I have yet to see any drama, and you can mute the content you don't want to see, but it's entirely your choice.

Same. I hadn't heard of it being known for any of these things, and all of the default settings block objectionable stuff. So you'd have to choose to see it.

Agreed. With most social media, you get out what you put in. You want to fight and argue? The algorithms will feed you more of it. Don't want to? You can avoid it by not interacting with it or by using content filters.

Lot of folks telling on themselves based on their experiences.

The problem is that I get people asking me elsewhere why I am not on there. Clearly I have to be there if I support them. If you don't, then you are an enemy to the world. It is literally obey and join or you are a horrible person. People that don't know me personally have already decided for me what I must do. Comply or face oblivion.

And these same people don't understand their actions and behavior is why I don't join such.

Oh I mean I don't mind if you don't want to join it. I just, like... Well, I joined Bluesky. I wasn't posting about it particularly, I've only added like 9 people so far, and I'm not checking people's cards to see if they did or not.

I didn't join it looking for cliques, political extremism or fetish groups. But your journal says to me: "it is probably best for [shaytalis] to [join bluesky]. From the cliques, political extremes and fetish groups that Bluesky has become known for, then Twitter wasn't really a good fit for [shaytalis] and it's good that [shaytalis] can go to a place they feel more welcome to express their interests."

I realize that I probably wasn't the target of your message, personally, but you rolled me up into one big target with everyone else. And I'm not "one of the good ones" who is an "exception to the rule," as far as I've seen.

People are free to do as they will. It is when they become intolerant or respectful of others' choice to not participate that becomes a problem.

It is nearly impossible to stay on the sidelines. I just want to post silly pictures.

That's cool! I just didn't understand the need for a journal insulting everyone who joined Bluesky and calling us political extremist fetish clique enthusiasts. XD Kind of unexpected and hurtful. I wasn't sure if I wanted to even respond to it, but I figured since we've known each other for like 12 years I should let you know this hurt.

It wasn't meant to be targeted at anyone other than explain why I am not there due to the intolerant members insisting I join and become like them or else.

Any site will gather different types of people. Right the site is gaining a negative reputation that I hope gets addressed. It only takes a few bad members to ruin it for everyone else.

Fortunately I don't think that reputation is very widespread, as I'd never heard anyone make any of those claims until your journal. So hopefully it will weather the storm.

This.. This is why I still don't have a [Twitter] account. My house-mates are all on there, and so want me on as well so I 'know what's going on'.. But I live in the same House with these people! I am Seldom elsewhere, so I can't simply just be Talked To? Ugh.

Then you are not putting any time in there and don't be so dismissive

I wasn't being dismissive, and I check the site multiple times a day, as I do with every site I'm on. Maybe don't make uninformed assertions?

A sound policy.

I'm on Bluesky (@timkangaroo.bsky.social), but mainly just to homestead my brand, so to speak. I'm not a fan of Twitter and even less of a fan of its current owner. But I'm staying there for pretty much the same reason I'm staying here on FurAffinity: For all its warts, it's still a useful platform, has a considerable reach and a large base of users. Plus, I have built up a sizeable following over the years that I am not going to abandon overnight.

There may come a time in the future when I might need to consider moving on. But that time ain't right now.

Did you get an email acknowledging your application to the beta? So many folks seem to have bluesky now, maybe I mistyped my address.

I was worried about re-applying to the beta in case it slipped me down the queue, but maybe that's just paranoia.

Most of the people who are in have gotten invite codes from the people who got in via the waitlist.

I suppose it makes sense, since it's about building networks.

Still, it's frustrating not even to be able to see in from outside - though there again, that access might swamp their servers.

I got an invite from a friend.

Frankly, there's not much there right now. It's like Twitter, only with a whole lot less traffic. That is either good or bad, depending on your viewpoint.

Good to know, thanks. I wonder when they'll open the protocol, and whether it federates.

I guess I'm not following those people on BS as I ahven't noticed any cliques, political extremes, etc. among those I follow. (shrug) I remain on Twitter to, for now, but the way the owner is handling his "new toy" I wonder how much longer it will survive.

