There was an event where you could ask the developers of Bluesky anything, such as 'Are there plans to implement a locked account?' or 'Are there plans to establish a branch in Japan?' I went to the event, and it was a fulfilling event where many ideas were added to the developers' 'to-do list'.
' Bluesky Meetup in Osaka Vol.2 ,' an event where people could ask questions directly to the Bluesky development team, was held in Osaka on Sunday, April 14, 2024. At the event,
Bluesky meetup in Osaka Vol.2 - connpass
https://428lab.connpass.com/event/313710/
·table of contents
◆1: The venue looks like this
◆2: Review of Bluesky Meetup in Tokyo Vol.2
◆3: Q&A with Mr. Why
◆4: There is also a direct interview with Why
◆1: The venue looks like this
Bluesky Meetup is an event where you can ask questions to the Bluesky development team in real time, and it is held not only in Osaka but also in Tokyo . Mr. Why, a technical advisor on the Bluesky development team, will be coming to Osaka for this Bluesky Meetup in Osaka Vol.2, so I decided to actually participate and ask him about the things I was curious about about Bluesky.
Bluesky Meetup in Osaka Vol.2 was held at the NTT DATA SBC on the 8th floor of the 2nd Nomura Building in Chuo-ku, Osaka.
We arrived at Nomura Building No. 2. Since it was Sunday, we entered through the back door instead of the front door.
A very spacious elevator hall.
Go to the 8th floor.
Arrived at the entrance to the venue.
There was a sign for the Bluesky Meetup in Osaka posted on the door.
As I walked through the door, the venue came into view.
Bluesky stickers were being handed out at the reception.
The venue looks like this.
Message corner.
Snack corner.
There is also a takoyaki corner.
There are two takoyaki corners, which shows the incredible passion they have for takoyaki.
When the time came to open, Mr. Why, Bluesky's technical advisor, was introduced. In the photo below, Mr. Why is on the left, and on the right is his friend
◆2: Review of Bluesky Meetup in Tokyo Vol.2
First,
The Q&A session is as follows:
question:
Are there plans to implement locked accounts or a feature to make posts private?
Answer:
The data on Bluesky is currently open, but we hope to support private features in the future.
question:
What is the difference between the 'AT Protocol' used by Bluesky and other SNS protocols such as 'Nostr' and 'ActivityPub'?
Answer:
Other protocols keep data local. AT Protocol provides content across the entire network. It also has a plugin mechanism that allows third parties to provide services by simply plugging in. Additionally, AT Protocol ensures account portability, allowing users to move servers and still maintain the same behavior.
Editor's note: You can also find out more about the mechanisms and differences between 'AT Protocol', 'Nostr', and 'ActivityPub' in the following article.
What is the difference between the decentralized SNS protocols 'AT Protocol', 'ActivityPub' and 'Nostr'? A summary of their features - GIGAZINE
question:
Is there a way for users to monetize their own PDS servers ?
Answer:
An example would be charging a fee to participate in a PDS.
question:
Have you encountered any difficulties using JavaScript and React Native in development?
Answer:
Bugs are endless. I encounter various bugs depending on the device, such as iOS and Android. I bought a smartphone to test it.
Finally, we invited a Facebook React developer to join our team, who said he wanted to throw away the whole app. Some of the Bluesky developers said, 'This app was built to demonstrate the potential of the protocol and test the limits of React Native.'
question:
When I reopen the feed, I want it to save the position I've already read so I can continue reading from where I left off.
Answer:
We're aware of the feed issue, and while it's difficult to support the feature at this time, we are aware of it.
question:
What motivates you to install and maintain a PDS easily?
Answer:
By changing how the PDS handles data, we can build new services specifically for that purpose, or in the long term, we can focus solely on data management, or use the PDS for community and moderation purposes.
question:
Are you looking at ways to make PDS installation easier?
Answer:
We already have an installer package available, and in the future we hope to make it easier to install PDS using a web interface.
