Bluesky to launch own photo-sharing app

[Bryn]

More good news for those looking to exit Meta’s social app ecosystem in favor of a more open alternative: An independent developer is building a photo-sharing app for Bluesky called Flashes. The soon-to-launch app is powered by the same technology that underpins Bluesky, the AT Protocol, and has been built using code from the developer’s earlier Bluesky client, Skeets.

When launched, Flashes could tap into growing consumer demand for alternatives to Big Tech’s social media monopoly. This trend has led to the adoption of open source, decentralized apps like Mastodon and Bluesky, among others, including the recently launched Pixelfed mobile apps, built on Mastodon’s ActivityPub protocol. It’s also, in part, what’s fueling TikTok users’ shift to the Chinese app RedNote ahead of the U.S. TikTok ban — that is, U.S. users are signaling that they would rather use a foreign adversary’s app than return to Meta at this point.

Flashes itself is based on Berlin developer Sebastian Vogelsang’s earlier app, Skeets, his initial foray into creating consumer-facing apps for the growing social network, Bluesky, which now tops 27.5 million users.

Exclusive: Bluesky is getting its own photo-sharing app, Flashes

More good news for those looking to exit Meta's social app ecosystem in favor of a more open alternative: An independent developer is building a

techcrunch.com

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A definite alternative to Instagram I see... and whenever that's launched, this would now be bad news for X and Instagram :snicker:

By the way, I recently have a Bluesky account but have barely used it... maybe, as someone who still does photography (though not as much these days), this could reel me back into it? Who knows...

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Interesting. Thanks for the heads up, Bryn.

I too signed up with Bluesky just recently. I am planning to get active there, posting and linking to Focus.

 

[Jack Dawe]

Bluesky is such a relief after all the advertising crap and disinformation of Twitter/X-crement. Virtually all the people I was following on Twitter have now decamped to Bluesky, so I have little reason (or wish) to go back.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

X-crement

That's a good one!

 

[Ed Will]

I'm on Bluesky as afplcc. It's fantastic. I have some quibbles: limited character space for text, no gallery, art nudes get lumped with erotic work. But there is no censorship. You can create "starter packs" of models or photographers to follow (or use the ones others have shared to quickly build contacts). Irrelevant of what you think of the politics of Musk and the site, Bluesky has none of the nonsense and garbage that comes with X (like the fee for Premium, the plans for an annual fee, the joke about vetting users).

 

[Ed Will]

Interesting. Thanks for the heads up, Bryn.

I too signed up with Bluesky just recently. I am planning to get active there, posting and linking to Focus.

Once you get active, find my account (afplcc) and we'll connect there too.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Once you get active, find my account (afplcc) and we'll connect there too.

Found you, followed you.
Now I have to figure out how it works. I was on Twitter once but that was a long time ago.

 

[Ed Will]

Found you, followed you.
Now I have to figure out how it works. I was on Twitter once but that was a long time ago.

Let me know any questions you have. I'm no expert but I've been pretty active on there.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Let me know any questions you have. I'm no expert but I've been pretty active on there.

Thanks very much, Ed. Appreciate that!

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

First I need to do a tour. Learn how it works and how to add a banner!
Then go find people to follow, especially people who are into photography.

 

[Ed Will]

First I need to do a tour. Learn how it works and how to add a banner!
Then go find people to follow, especially people who are into photography.

One of the things that is cool about Bluesky is you're able to create lists or starter packs that are accessible to others. So if you find a photographer you like, you can see if they have any starter packs. For instance, my second day there, I went to a photographer who's work I admired and they had greater starter packs--one for models who did art nudes, another for photographers who shot art nudes. I could go through each pack one by one and check out the profile. It also told me if I already followed the profile or not. Very handy.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

One of the things that is cool about Bluesky is you're able to create lists or starter packs that are accessible to others. So if you find a photographer you like, you can see if they have any starter packs. For instance, my second day there, I went to a photographer who's work I admired and they had greater starter packs--one for models who did art nudes, another for photographers who shot art nudes. I could go through each pack one by one and check out the profile. It also told me if I already followed the profile or not. Very handy.

That does seem handy. Thanks for the tip, Ed!