This

Bluesky is going to become just as bad as Twitter, because the problem with Twitter is its users. X isn't going to improve because they left, either, because most of what makes Twitter what it is, is the very thing that makes it horrible.

Twitter started life as a site where you could post about the size and shape of the turd you dropped this morning, and pretend like people cared. It was never destined for greatness.

As more and more people dogpiled onto it, it then became a sewer full of weird political cults, celebrity circlejerking, a PR front for massive corporations (Twitter is Edward Bernays wet dream) and more than anything else... A platform for witch hunts, and moral panics.

I don't know why people think Bluesky is going to somehow fix anything. The people flocking to Bluesky are going to take Twitter with them. Bluesky will become the new Twitter, it will be horrible and toxic, filled to the brim with the same insane mass formation politics, if perhaps less corporatism.

X meanwhile, will likely just become an empty corporate shell, where random people occasionally interact with giant corporate brands, or maybe their grandma because she doesn't know anything else exists.

The truth is, nothing is really going to change. Social media was a mistake and it would be better for everyone if it collapsed in on itself, and took all the ideological mobs and corporate mass PR with it... But unfortunately too much money has been invested into it for that to ever happen.

In fact, I wont be surprised if X and other social media attempt to use their connections to wage cancel culture on Bluesky, as a means to force people back onto their platforms, where they can continue to feed them advertising.

Twitter's problem is shitty people like Musk. And people that worship Musk are probably not going to move to BlueSky, so we'll be just fine.

Twitter's problem is Twitter. Twitter was a dumpster fire long before Musk had even so much as considered buying it.

Musk is being used as a scapegoat by people who can't admit to themselves that they're part of the problem.

People like to call Twitter a "dumpster fire" because they personally had a bad experience. Let me assure you it never was. I will acknowledge its problems but I would be crazy to ignore Musk's introduction to the site. He has made it worse, ruined verification, monetized messaging and views, doesn't fucking pay rent, and treats employees like garbage.

At least Jack wasn't a total dick. But he shouldn't have sold to an egotistical brat.

No, it is absolutely a dumpster fire. Twitter and sites like it are the breeding ground of every McCarthyite political mob we've seen in the past decade.

Social media- Not just Twitter- is breeding like 5 different hyper-aggressive authoritarian mobs in broad daylight at any given time, and people are standing around going "this is fine" because their particular ideological mob is currently favored by whoever is running their preferred site.

No, this is not fine. It's time to put out the fire. Twitter did not improve or become worse because it switched between billionaires with different authoritarian social agendas.

EX0Fox since you got butthurt this response is for you.

Twitter and Facebook have both implemented a form of "fact checking" which does in fact make them better but I suspect you're against this for some reason. Now, I have gripes with both sites. Twitter for blocking my access for a tame profile banner and permanent ban for telling off a political opponent's supporter. Facebook for suspensions over minor swears and offensive words that are most often responses to bullies.

But what they both do well is allow people to connect and interact with friends and family online. That's why I maintain accounts on these sites. Neither sites I would consider "perfect" or "fine" and leadership could be doing a much better job. Not much of a fan of Zuckerberg either.

By the way McCarthy was a bum and is probably partly the reason losers label everything they hate "socialism" nowadays.

And good job comparing two billionaires, only Jack Dorsey has maybe 1-2% of Musk's worth. Big difference.

The fact you trust massive corporations to fact check, enormous business entities driven primarily by greed and most certainly not some higher concept like truth or a respect for free and open access to information... It says more about you than I think you realize.

Now you're trying to argue that your billionaire isn't as billionaire as the other billionaire, when both of them have a type of power and wealth neither of us could even dream of.

The rich today are so far separated in wealth and power from the average person, that it's actually a struggle to quantify that wealth and power, due to just how large and varied the forms it comes in are.

These people were not elected. They are not upholding some great virtues. The difference between Musk and Jack- by the way, you started the comparison not me- Is that Jack was kinder to your biases, your convenient half truths, your preferred narratives.

