bluesky to register, while X ranks in the top five. I'm not deactivating my X account for just that reason; it's still useful.
Six months after I joined Bluesky, I now have more than 6,300 followers. Bluesky's growth may be slowing down, but mine isn't and I'm getting even more engagement there than on Twitter/X, particularly since only post on the latter once a day while I'm consistently active on Bluesky. It doesn't help that Twitter/X's analytics are now a service for paid subscribers, and I won't pay to support Elon Musk, so they end up being little better than what I can collect from Bluesky for free.

Follow over the jump for the blog's top shares on Bluesky and Twitter/X between March 21, 2024 and March 20, 2025, the 2024-2025 blogging year.


An update on Puerto Rican statehood for Piña Colada Day 2021 from July 10, 2021 and posted January 4, 2025 to Bluesky earned 3 likes, 2 reposts, and 1 reply in 1 thread the first time and 17 likes, the most during January 2025 and blogging year, 3 reposts, second most during the month and tied for second most during the blogging year, and 3 replies in 3 threads the second time.

'Super/Man' wins 6 Critics Choice Documentary Awards, including Best Documentary earned 11 likes, most during November 2024 and second most for year, 3 reposts, tied for most during month and second for the blogging year, and 4 replies in 1 thread, tied for most replies during the month on Bluesky during November 2024.

I shared Rachel Maddow examines Curtis Yarvin, one of JD Vance's influences from October 7, 2024 multiple times on Bluesky since I joined in November 2024. The first share earned 9 likes, 3 reposts, tied for second most during year and most during month, and 4 replies in 3 threads, the most threads for November 2024 and tied for most replies on Bluesky during November 2024. The second earned 10 likes, most during February 2025 and third most during the blogging year, 2 reposts, and 4 replies in 2 threads, the most during February 2025. The third share earned 5 likes, 1 repost, and 22 replies in 3 threads, most replies during first 3 weeks of March 2025 and most replies on Bluesky during the blogging year. The repost earned 7 likes, 3 reposts, and 6 replies in 3 threads, which was the top mention during first 3 weeks of March 2025 and the blogging year.

PBS NewsHour reports 'Saltwater from rising sea levels threatens future of farming along Chesapeake Bay' from January 17, 2025 and posted that day earned 5 likes and 4 reposts, the most for both January 2025 and the blogging year on Bluesky.

The horse is loose in the hospital again from January 21, 2025 earned 7 likes, the second most on Bluesky during January 2025, 3 reposts, tied for most during month and second most during blogging year, and 1 reply.

John Oliver examines mass deportations had 3 likes and 3 reposts, which tied for most reposts during February 2025 and second most during the blogging year on Bluesky.

SciShow explains 'How To Solve Game Theory's Unsolvable Problem,' the Tragedy of the Commons from February 19, 2025 and posted that same day has 3 likes and 3 reposts, tied for most during month and second most during year on Bluesky. One of the reposts earned 4 likes and 2 reposts to be the top mention for February 2025.


The Daily Show examines 'Harris Hunts for a VP' and the Veepstakes from left to center from August 2, 2024 and tweeted on August 4, 2024 was my best share on Twitter/X during August 2024 and the blogging year, earning 4,709 views, most for August 2024 and the blogging year, 3 likes, and 2 replies in 1 thread. The original tweet on August 2, 2024 earned 1,299 views and 2 retweets. The retweet earned 1,168 Views, 1 like, and 1 retweet.

I tweeted Ta-ta Tulsi as Gabbard gives up from March 21, 2020 on August 16, 2024, earning 1,524 views, the second most for August 2024 and year on Twitter/X, 1 retweet, and 1 like. The retweet earned 1,478 Views, the third most for August 2024 and fourth most for the year, and 1 like.

I tweeted Since Trump is acting like Dr. Evil, it's time to read The Evil Overlord List from October 2, 2019 on July 2, 2024, earning 1,510 impressions, first during July 2024 and third most during the blogging year, and 15 engagements, the most during month and year on Twitter/X, including 9 link clicks, most for month and year, 3 profile visits, most for month and year, 2 detail expands, most for month and tied for most during year, and 1 retweet.

