criticism of bluesky as I come to understand it more deeplyThe primary reason #bluesky will never be decentralized is because the resource requirements are way too high. Yes, you can host a #PDS (personal data server) if you like, and that will provide you control of your own personal data. However, you're still dependant on someone else to host a relay, in order for your PDS to become part of the network. Hosting a relay seems to need upwards of 3 TB of SSD storage, and a ton of memory. And once you get that done, you need to host an app view, in order to make use of all of the data on the relay. While that's not quite ready for primetime yet, when it is, it ain't gonna be cheap. Based on what I can understand, an app view needs to index all data on the bluesky network, in realtime. This is the kind of architecture that only our VC funded #capitalist big tech masters could actually afford to deploy. So if, when you say "decentralized", you mean that Google, Microsoft, and Apple could each afford to run a shard of the network, sure it's decentralized. But if you mean that Joe and her homelab could run any useful portion of the network, it is in no way decentralized, and never will be. Even if compute prices come down to the point where small organizations could afford to deploy this sort of thing, you've still got the logistical nightmare that the relay hosts all of the data. From everyone. NAZI's, pedophiles, if you run a relay, all of that data is going to be passing through your server. Content labels and blocklists mean you might never see it, but if you run a bluesky relay, it still exists.
criticism of bluesky as I come to understand it more deeply@fastfinge All true for those who wish to host, but some of us just want a social network with mass adoption to get a variety of info. I'm not saying Bluesky is the one, but there's a part of me who misses 2010 Twitter and the vibe it brought. I'm sure like many things, it'll work for awhile, then something will make it less desirable. Just like Clubhouse, Reddit, and others before it.
criticism of bluesky as I come to understand it more deeply@Jage But on Mastodon and the fediverse, you have hundreds of servers to choose from. If someone doesn't like you or want to provide you an account, you can go elsewhere. With Bluesky, you're only ever likely to have a choice of one or two places you can go, because the expenses are so high. And those places will all be run by large corporations, with all of the attendant problems (advertising, selling your data, etc.).
criticism of bluesky as I come to understand it more deeply@fastfinge I think it's good for people to understand the differences and then choose accordingly. I'm going to put a bookmark in whatever is popular to reach the most people.
criticism of bluesky as I come to understand it more deeply@Jage Agreed. And that's why I dislike bluesky. They're using the word decentralized in ways that I believe are deceptive, and make it difficult for people to understand just how bluesky and the fediverse are different.
