Mister Bluesky

I've made a decision.

Two weeks ago, I talked about how I had joined the social-media platform, Bluesky, and how I was now juggling three different places. Not being a good juggler, I was sure that at least one of these platforms would fall.

While I was sick, I often turned to social media to feel like I was keeping in touch, even though I was otherwise isolated and unable to truly socialize. My folks on Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky were great for lifting my spirits and keeping me company.

Thanks to all the well-wishers and even to those who were simply posting, unaware that I was reading your content.

I had time to think about how I use each platform and I discovered that I didn't find Mastodon as engaging as I first did when I joined it, two years ago. I had a small handful of people who regularly responded to my posts or who I would look for, but the majority of content in my feed was distracting and overwhelming with information and opinions about what's going on in the US, and other posts from people that I didn't know, wasn't following, and with content with which I had little to no interest.

Threads has always bothered me from the start. First of all, posts in my feed weren't in chronological order and the default view was filled with posts from suggested people, rather than from people I was following. If I refreshed the feed, Threads kicked me back to its suggested feed, and I'd have to re-click the tab with folks I'm following.

It's frustrating.

I also miss having a feature to send direct messages to friends. Instead, on Threads, I have to go through Instagram if I want a private conversation.

But in the past two weeks, I've noticed that I now spend far more time reading through my social-media platforms because I want to give each one equal time. And that time takes me away from other things.

So, starting next week, I'm going to be using Mastodon and Threads less often. I'll still announce new blog posts and I'll chat with friends. But I'll otherwise limit the time that I spend on them.

I'm going to communicate primarily through Bluesky. I've managed to connect with a few people that I know from Mastodon and Threads, plus people that I knew on Twitter, and I hope to find even more. I can be found at @brownknowser.bsky.com.

Come on over.

At the end of the year, I'll close my Mastodon and Threads accounts. I'll still have Instagram and I have no foreseeable plans to change that.

So, Bluesky won out. It reminds me of what Twitter was like a dozen or so years ago, where there was positive engagement and little trolling. I hope the users of the platform and those who maintain it keep it that way.

Otherwise, maybe I'll give up social media altogether.