Bluesky and Enshittification
16 days ago
- #federation
- #enshittification
- #Bluesky
- Bluesky's technical work on moderation and ranking is admired, but concerns about enshittification persist.
- The author refuses to join Bluesky due to the risk of being locked in and losing audience access.
- Enshittification occurs when platforms prioritize profits over user experience, often under investor pressure.
- Federation, like Mastodon's ActivityPub, allows users to leave without switching costs, preventing enshittification.
- Bluesky lacks critical federation features, making it a potential trap despite its CEO's good intentions.
- A Ulysses Pact—self-imposed constraints—helps resist enshittification by making harmful compromises costly.
- VC investment doesn't guarantee enshittification, but leverage over platform decisions increases the risk.
- The author's rule: only join services that allow easy exit to avoid being trapped.