Whatever you have to say about its uses, social media is here to stay. Just like any other thing we have, it is only ever as good as the people that run and build it. But what if, instead of being in the hands of a few corporations, the power to control the modern social network was given to its users?
Social media, and therefore much of the internet, has become locked down to a few major platforms. This paradigm comes with great convenience, but its problems are becoming increasingly apparent. A few large corporations control your data and have the power to censor you, which has justifiably led to numerous safety and addiction concerns.
But, spearheaded by the X-like platform Bluesky, a passionate group of developers are working on new technologies that could disrupt this model. They are creating a new social network, lovingly known as the ATmosphere, that puts the user first.
On the surface level, Bluesky works just like any other microblogging app. A user can easily create an account and start posting. But, under the hood, this is more than a traditional social account. All of your posts, likes, follows and other social interactions are stored on a server that the user themself controls, rather than being locked to the company’s servers. The user, not the platform they use, is in control of their online social life.
The user’s interactions are not intrinsically tied to any one application, freeing them to choose whichever social app they want to use, without the risk of losing their existing posts and network.
On top of this, a Bluesky account is not just for Bluesky. This account can be used for any application that implements ATmosphere’s technology. A variety of ATmosphere-based apps already exist: Leaflet for long-form blogging, Streamplace for streaming and video-on-demand, Sifa ID for professional portfolios and many other projects, both big and small. A user can sign in to any of these apps with one online identity, while keeping the benefit of owning their interactions and content.
Bluesky is not the only group building the ATmosphere. Any individual, small group or company can meaningfully contribute to the network. One of the triumphs of this model is the emergence of a handful of independent communities based on Bluesky (notably including W Social, the European Union’s official social platform). These communities have their own independent data servers, infrastructure and user-facing applications.
But, on the ATmosphere, independence does not mean isolation. Posts from these communities can appear on Bluesky, and vice versa. These communities can directly serve the needs of their members, thanks to their independence, and also participate in the larger discussion on Bluesky, thanks to ATmosphere apps’s ability to interoperate.
About the potential use of this type of platform, Cedalia Pereira, a junior politics major, said, “This could be a useful platform for artists. It will help them grow their communities much more easily while not being completely cut off from the rest of the network.”
The free and open-network nature of the ATmosphere enables the return of something that social media has been missing for a long time: fun! Alongside the practical, some developers are building experimental social experiences that create and remix work in unique ways.
One example is Anisota, an app that presents one’s Bluesky feed as a deck of cards, and includes mechanisms to help one use social media more intentionally. Another example is rpg.actor, which allows users to create a role-playing character and go on adventures around the internet.
If Anisota or rpg.actor were traditional social applications, they would need to reach a critical mass of users in order to be relevant. The open nature of the ATmosphere allows these apps to thrive on a shared network.
Because users are not tied down to their platform of choice, all kinds of fun social experiences are given the chance to flourish.
Despite the great potential of the ATmosphere, it still has numerous problems. Bluesky and other ATmosphere communities do not have much ideological diversity, usually leaning politically progressive. Many of the ATmosphere’s flagship apps retain the addictive and unhelpful nature of traditional social media.
This new technology is still worth the attention of University of Dallas students, even and especially those not studying computer science. Computer science enthusiasts build apps and infrastructure, but users build the communities that give this technical foundation purpose.
The ATmosphere may not be ready to replace your current online social life, but it is an exciting frontier in need of exploration and development that would benefit greatly from the Catholic intellectual culture of UD students.