Well, I've heard MAGA clowns make the same argument you are, trying to tell me about how Musk saved Twitter, how he showed those awful commies what for... At least until it became obvious that Musk and Twitter are still beholden to much of the same authority exerted by investors and the capital class, and that ultimately nothing major has actually changed.

I cannot believe you're actually comparing me to MAGA, when I in fact hate Trump, Musk, and any extreme right wing chuds.

I don't "trust" massive corporations to do anything. The fact that they added disclaimers was a nicety. And it says a lot that you think some random Facebook hillbilly is telling the truth. People on there, especially older generations, are off their rocker.

I don't particularly know Jack's personality but I do think he was stupid to sell to Musk, that's not quite loving him. I only brought up his wealth difference because you flat-out stated they were both billionaires. Personally, I believe both should be paying a lot of taxes if they aren't already (and I'm fairly certain Musk isn't)

Jack Dorsey was kinder overall, not just to what you believe are "my biases" lol and as much as billionaires can be and are out of touch, a little bit of kindness and civility can go a long way.

Musk is held to the same authority as investors...sure he is but that doesn't mean he can't make changes with the company and the website/app, which he has. Ridiculously stupid changes, that have driven traffic to alternatives like BlueSky and Mastodon. My watch list on BlueSky is about half of my Twitter, so it has been gaining traction. And if Twitter doesn't remove my block for my tame banner picture, my move to BlueSky may make me drop Twitter altogether.

I find the people who openly virtue signal that they hate MAGA and Trump are almost always the most similar to them. It's almost like watching two sports teams try to brawl with each other.

You have your "truth," and they have theirs. I find both of your information woefully incomplete, your politics hostile and aggressive, and your false narratives incredibly dangerous.

Well sadly you are mistaken. You don't know me outside of this argument right here. At most I've got a short fuse and filthy mouth.

Hey, both of you, this is exactly the sort of back and forth negative one upsmanship I try to avoid on social platforms.

You are not going to agree with each other, and that is a good thing. We need different opinions and view points to effect change and progress. But there comes a time when you realize you are not making any progress and it is time to step back, hands up, respect each other's differences and move on.

Unless it is about mint, in which case I will BURY anyone that disagrees in the best flavor ever.

Mint is the best flavor, have you tried Ben & Jerry's Thick Mint? It tastes exactly like the Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mints. Delicious.

I take arguments way too far, this is a fault you know of me and I apologize for that.

Instant reactions and postings gets us all in trouble. Sometimes it helps to wait an hour before responding. I often wait a day before responding to any hot topic. Frequently I just don't end up responding at all as it really wasn't that important anyways.

Mint ice cream with butterscotch syrup is my faaaaavorite.

Oh, please. Twitter was a toxic cesspool long before Musk even thought about buying it; "X"-witter didn't suddenly become a terrible place just because of him.

EX0Fox has it right -- (anti)social media should be burnt to the ground, and the ashes sown with salt. If simultaneous meteor strikes obliterated the data centers for Xwitter, Fakebook, TikTok, Bluesky, Instagram, and all the rest, the world would be better off for it.

This is not referring to MadHentaiRabbit, but I am using this as a point to post why all the comments were deleted.

Right guys, I hid all your comments as you two were just reacting off each other as personal affronts instead of moving forward.

I don't play the block/unblock blame game. So cut it out.

Extremists feed on self created angst and drama. If they cannot be outraged about something and complain about it, they really have no self value to offer. Let them sit in a spot all together and they can spout off, but no real reaction and it becomes stale and dead.

I'm surprised Twitter hasn't completely imploded with Musk's leadership and misguided changes but that's just me.

Twitter blocked my access for my banner, which is harmless. Says a lot about its shitty moderation policies.

Well, to be fair you tend to post rather controversial content that attracts noisy people. People will react and it gets awkward.

I dunno what's controversial about my stuff, I tend to shy away from adult rated pieces.

