Following the controversial changes made by tech billionaire Elon Musk on the microblogging site Twitter, its former CEO Jack Dorsey has launched Bluesky for those who are missing the old platform.
As the app opens and the option of creating an account is clicked, it says: “This is the company that keeps you online”.
The Bluesky was launched on iOS in February and on Android this month.
Its system is run on a decentralised network providing users more control over how the service is operated, giving more control over data storage and content moderation to users.
Recently Dorsey’s Bluesky gained the attention of people such as Democratic Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chrissy Teigen, among others.
Find out what this Jack Dorsey’s new platform is.
What is Bluesky?
It is a new social network for microblogging same to Twitter, in which its users post different kinds of updates posts on their timelines. However, in the new app, there are no hashtags or options to message directly to other users.
The Bluesky was created independently of Twitter when Jack Dorsey was its CEO. However, it was funded by the company until it became independent in February last year.
Dorsey introduced his idea in a Tweet back in 2019, saying it also plans to “build an open community around it, inclusive of companies [and] organisations, researchers, civil society leaders.” Still, he warned, “this isn’t going to happen overnight.”
Dorsey said last year: “The biggest issue and my biggest regret is that [Twitter] became a company.”
He later clarified that “if a service was a protocol, it can’t be owned by a state or company.”
Twitter facing exodus?
People are finding alternatives to Twitter who are frustrated by the decisions of its CEO Elon Musk, who acquired it for $44 billion last year.
In the time span of six months, Elon Musk decided to make several controversial changes, such as blue ticks from prominent figures, sparking fears of disinformation and fake news.
Some of the important public figures are opting for Bluesky after Musk’s new direction.
Data.ai reported that Bluesky has been downloaded more than 375,000 times from the Apple App Store and the waitlist continues to be flooded with signup requests.
The number of downloads on Google Play can be seen more than 100,000 times.
It remains to be seen how Bluesky would sustain its presence and won’t be eclipsed as Mastodon — a similar platform gained attention last year.
The early shift toward Bluesky is a positive one, as it gives social media users more choice over where they spend their time, said Mark Bartholomew, a professor at the University at Buffalo School of Law who writes about online privacy.
“Competition might actually help users find the product features they want, like greater privacy protection, portability, and more significant content moderation,” added Bartholomew.
“Social media platforms have features that users dislike but they still feel like they must accept them to just be in the online space where everyone else is,” he said.
He also noted that People went to Bluesky because Musk forced them to, by “sabotaging his own platform.”
For 18 graduates of the Reko Diq Mining Project, the National University of Technology, Islamabad, has started a training program. These graduates will complete an 18-month on-the-job training program at Barrick’s International Mining Sites after completing a two-month course at NUTECH.
The graduates will acquire proficiency in mining and associated technical domains during the training program. The chosen graduates will also get specific instruction on environmental protection, safety, exploration, and geology.
Along with the development of communication skills, the curriculum will also emphasise the most recent advancements in the mining industry. Barrick’s International Graduate Development Program for 2024 includes the Balochistani graduates.
Additionally, nine Baloch graduates were selected in 2023 and transported to Barrick’s facility in Argentina for on-the-job training.
WhatsApp is implementing a new upgrade to refine the Updates tab interface, hence boosting accessibility for status and channel updates.
WABetaInfo reports that the upgrade introduces expedited shortcuts that streamline the updating of statuses and channels. Users can now select and upload photos and videos directly from the interface, reducing the steps involved in choosing media from the gallery.
The Meta-owned messaging application has also revamped the button for generating text-based status updates and introduced a feature for recording and sharing voice status updates. This offers customers a more expedient method to disseminate text and speech updates without depending on the floating action button.
The revisions correspond with recent modifications to other tabs, ensuring a modernised interface that improves navigation and update creation. WhatsApp is modifying the floating action button to facilitate content sharing within channels.
When selecting the floating action button, users will see several options, including creating status updates, starting new channels, or sharing photos, videos, voice, and text in existing channels. This revamp integrates all content-generating options into a singular section.
The new shortcuts are anticipated to be accessible to a broader user base in the forthcoming weeks. Beta testers can currently access them in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, version 2.24.26.13, available on the Google Play Store.
Through Chinese expertise, the arrangement, which was made possible by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), intends to increase Pakistan’s agricultural output.
The Punjab government and China’s “AI Force Tech” company have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce advanced agricultural machinery during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to China.
Through the use of advanced robotic technology, the MoU seeks to transform Pakistan’s agricultural industry, guarantee economic growth, and boost farmers’ wealth with China’s assistance.
Through the partnership, Pakistan would also have the chance to absorb knowledge about China’s sophisticated farming methods.
In the meantime, plans have been revealed by the Federal Minister of Planning to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China to study contemporary farming methods.
A Chinese business and the Punjab government previously inked an agreement to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment technologies to Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hygea Medical Technologies while she was in China in order to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment equipment and techniques to Punjab.
This equipment will make it feasible to treat cancer without the need for chemotherapy or surgery.
Following a meeting with Hygea Medical Technologies President Dr. Luo Fuliang, Maryam Nawaz said the organization has promised expert assistance for the establishment of the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital.
She went on to say that the hospital will work with China to treat cancer patients utilizing the newest equipment and techniques following the agreement.
Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation are present. From December 8 to December 15, the chief minister will go to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.
CM Maryam Nawaz is expected to attend a number of conferences, events, and meetings with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations and looking into potential joint ventures in the areas of infrastructure development, technology, agriculture, and governance.