When we asked the participants at the venue whether they had installed their own PDS, 7 to 8 out of the approximately 40 participants said they had installed their own PDS.
question:
I would like a reply tree function so that I can post long pieces of text in parts or serialise manga.
Answer:
I understand there is a demand for this, and thanks for the feedback. I think it's something we can consider.
question:
When you launch the Bluesky app with your smartphone set to dark mode, a starry sky image will be displayed. Why did you choose a starry sky for the splash screen?
Answer:
Initially, white clouds were visible even in dark mode, and there was an issue that 'when you launch Bluesky while using your smartphone in dark mode, the splash screen is too bright and dazzling.' To solve this, we adjusted the image to be less bright. In addition, we added small dots to make it clear that it is a starry sky.
I also remember a comic posted by a user that went viral, with the caption 'Bluesky is too bright when running in a dark room.'
I hope for improvement
[image or embed] — mukuuji ( @mukuuji.bsky.social ) Feb 16, 2024 at 17:27
◆3: Q&A with Mr. Why
Next, a Q&A session began, where users posed questions to Why, who serves as a technical advisor to the Bluesky development team. The questions were diverse, ranging from questions about sightseeing in Japan to requests for new features. There were multiple suggestions that Why declared he would 'add to his to-do list,' and unannounced features under consideration were revealed, making for a very lively Q&A session.
The main questions and Why's answers are as follows:
question:
Is it necessary to implement a draft function in Bluesky? I would like a draft function when I want to write a long piece of text or post it later.
Mr. Why (hereinafter, Why):
Add it to your to-do list.
question:
You have visited Japan for two consecutive years, last year and this year. What are your favorite tourist spots in Japan?
Why:
Gunma's Takaragawa Onsen is great. I also like walking around Higashiyama and Uji River in Kyoto. Kanazawa's gardens were wonderful. I love eel in Hiroshima and Okayama denim is great. So far, the oden in Osaka has been delicious.
question:
(Question from
Why:
It would be convenient if listNotifications had a filter function. I'll add it to my to-do list.
question:
Bluesky allows users to use ' custom feeds ' to collect and arrange content according to their own conditions. Are there plans to enhance this custom feed to make it easier to use?
Why:
In the future we plan to allow users to create custom feeds through our mobile app, and we also hope to allow third-party developers to create feed generators.
question:
What APIs do you plan to add to create custom feeds? What information will be available?
Why:
All information is available at this time. Information on 'who is following your custom feed' is also available, so you can personalize your custom feed. Also, although this is still under development, we plan to add a function that uses machine learning to extract 'posts that users are likely to be interested in.'
question:
This may be a nuisance, but I have created and published about seven bots. Currently, to get various information, you need to look at Firehose or create a Bluesky account and look at listNotifications. Are there plans to implement an outgoing webhook?
Why:
(Creating a bot) is not a bother at all (laughs). I think it's a good idea. Please share with us what features you need.
question:
I think that the number of Japanese users has increased dramatically since Bluesky abolished the invitation system. What do you think about this popularity? Also, are there any measures you can take to increase the number of users?
Why:
I am surprised and excited about the increase in Japanese users. However, we don't understand the demand in Japan at all. I don't know how to reach Japanese users. That's why I came to Japan. Please share your ideas.
question:
I think if Bluesky had a tipping function, it would help create more excitement.
Why:
We are exploring a subscription model that allows users to monetize. We want to implement a payment system that allows users to exchange money with each other, but implementing a payment system requires dealing with complex legal issues. Bluesky PBC (the company that leads the development of Bluesky and AT Protocol) has only 20 employees, so we don't have the resources to do that.
question:
I have been interested in SNS protocols for a long time, and was very impressed when the AT Protocol, which is the basis of Bluesky, was announced. Previously, Twitter (now X) was the only dominant player, but now we are in the 'SNS Warring States Period.' What is Bluesky's outlook for the future in this SNS Warring States Period?
