Mastodawn

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂Apr 3

It didn't take very long...

Special thanks to @mactunag for giving me a heads-up about Bluesky's message on X from November 2025

Sources:
1: https://x.com/bluesky/status/1991513731541647733

2: https://bsky.app/profile/jay.bsky.team/post/3mi5pwoncqs2g

What I find particularly egregious is that Bluesky already had a custom feed builder: #Graze was an independent project that had proved to be super popular. They had raised a million dollars just last year! They even sponsored the AtmosphereConf last week. Then Bluesky PBC steamrolled over them and announced their own project - Attie - powered by AI... at AtmosphereConf (the event where Graze was listed as a major sponsor - you can't make this up).

A developer for ATProto was horrified by this, writing:

"Why would anyone fund an Atmosphere project if Bluesky, with $100 million in the bank, might ship a competing feature at any moment? Why would a founder bet their career on this ecosystem? The presentation didn't just hurt Graze. It made the entire ecosystem look unfundable."

🔗: https://trezy.com/blog/the-marshmallow-test

I am getting A LOT of heat for pointing out shady behaviors by Bluesky PBC. Even from Fedi friends. But I think it's important to be wide-eyed and consider all this mounting evidence of problematic behavior.

#Bluesky #ATproto #openwashing #VC #cryptobros

nickapos Apr 3

@elena @mactunag Corporations always have an agenda. They do not exist to serve their customers but to execute their agenda.
Only open communities exist to serve their members.
That is why most of the time when you buy a product it does not do exactly what you need and you need to adapt yourself to the tool, instead of the other way around.
With open communities and tools adapting the tool to the community is possible.
So BS is now following the ai trend the same way as most corporations try to cram ai tools in places that feel unnatural.

카를로스 Apr 1

@elena Almost 8 out of 10 comments are from people saying they don’t want AI, so it’s pretty clear the Bluesky team isn’t reading the room.

I hope all those people move over to the Fediverse.

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂Apr 1

@iscarlosmolero indeed. related: https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/bluesky-users-disgust-new-ai

Bluesky Users Respond With Overwhelming Disgust to Platform’s New AI

Bluesky's latest foray into AI isn't exactly sitting well with what appears to be the vast majority of the platform's user base.

Futurism

zivi Apr 1

@elena slop, social media flavoured

clonedhuman Apr 1

@elena The bullshit AI that Bluesky is trying to force on users (since they got a bunch of billionaire investment money) is now the second-most blocked account on Bluesky, second only to JD Vance: https://clearsky.app/

ClearSky

ClearSky - Bringing information closer to you

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂Apr 1

@clonedhuman I saw that! Priceless 😂

You can always count on me for looking at #Bluesky critically.

So, it turns out Bain Capital Crypto - who raised 100 MILLION dollars for Bluesky - is still not listing Bluesky in its portfolio: https://baincapitalcrypto.com/portfolio/ 12 MONTHS LATER.

But do you know what else they are funding? SAM ALTMAN's creepy World Network / World Coin. I have no words, truly

Portfolio

Bain Capital Crypto

clonedhuman Apr 1

@elena
I don't think Bluesky ever intended to be the anti-Xitter. They were just the beneficiaries of a bunch of Xitter ex-pats needing a new place to go; I don't think they actually wanted that userbase all that much. They just wanted a high number of users to drive up their value and attract techbro investors. Then the techbro investors showed up and brought their garbage AI with them.

The techbros spread their illness to everything they get their hands on.

I'm quite happy on Mastodon.

@clonedhuman @elena
all I can think about are the people who were trying to get the #fediverse to either be more bluesky-like or were pro-bridge, because they were salivating at the potential for the attention economy.

many of us here want a universal social media network without the shit. we "salivate" at the greater number of users they have and want to connect for that reason, nothing more. please don't slander us.

@wjmaggos @elena @clonedhuman

we "salivate" at the greater number of users they have and want to connect for that reason, nothing more. please don't slander us.What do you need from greater numbers?

a #DemocracyOfReach. where all the people together get to determine what info, ideas and art goes viral in our society/culture, not just "on the internet". we displace the current power of wealth to largely determine that, via mass media ownership or advertising or platform algos. everybody on the fedi with this social news feed connected to all our media consumption apps (and money flowing directly and automatically based on time spent) could make that happen.

