Bluesky Social Network Hit by Outages: What’s Going On?
Social media platform Bluesky experienced a rocky Tuesday morning as users worldwide reported issues accessing their feeds. The platform, touted as a decentralized alternative to X (formerly Twitter), suffered from back-to-back outages, leaving many wondering about its reliability. The initial outage struck around 6 AM ET and lasted approximately 40 minutes, followed by another crash around 8 AM ET. This isn't the first time Bluesky has faced such issues; a significant outage occurred on April 24th, attributed to PDS (Personal Data Servers) networking problems.
Many users, including those at The Verge, couldn't refresh their feeds across the desktop web service and the iOS and Android apps. Interestingly, the pages loaded fine when logged out, and some self-hosted users could continue posting, highlighting the potential benefits of decentralization.
While the exact cause of the recent outages remains unclear, Bluesky's status page acknowledged that "some systems" were down. By 8:25 AM ET, the site seemed to be recovering, showing all green status lights again, but trust in the platform has been shaken.
Newsweek reports that complaints are primarily tied to the mobile app, with users turning to X to express their frustration. One user noted seeing similar issues weeks ago. Bluesky has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the outage.
TechCrunch reports confirms that Bluesky’s personal data servers (PDS) were the victim of DDoS attacks. The attack’s source has not been identified, but Bluesky CTO Paul Frazee says the current theory is that it was an accident by a third party.
Bluesky, co-founded by Jack Dorsey, promotes itself as a free-speech-friendly and algorithm-optional network. Its invitation-only model initially generated buzz, attracting users seeking an alternative to the chaotic and algorithm-driven feeds of other platforms. As of today, Bluesky has over 35 million registered users worldwide.
The outage has also reignited the rivalry between Bluesky and Mastodon, another decentralized social network. Mastodon users were quick to point out the irony of a decentralized service experiencing such widespread downtime.
In the competitive landscape of X alternatives, reliability is crucial. Outages like these can undermine trust in platforms striving to scale and differentiate themselves. Bluesky's performance is vital to its ability to challenge mainstream rivals. The platform's ability to quickly address these issues and communicate transparently with its users will be critical in maintaining its user base and attracting new adopters.
What do you think? How will Bluesky overcome these challenges and reassure its users? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
