Current Trending 'X'/twitter eXodus | Where to? Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon or alternative?

Dohnjoe

As predicted, Russians already have a disinfo campaign going on Bluesky

https://today.rtl.lu/news/business-and-tech/a/2266028.html

"Disinformation similar to the pro-Russian "Matryoshka" campaign is emerging on Bluesky, using deepfakes and fake profiles to spread pro-Russian messages, prompting calls for more proactive action from the platform.

The first symptoms of disinformation are emerging on the social media network Bluesky, with echoes of the pro-Russian "Matryoshka" campaign that flooded Elon Musk's X -- but with a few twists.

The @antibot4navalny collective, which specialises in tracking influence operations, revealed the extent of the so-called "Russian doll" campaign last year.

In recent weeks, there are indications of a similar phenomenon on the new US network Bluesky, which claimed to have some 26 million users by the end of December last year, many of them disillusioned former members of X.

The data, analysed by AFP, show dozens of posts with a similar pattern, consisting of calling out media asking them to verify disinformation.

The twist is that on Bluesky, as well as sometimes imitating content from media outlets, certain posts use artificial intelligence to impersonate universities.

In essence, the aim seems always the same: to present Russia in a favourable light, while criticising Western support for Ukraine and often castigating a favourite target -- French President Emmanuel Macron.

The accounts used have all the characteristics of pro-Russian "bots" -- fake profiles used to artificially increase the visibility of posts, argued Eliot Higgins, the co-founder of open-source investigation group Bellingcat, last month."

corkie

@Dohnjoe Saw the reported earlier in the week! And the account mentioned has already blocks in place for that content?

https://bsky.app/profile/antibot4navalny.bsky.social/post/3lfdazmbots22

corkie

https://bsky.app/profile/corkiejp.bsky.social/post/3lfibmnjhb22b

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1B_WAw-ysg4

:-)

Wanderer78

facebook fcuked anyway…..moving on…..

Nermal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123043973#Comment_123043973

I'm sure this EU social media site will be every bit as successful as the EU search engine. Can't wait to use it.

randomuser02125

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123031919#Comment_123031919

I assume you are totally against Brendan Carr and his plans at the FCC for the same reasons?

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123050591#Comment_123050591

Who?

randomuser02125

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123050917#Comment_123050917

Don't worry. When the topic comes up I'm guessing you will be on his side.

corkie

Interesting!

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/13/a-new-campaign-aims-to-safeguard-social-media-from-billionaires-using-blueskys-underlying-tech/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky

The initiative, Free Our Feeds, aims to protect Bluesky’s underlying technology, the AT Protocol, and leverage it to create an open social media ecosystem that can’t be controlled by a single person or company, including Bluesky itself.

Created a new page on my github pages. This time featuring Newspaper accounts embed on the page. Only 3 listed at present, but it is easy to add additional accounts, so if there is an account you would like to see on it? Let me known. Mainly did it as an experiment in embedding content. Also might create another for other media accounts like RTE/Politico, if the page is found useful by others. https://corkiejp.github.io/Bluesky_Papers_ac.html

corkie

Look who has joined the platform!

First of don't know if this a legitimate account?

^^ Above 9 Hours registered! Sent a message asking them to verify with a domain handle!

https://bsky.app/profile/corkiejp.bsky.social/post/3lfq7vlae7k2j

Below has a verified handle!

^^ Above 36 hours registered!

corkie

Did you know because of the TikTok ban, that Bluesky introduced video feeds!

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/19/bluesky-launches-a-custom-feed-for-vertical-videos/

It is a pity that we still can't embed bluesky, yet! Reddit in the process of banning 'X' Links!

So I wanted to highlight some cool videos: -

• Transformation of 'X' logo in to a swastika
• Fawlty Musk ~ Elon face put on face for famous walk.

I quickly developed a page to showcase them, but some videos you need to be logged in to see, and they don't play in embeds, but just link to the site. Here is the link for the page. Might add more to it over time.

corkie

This thread was sure quite for the weekend?

EU medicines agency quits X, moves to Bluesky
By Reuters ~ For some reason link doesn't embed!

Source:-

https://bsky.app/profile/peterstefanovic.bsky.social/post/3lgqlh2g4xc2l

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Monday it would no longer post on X and would use rival Bluesky instead, becoming the latest organisation to quit a social media platform that some have criticised for its content.

And as I posted in the below thread with more accounts leaving the platform:-

As more accounts shift to alternatives there won't be much left on the platform to be useful anyway!?

Got a reply from @Quantum Erasure

but any local government accounts reporting on for eg. wildfires in California or hurricanes in the gulf / east coast.

^^^ Why would Irish Boards users need that sort of information.