@wjmaggos @elena @clonedhuman
So you're argument boils down to monetisation somehow using algorithms put in place by who? Techbroism?

I don't know you from adam but when I have run into this this kind of argument before there is an implicit "getting in on the ground floor" to be royalty later, which is why "numbers" is the first thing mentioned. The numbers being the metric to add gravitas on a platform that uses algorithms which can't distinguish between "good" and "good at gaming the algorithm"

You do you but that's the opposite of what I'm here for.

I think your justified anger at what big tech has done to us leads you to misunderstand me.

I'm fully opposed to algos.

I mention money cause in a better world, creators will still have to be supported. But it should be direct donations for work made open access. Patreon without Patreon or paywalls. Spotify w/o Spotify or their weird math that favors top streamers. 100% of the money to who you consumed that month.

Please try to read me again with less cynicism.

@wjmaggos @elena @clonedhuman

Please try to read me again with less cynicism.ok

So lets start afresh.

Bluesky is about to heavily implement AI, data passing through domains AI controls means that data will be used for AI training without bothering to seek permission. From its inception I fully expected it to pull off the friendly mask at some point down the line.

yes bluesky is already shady and only going to get worse thanks to the VC. I post about this constantly.

I only want all their users here.

@wjmaggos @elena @clonedhuman
then we are in agreement :)

Conny Nasch Apr 1

@elena I have always been wary of bluesky, could it be prescience? 🤔

@elena sic burn

@elena and each day, I like bluesky less and less.

Rí Rua

@elena I remember when Bsky was having a go at Twitter about creating AI features and how it made people, humans, log off.

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂Apr 1

@mactunag ooooh interesting. When was this? I’d love to dig it up (currently planning a long form piece about Bluesky)

Rí Rua

@elena certainly, it's from their x account in 2025 https://x.com/bluesky/status/1991513731541647733

there is also a post from their account in 2024 about not using posts to train GenAI, which I think skirts the issue but barely given that Claude et al vacuum all the information possible https://bsky.app/profile/bsky.app/post/3layuzbto2c2x

Bluesky (@bluesky) on X

every time a software tool adds an AI feature nobody asked for, a human logs off

X (formerly Twitter)

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂Apr 2

@mactunag OMG thank youuuuuu!!! You deserve an award for this!!!

FurballsNHairballs Apr 1

@elena
Until the follower count cult wakes up ,AI is going to take up more and more space and it will end up just like twitter ....full of junk posts.
Bragging about AI is insane,SM was supposed to be about HUMAN interaction,not robots.

Ку 🇧🇬🇪🇺

@elena "Crypto bro money running out. Now soliciting LLM bro money, pls!"

Reid

@kunev @elena as if they're not basically the same people

Ку 🇧🇬🇪🇺

@[email protected] @elena they've so far only invested in their crypto bro capacity. Now they should also do it as LLM bros.

Reid

@kunev @elena I mean, LLMs were kickstarted with crypto fraud money. Let's not forget OpenAI's funding for the first few years came in large part from Alameda Research, FTX's sister company that burned FTX customer funds on dumb shit

jon_bon Apr 1

@elena

So really it's a double use of so called "AI": The software itself is made by Claude. And for the functionality of Bluesky they promote Attie.

Chinga la migra! 🍉🌈Apr 1

@elena this reminded me to close my ignored bluesky account

Galactic Stone Apr 1

@elena Waffles did it for me.

Wizarro Apr 1

@elena Not to mention they use similar addictive algorithms as Twitter. Bluesky is compromised, the only safe haven is the Fediverse! In the words of The Offspring: "You gotta keep it Federated."

https://blog.elenarossini.com/openness-transparency-and-reach-three-reasons-why-public-institutions-should-embrace-the-fediverse/

Wizarro Apr 2

@elena Just in case anybody missed this great article you wrote! Great work btw. 😀

Openness, transparency and reach: three reasons why public institutions should embrace the Fediverse

An article making the case that the Fediverse is a fantastic communication platform for public institutions - because of its openness, transparency and reach.

Elena Rossini

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂Apr 2

@wizarro thank you 🥰