Bluesky, a social networking startup and competitor to X, is taking steps to create a less toxic environment for its users. The company has introduced several anti-abuse features, including the ability to hide replies and detach original posts from quote posts. These features aim to reduce the prevalence of “dunk tweets,” which involve mocking or disparaging someone’s post in a way that invites further insults and abusive remarks.
The detach quote feature, now available in Bluesky’s latest release, allows users to view all quote posts associated with a specific post and remove their original post from someone’s quote. This gives users more control over the conversations they start, limiting harassment and dog-piling. However, it’s important to note that screenshotting to dunk on posts will still be possible.
Another X competitor, Meta’s Threads, also offers tools that allow users to change who can reply to or quote their posts. While the detach quote feature may limit the correction or clarification of misinformation through quote posts, Bluesky intends to rely on labeling services provided by moderation teams. Unlike X and Facebook, Bluesky doesn’t have a centralized moderation team and instead encourages developers and communities to build their own labeling and moderation tools.
Bluesky also plans to integrate a Community Notes-like feature in the future. Community Notes on X serve as a crowd-sourced form of fact-checking that finds consensus among individuals with different views. This feature could enhance the reliability of information shared on Bluesky’s platform.
Additionally, Bluesky has introduced the ability to hide replies on users’ own posts. These hidden replies will still be public but placed behind a “Hidden replies” screen, discouraging users from reading spam or unhelpful remarks. Priority notifications will also be available, allowing users to receive notifications only from people they follow. This can help users with larger followings focus on the replies and updates they find most valuable.
Bluesky is committed to adding more options for notifications in the future. The company is also changing how replies appear in users’ timelines. Instead of showing every reply in the Following feed, only replies involving at least two people users follow will be displayed. This change allows users to reply to their older posts and have them bumped to the top of their followers’ feeds without reposting. However, some users have expressed concerns about this change, as it may make it harder to find interesting conversations to participate in. Bluesky has stated that it will listen to user feedback and may consider rolling back the changes if there is enough backlash.
Overall, Bluesky’s new features demonstrate its commitment to creating a more positive and inclusive social networking experience. By addressing issues like abuse, harassment, and misinformation, Bluesky aims to foster healthier conversations and provide users with greater control over their online interactions.