This particular piece was just a plushification: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/53377466/

You are not shy in sharing your political views and politics will always polarize and excite people.
Politics, sports teams, car brands soda flavors, all will have their strong supporters.

My political views may be strong but it wasn't the reason for my Twitter lock. I do try to keep that to a minimum on BlueSky though.

*golf claps* *Chefs kiss* Twitter/X is still a damn dumpster fire. Bluesky will likely go the same way "A Wretched hive of scum and villainy" cause certain people just cannot go a day without endlessly arguing.

A good policy, you do you. I don't know why people in the comments need to say more than that, let alone start pointless arguments.. :(

He's free to do what he wants but I think he's a bit misinformed about BlueSky. It's not nearly as political or drama-filled as Twitter can be.

Honestly I'd prefer most artists would maintain most of their presence here anyway. It's easier to keep track of their work in a gallery setting.

I have been pressured heavily to join Bluesky to support this or that group, and if I don't they will work to take me down. And I don't really respond well to anyone trying to force me to their cause regardless of what it is.

It seems like the most extreme and problematic people of Twitter and Mastadon left to go to Bluesky and I just font feel the need to follow.

I don't care if you join BlueSky. I will follow you if you do, but I don't expect all the people I currently follow to join. But I can assure you there's a lot of people who you wouldn't consider extreme or problematic on the site. Probably around half of the people I follow on Twitter (seriously).

Mastodon was okay but I find its decentralization of the servers a bit annoying; it makes the whole thing harder to use.

That's honestly how I felt about mastodon instances. Everyone inviting you to theirs or the one they reg'd to expecting you to follow suit, or else face backlash. I'll stick with FA for art stuff, just feels like an overall better environment.

I'm not really a big social media fan, I only ever joined Twitter to do word sprints during NaNo, and I haven't done that in a long time either. I don't even remember my password for Twitter and cannot be bothered to look it up, haha. I only stay on there to reserve my username so nobody can take it and pretend to be me, haha. ... Like that would ever happen with how unknown I am, but whatevs. Haven't decided whether I'm going to join Bluesky or not...probably not...mainly because it would sit around and not get used anyway, haha. But I have heard bad things about them, too, though I don't know if they're true or not.

Are you on the fediverse? Seems like it's more likely to stick around since Bluesky's already looking for advertisers and a buyer.

Never heard of it, and no, not looking to join.

I'm good being off on the sidelines. Much more peaceful.

You sure know how to start some interesting conversations.

I was gonna say something bout standing your ground but your comment "being off on the sidelines" is more in line with my view of things. I've been around here for maybe 13 years and I watched the "mass exodus" to Weasyl, (and I think there was another exodus or two along the way also), and then the slow crawl back of most. Kinda like watching the stock market. Actually I was a member of Weasyl early on and I saw huge potential... then they decided to open the floodgates to be fair to everyone and it quickly became a cesspool.

Anyway, keep kicking... and I so love your work.

Amen.

I keep seeing all this kerfuffle about how bad Twitter is and what new, horrible policy they want to implement, only to see it fact-checked as a soundbite taken out of context.

I'm on Twitter because I've had it for 13 years or some such. I used to sign up for every new furry site to hold my name, but seeing the number of the rise then fall, I gave up on that years ago.

Bluesky is going to be like Weasyl was to FA. This "great new site that has everything you want" that will attract a lot of people initially, but people will still realize that most of the audience never moved over.

And as another user here pointed out, the problem with Twitter is a problem inherent with all social media, and once people get over the rose-colored lens of 'not-Twitter', they'll find the same thing they complained about on Twitter.

Your "Bluesky is going to be like Weasyl was to FA" analogy is spot on.

I need to hop on here more often. Miss talking to ya!

You're on the Telegram channel for the roos too, yessssss?

Yeah, the people leaving Twitter are the ones that are causing all the trouble.

To be honest? Good riddance, go cause trouble on Bluesky and turn it into the cesspool instead.

Well, Twitters is still around and functional anyway, even if not necessarily in the best state. Just glad that you're still around in a way or another, i always have found your art super lovely, and we never have enough roo around! ^^