Why:
First of all, the technology industry has long recognized that a system in which one big name has complete control is not good. This way of thinking is spreading to people outside the technology industry as well. This is a good trend. Bluesky aims to be 'better than top SNS such as X and Instagram.' It is necessary to make sure that it does not lose to the current mainstream SNS in terms of 'speed of response' and 'ease of use of UX.'
question:
I have two questions about adult content moderation. Immediately after the invitation system for Bluesky was abolished, images posted by several illustrators, including Ito Life , were hidden in Japan as 'adult content'. However, what content is considered 'adult content' varies by country or region. For example, Ito Life's illustrations are generally not considered 'adult content' in Japan. Are there any plans to change the moderation criteria depending on the country or region to deal with such situations?
Why:
Currently, Bluesky requires you to enter your date of birth when you create an account. I don't remember the exact number, but there is a setting that changes the content displayed depending on your age. Regarding moderation, they follow the strict regulations of app distribution platforms such as Apple and Google. I don't know much about moderation, but if you follow the rules of Apple and Google, it will naturally be possible to moderate in a way that suits each country or region.
By the way, the moderation team consists of 22 people, divided into the English team, Japanese team, and Portuguese team.
question:
This is my experience with X. When a post in a thread contained a sexual image, part of the thread could become invisible. I think this is an accessibility issue, but is it possible to implement a function to display alternative text instead of hiding the image?
Why:
That's interesting. (jotting down the idea on his smartphone)
question:
Bluesky is operated by Bluesky PBC, a Public Benefit Corporation, which is not a profit-making company. In the future, do you have any plans to set up a base overseas, for example in Japan, to take into account cultural differences?
Why:
We currently have no plans to open an office in Japan, however, if Japan continues to be a large market for Bluesky and we need Japanese translators, moderators, and developers with an accessibility focus, that may be an option.
question:
I've been using various SNS for about 15 years now, and this is a feature I've always wanted - is it possible to implement the ability to add notes to followers and people you follow?
Why:
That's an interesting feature. AT Protocol exposes data about following and followers, so third-party apps can add follow-related features. Please add it to Ucho-ten lol
Baisoni:
I'll add it to my to-do list lol.
question:
When will we be able to use two-factor authentication or a passkey to log into Bluesky? I know it's on the roadmap, but I'd like to know when it will be implemented.
Why:
We plan to support OAuth this quarter (April to June 2024). Both two-factor authentication and passkeys depend on OAuth, so they will be supported after OAuth implementation is complete.
question:
Bluesky is open source, but what is the license?
Why:
It is a dual license of 'MIT License' and 'Apache License, Version 2.0'. You can choose either one and apply it.
question:
Bluesky's search function has poor search performance for Japanese, and even if you search for 'katana', incorrect words such as 'Tanaka' and 'Kanata' are sometimes displayed in the search results. Are there any plans to improve the search performance for Japanese?
Why:
Just updated on Friday, April 12, 2024. It's still not perfect, but give it a try.
Hello Japan????????
— bryan newbold ( @bnewbold.net ) Apr 13, 2024 at 2:36
I've made some changes to search for Japanese text within posts (not profiles yet). I'm interested to see what you think!
◆4: There is also a direct interview with Why
The Q&A session then ended, and the social gathering began, where participants chatted with Why while making takoyaki.
During the social gathering, I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Why some questions directly, so I asked him a lot of questions about Bluesky that were not asked during the Q&A session. You can see the full interview in the article below.
I asked the people at Bluesky everything I want to know right now, including 'Bluesky's ambitions,' 'Bluesky's monetization plan,' 'Bluesky's official server specifications,' 'Will the API ever become unusable?' and 'The relationship between Jack Dorsey and Bluesky' - GIGAZINE
◆ Forum is currently open
A forum related to this article has been set up on the official GIGAZINE Discord server . Anyone can post freely, so please feel free to comment! If you do not have a Discord account, please refer to the account creation procedure article to create an account!
• Discord | 'What do you expect from Bluesky in the future?' | GIGAZINE
https://discord.com/channels/1037961069903216680/1229361913960333384
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