2d ago

Introducing Northsky - a non-profit Bluesky alternative

Northsky Social Cooperative is creating a safer social media experience for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, powered by ATProtocol, and operating as a nonprofit, worker-owned cooperative.

Phase one is to create a PDS that securely hosts data in Canada, away from political persecution of 2SLGBTQIA+.
Phase two and beyond will include our own AppView and improved moderation tools.
These networks will exist side by side with bluesky and allow interaction per usual. Source

11 comments

Don’t we already have Mastodon ?
- This is for Bluesky users who still want to be on Bluesky, but don't want their data stored under US jurisdiction, or don't want to rely on Bluesky's moderation.
  
  So even though blusky isn’t federated, the protocol still allows for using different domains to interact on the platform? I need to study how it works better.
  Edit: stupid autocorrect

Reminder: there is no such thing as a "Bluesky instance." The way ATProto works is nothing like the way ActivityPub works.

I got one for ya https://mastodon.social/

Speaking of hosting in Canada, I am surprised years ago why Blackberry having lost the hardware race didn't just provide an encrypted messager that ran on Apple and Android. They could have been 'the' messager app and had all the experience, personal and servers to pull it off. And most people would trust Canadian servers
- wait was blackberry canadian?
  
  Yeah. RIM (the company behind BlackBerry, before they just rebranded to "BlackBerry") was Canada's most lucrative company right up until the release of the iPhone. They focused entirely on the enterprise market and didn't think there was as much demand for consumer smartphones. Shame they didn't see the writing on the wall until it was too late to pivot.

I checked the FAQ and there's nothing on "why Bluesky?". A Canadian PDS and some better moderation tools seems a pretty meagre goal when they could be looking at getting their community off Bluesky.
- Bluesky is actually pretty good, but the biggest issue currently is that there's too much power centralized in the hands of Bluesky PBLLC. The less we have to rely on Bluesky PBLLC while still having full functionality, the better.
  Also, Northsky is planning on launching it's own AppView, meaning posts that would normally be hidden on Bluesky could still be available from Northsky's client.

11 comments