I tweeted MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 1 from June 26, 2024 on July 2, 2024. It earned 165 impressions and 12 engagements, the most for July and second most for year on Twitter/X, including 5 retweets, the most for July, 3 likes, the most for July, 2 detail expands, the most for month and tied for most during year, and 1 profile visit, the most for month and second most for year. I tweeted the link again on September 6, 2024, earning 966 views, the most for September 2024, 20 likes, most for both month and year, 9 retweets, most for month and year), and 2 replies in 1 thread. I had shared it earlier on September 1, 2024, earning 8 replies in 1 thread, tied for most replies in a thread during year, and 1 like on 63 views.

I tweeted 'Last Week Tonight' examines food delivery apps from May 13, 2024 that same day. It earned 3 engagements, including 8 replies in 1 thread, which tied for most replies in a thread during the 2024-2025 blogging year on Twitter/X, on 19 impressions.

I tweeted 'The Daily Show' and Stephen Colbert examine Justice Alito's flags from May 24, 2024 that same day, earning 5 engagements, including 9 replies in 5 threads, the most replies for May 2024 and year and most threads for month and tied for most threads for year, on 24 impressions.

I tweeted the British and French election results from July 8, 2024 that same day, earning 57 impressions and 6 replies in 5 threads, tied for most replies for July 2024 and most threads for month and year.

I tweeted MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 4 from July 5, 2024 that same day, earning 22 impressions, 1 retweet, and 6 replies in 5 threads, tied for most replies for July 2024 and most threads for month and year.

I tweeted Randy Rainbow asks 'HOW WILL YOU VOTE?' for Flashback Friday from March 29, 2024 that same day. It earned 40 impressions and 3 total engagements, including 2 media engagements, most for March 2024 and blogging year on Twitter/X and 1 reply in 1 thread.

I tweeted 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning' and 'The Last of Us' lead nominees at the fourth Critics Choice Super Awards from March 30, 2024 that same day, earning 97 impressions and 6 total engagements, including 2 detail expands, tied for most both during March 2024 and most during year, 1 reply in 1 thread, 1 media engagement, 1 link click and 1 hashtag click, the most for March 2024 and the blogging year on Twitter/X.

I tweeted Vox explains 'Why US elections only give you two choices' from April 30, 2024 on May 1, 2024, earning 31 impressions and 2 engagements, including 1 reply in 1 thread. The reply earned 3 engagements, including 1 like, on 10 impressions for a 30.0% engagement rate, the highest recorded during April 2024 and the blogging year on Twitter/X.

Crooks and Liars run by driftglass tweeted the link to Mike's Blog Roundup with link to John Oliver and 'The Daily Show' on RFK Jr. from August 24, 2024 on August 26, 2024 earning 1,240 Views, 3 retweets, 2 likes, and 1 reply for top mention on Twitter/X during the blogging year.

I plan on posting the final installment of this series for Flashback Friday. In the meantime, stay tuned for Throwback Thursday, when I plan on revisiting De-extinction update — dire wolves and woolly mice on International Day for Biological Diversity. While my readers are waiting, they can enjoy Wednesday Addams, the mascot for Wayback Wednesday.


Previous posts in this series Previous retrospectives about Twitter/X Previous retrospectives about Bluesky
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1 comment:

  1. Pinku-SenseiMay 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM

    Thanks to Steve in Manhattan for linking to this entry in Mike's Blog Roundup at Crooks and Liars and a belated welcome to all of his readers who came here from his link. Thanks to you, this entry earned more than 350 page views to become the most read entry posted during May 2025!

    Also, welcome to all my international readers from Singapore, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Austria, Germany, Canada, and the rest of the planet. I'm giving special shout-outs to my Singaporean, Brazilian, and Vietnamese readers, who provided 7,649, 5,033, and 4,757 page views respectively this past week, each more than the 1,984 page views from my American readers! Looks like you're checking in on the mood here in the U.S. May my blog be the right place for you!

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