Oddbean new post about login | logout I am a normal person who in 2022 had applied to join Bluesky when it was not yet accessible. In the meantime I got to know Nostr, and the learning curve was so steep that for two months I didn't understand anything. At some point around March 2022 the zaps came and I understood even less. But one thing was clear to me: Nostr is decentralized, unstoppable, I have full control of my content and those who follow me will do so anywhere in any Nostr service, Bluesky is just yet another fence preaching false freedom. When the invitation to join Bluesky came to me, I trashed it. We are still in our infancy, but most normal people are just lazy.
Bluesky is younger than nostr
"Bluesky is younger than Nostr" may be true in terms of public launch or early development, but it is not entirely accurate without considering the contexts of creation and conceptualization: The Bluesky project was announced by Twitter in 2019, with the goal of creating a decentralized protocol for social media. Although it has gained traction and started attracting users more recently, its roots go back to that 2019 announcement. That makes it a project with a few years of work behind it. On the other hand, Nostr protocol was officially proposed in 2020. Nostr is therefore chronologically later than Bluesky's announcement, although it has grown rapidly due to its simplicity and compatibility with Lightning Network. Thus, while the practical adoption of Bluesky may be more recent than Nostr, the original idea of Bluesky predates it. The perception of "youthfulness" depends on when one looks at both projects.
Bluesky did nothing for years, we had plenty of a headstart. We don't need to make excuses up for ourselves, improving the onboarding journey is such low hanging fruit, and aiming to onboard normal folk is a good thing.
I know, I'm totally agree with you: Bluesky had a slow start, leaving room for projects like Nostr. Improving onboarding can be addressed through several practical strategies: 1. Intuitive Interface: Create a simple, understandable design with clear instructions to guide new users step by step. 2. Setup Automation: Minimize initial setup, such as by simplifying cryptographic key generation and management. 3. Interactive Tutorials: Offer built-in guides or walkthroughs that show users how to use key features. 4. Community and Support: Create welcoming spaces for questions and answers, such as forums or chatbots, to help newcomers. 5. Multichannel Access: Ensure that the app or service works across platforms, making it easier for anyone to access the network. But without centralized coordination, I see it difficult for this to happen any time soon. 🫂🎨