It would all depend on the information people are looking for and can it be source elsewhere like 'Bluesky'!

Suggestion: - Ban 'X' Links, embeds and screenshots on Boards.ie? 12 in Feedback

Created the above on the same date as my last post here. Have people been sharing there instead of here?

corkie

It has been awhile since I posted about cool utilities for Bluesky!

https://bsky.app/profile/corkiejp.bsky.social/post/3lgbvchtr4r2v

Not listed above, but on my notes on github, is 'Bluesky+' Extension which was updated yesterday but still WIP!

With mentioning people switching to Bluesky or have accounts there, I created the lists below for EU Politics, if anyone shares an interest in that? One missing person from the list is our Commissioner Michael McGrath, despite my lobbying attempts since September to get Irish Politian's and MEP's to join bluesky. But making progress and some accounts have been created in that timeframe.

https://bsky.app/profile/corkiejp.bsky.social/post/3lgsrua7srt2v

If anyone is curious as to how, I can create bluesky link list posts like the above see the below video!

How to use deck.blue's new Markdown link feature in Bluesky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2JPpSAyBqw

Same 'Markdown' as on github .md pages, but not with all the code like '**bold**' etc.

So some people maybe familiar with it?

I must figure out if it is possible to embed bluesky post, or youtube videos in github .md pages?

Just so people are aware, I have family commitments over the next two days, so don't know, how active I will be on here or my socials for that timeframe. See some prior posts of mine, if you need to know the reason.

Regards

John

corkie

Breaking News! Look who created an account on Tuesday, on Bluesky! {Not Verified}

See https://clearsky.app/%40micheal-martin.bsky.social for date and time of Joining!

Taoiseach Micheal Martin joins Bluesky on Tuesday 28 January!

Not going to share an 'Xitter' screenshot of my lobbying attempts since September, but finally gaining traction!

Sent him a welcome message:-

https://bsky.app/profile/corkiejp.bsky.social/post/3lgtvl4cbos2f

Note:- Bluesky user counter should clock over to 30,000,000 in the next few hours!

Some edits for search purposes. Also going by the screenshot, I'm his ninth follower!

Ben D Bus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123110921#Comment_123110921

It would be good to see them verified, either @oireachteas.ie or even @fiannafail.ie etc. That goes for all organizations.

Have you lobbied the likes of @dublinbusnews or others with high numbers of daily users? They're the type that would bring their followers with them as they provide useful real time info.

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123111514#Comment_123111514

Sorry, saw your post yesterday, but wasn't in frame of mind to answer, due to family commitments.

I mainly target public figures, as they are fair game on socials. Plus I didn't want to over abuse 'Xitter' with posts about bluesky. My account was probably severally limited by having the link in my profile.

As I protect my 'Xitter' account last Thursday after the government formed, my days of lobbying on the platform are over.

It never came to mind to target Public Utilities Company's (a.k.a @dublinbusnews). By targeting 'Politicians' my thought process, if they switch over, more accounts would follow. The Guardian stop posting there, and The IrishExaminer publishes more content on Bluesky now than 'Xitter'. It is still very early days for the platform.

corkie

I may not be able to lobby on 'Xitter' any more but my efforts on Bluesky have been successful I think!

Michael McGrath: @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection

Account created on 31st January! « https://clearsky.app/%40michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social

After a last linked skeet. So don't know, If Taoiseach Micheal Martin or the members of a list of members on EU Committee Democracy Shield encouraged him to join?

https://bsky.app/profile/corkiejp.bsky.social/post/3lgyvwo3wm22i

fits

Deleted twitter a year ago

I still find Facebook and Instagram useful so don’t want to get rid of them yet but I don’t want to be driving advertising revenue for them either. So they are now on timers for 30 minutes a day.

Blue sky and mastodon sound great but honestly I couldn’t be bothered anymore.

I am spending more time on boards and reading books again.

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123126226#Comment_123126226

Have you heard about 'Private DNS'?

https://skywriter.blue/pages/did:plc:qxlh6bohvep3taqhmtpipx4b/post/3lexdcj4akk2k

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123126233#Comment_123126233

No I have not. Thanks. Not sure if I want to go to the effort really. Would prefer to stay off social media as much as possible

threeball

Anyone using a twitter account or purchasing a Tesla should be have a serious look in the mirror at themselves. You're putting money in the pocket of an unashamed Nazi who is actively manipulating the geopolitical situation to a place where 1938 is not far off repeating itself. Leaving just these two products behind would destroy this freak and have almost no impact on your life.

