Bluesky is set to introduce “communities” this year, offering users smaller, more intimate spaces to connect with like-minded individuals. This announcement comes from Alex Benzer, the head of product, who elaborated that these communities will be crafted on the decentralized AT Protocol—Bluesky’s foundational technology. Benzer describes this development as a fresh approach for everyone involved within the “Atmosphere,” the collective term for the AT Protocol ecosystem.
In a detailed thread, Benzer outlined several initial concepts for these communities. On Bluesky, users will have the ability to create, join, and interact within these communities, receiving updates as they engage. While Bluesky aims to maintain simplicity at its core, the real innovation lies in how these communities will exist on the open web. This open environment allows for extensive customization and the addition of features through other Atmospheric apps and tools, enhancing the user experience.
Each community will have a unique handle that also functions as a URL, directing users to a custom homepage designed for that community. Benzer mentioned that creators would even have the option to host entirely personalized experiences at these URLs. Communities will come with three privacy options: public, invite-only, and private, each with its own dedicated feed, offering tailored content and interactions.
This announcement follows remarks from Bluesky COO Rose Wang, who recently stated that the company aims to shift away from the concept of a “public square,” drawing inspiration from platforms like Reddit. Meanwhile, Meta’s Threads is experimenting with a similar communities feature, and X has already decided to discontinue its version of communities as of April.
