How did Jerry Fish put it? “It takes balls to be a butterfly!” But Bluesky’s butterfly has made it. Over 10 million accounts is a clear statement against X. Moreover, Bluesky is a revival of the Twitter we once knew. The narcissistic Elon Musk, infatuated with Trump, had previously killed the Twitter bird with a simple X. But the butterfly of Bluesky won’t be easily stifled. It’s decentralized like Mastodon, but still professionally managed. This is encouraging.
Why Do I Miss Twitter?
Jon Worth once pointed it out to me: Twitter was an ideal platform for international networking without much fuss. Especially in my work related to European politics, Twitter was a central place for exchange. With over 7,000 followers, I may not have been at the top, but I still managed to reach beyond the usual bubbles in politics, academia, and journalism. I look back nostalgically at my Twitter history. During the financial crisis, there was no better platform for intelligent networking. The unnecessary Brexit, in particular, significantly invigorated the European political discourse. Berlin’s journalist bubbles were suddenly no longer important. You could communicate excellently between Brussels , the national capitals, but also with Maastricht, Florence, and Tartu. The contributions of Simon Hix and Ron Patz. who created the hashtag #EuCo for the European Council, were legendary.
What Set Twitter Apart from Other Social Media Platforms?
Twitter was the democratic among the channels. Networking and mutual optimization were more important than mere show-off, as we unfortunately see more and more in post-Bologna universities and PR schools. Posting, influencing, and engaging were also important on Twitter, but there was always a certain democratic collective intelligence. Bubbles on Twitter were more like a pluralistic foam bath. Twitter was a square, not a tower, as Niall Ferguson described it.
Then Came the Post-Fascist Musk…
An authoritarian narcissist killed Twitter. I am still on [X](https://x.com), but I am clearly preparing my eXodus. The first step is securing the good times of Twitter. Downloading all my tweets since October 2008 made me nostalgic but also determined to move on. But where to emigrate?
I first gave Mastodon a chance. Wonderfully decentralized, but somehow the mammoth didn’t move… I stayed afloat with LinkedIn, but it remained a Facebook for careerists…
The Second Chance I Gave to Bluesky
I only got the chance through a delayed invitation. I stayed offended and skeptical for a long time in the blue sky. But at least, there are very good guide for Bluesky.
But since this summer, I’ve been feeling the old Twitter vibe again. Initially, Bluesky was a purely green bubble with a few European academic sprinklings and Christian Democratic free spirits. The key to Bluesky’s success is Musk himself. His statements, such as claiming a “civil war is inevitable” after the racist attacks on open-minded England, have led to a massive exodus from X to Bluesky. Slowly, the EU bubble is awakening with #EUSky and #EurSky. As with Twitter, it is the Anglosaxons who are promoting the decentralized European discourse through social media.
The Game Changer for Me: Michiel van Hulten
Former MEP and head of Transparency International EU in Brussels, his Starter Packs EU Policy I and EU Policy Pack II, later MEPs and EU Bubble Journalist, were an excellent booster for my European job in the blue 🦋 sky. Just visit and follow everyone.
Why Bluesky Makes Sense
This became clear to me through the brilliant special edition of the podcast Quiet Riot on Bluesky with Rose – highly recommended.
At the EBD Network, we are currently preparing a campaign against X. The over 230 member organisations in the #EBDNetzwerk should soon no longer use X. But also the federal government and European institutions should no longer be impressed by Musk’s investments. X promotes fascist movements. The state and the EU should not be present on such platforms if they want to credibly oppose the fascist AfD.