If you're thinking of buying a Tesla don't, if you have one, don't use his superchargers and if you have twitter, delete it and don't view links from there.

corkie

@threeball I gave reasons in this post, why still have an active but now protected 'Xitter' account.

https://lifehacker.com/dont-delete-your-twitter-account-do-this-instead-1849779710

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123118156#Comment_123118156

I find it especially annoying that Irish Rail only post their live service updates on X. I don’t have an account, never did, but I was stranded in Malahide a few months ago and had no idea what was going on. A woman sitting near me registered on X just to find out why no services were running.

yagan

We have to get away from using foreign owned social media as a conduit for domestic public announcements.

Any major service provider like trains and buses have to have their own dedicated internet portal for service updates.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123126490#Comment_123126490

I dont think any of those is good enough reason to stay on there. If people leave, the politicians will leave, as will other accounts who make money off their interactions with people. People who want to buy an electric car can come up with excuses to buy a Tesla too. The reality is, there's better alternatives and in the long run you're better off to just stay away.

corkie

@threeball I miss typed, when I said active, what I was trying to imply is that I haven't gone through the process to deactivate account and have my handle freed up for others to use. I have been on the platform less since December or even before that.

I find New Bluesky profiles by Block scanning 'Xitter' user's lists and importing them to bluesky. That's is how I come aware of the above accounts I have flagged above on here. I'm not constantly searching bluesky for individual account names.

Example of the lists I posted here! And my latest list so new that I have yet to put a proper description on it.

Check the creator of this thread and the other recent one I started!

corkie

^^ Source:- https://bsky.app/profile/bsky.app/post/3lhjnj6s6ok2q

https://theblue.report/

^^ Reposted by https://bsky.app/profile/mcuban.bsky.social/post/3lhi33vwies2p

And the https://bsky-users.theo.io/ Heading for 31,000,000 ~ Wondering will it get there on the Birthday for some?

corkie

@francois Thanks for reposting my post, on a run in with a 'Karen' who was on a high horse about 'Thread readers/scrapers'!

Context I quoted this thread of hers and she started a conversation with me on it, blocked me mid conversation, then proceed to Profile me and attack me from behind the block.

She was one to say the following: -

The way some of these accounts are promoting "share your favourite Bluesky content to people who aren't on Bluesky" is a clear indication that they aren't interested in respecting things like people's privacy, boundaries, creator attribution/credit/linkbacks, or blocks.

I utilise skywriter.blue mainly for my own threads to put up content on github pages/domain. If I utilise others content, I let them know in thread and yet to receive any complaints. Don't do it on personal profile threads or creators content of high value to them. So respectfully.

Nobody informed me of her doing so. Was testing out

https://pdsls.dev/

fed the account profile to it and searched it for my handle.

Edit: -

I'm not in favour of mass blocklists, but was placed on one just because I utilized the above utility. I responded by creating a moderation list of my own to block my own accounts appearing on them. 5 accounts on it including the above account.

PixelCrafter

I put my own Bluesky account through Clearsky.app just to see what lists I'm on. I've only really posted random local / techie stuff and all extremely non-political and non-controversial, yet I'm blocked for some reason by 13 accounts that I've had no interaction with, including a couple of Dublin based academics. Very weird.

I think Bluesky runs the risk of people just going into mad blocking everything mode. It's likely I would suspect that I followed some random account that those people don't like. When I signed up first, I was just somewhat randomly following people who followed me and then figuring them out afterwards.

I've also seen a few people complaining that they've found themselves on some blocklist with a name like "transphobes and nazis" and they're either there in error or because someone's just gone a bit crazy throwing accounts in there at random - in one case the person was literally a big advocate for trans rights - being added to something like that with public visibility can be quite defamatory.

It also has another problem : when you block someone it's visible that you've blocked them. So if you've some psycho harassing you, they're aware that you're actively blocking them and may go after you with secondary accounts or in other ways.

I don't see any of those platforms becoming the successor of 2010s Twitter when it was still useful. I think those days are just gone and we're into a far more divided kind of social media. A lot of people just don't bother anymore too - the whole thing's just way too toxic.

I barely post on any of the microblogging platforms anymore. I deleted X and closed my account. I don't use Facebook and I find Instagram and TikTok like I've just had all my energy syphoned into some kind of vortex of weird. It's a massive time leech if you do use it.

I've had to manage a couple of work social media accounts in the past and I just couldn't be bothered using them in my personal life anymore.

Ben D Bus

I'm not on any block lists but I've had one poster misread one of my posts and absolutely lose the plot with me, calling me a Nazi and a racist. Then they started reposting a blatant misquote. My profile and posts are clearly the complete opposite . I was wondering if they were trolling or trying to get me flagged and added to block lists.

I like Bluesky and it's the only social media I'm on now, but there are definitely some very odd (paranoid left wing) people on there seeing Nazi's everywhere.