Yona Gushiken
Tech billionaire and “Chief Twit” Elon Musk welcomed the impromptu endorsement of X (formerly Twitter) by its founder Jack Dorsey, calling the platform “freedom technology.” This endorsement coincides with Dorsey’s departure from Bluesky, the social networking startup he spearheaded post-Twitter’s acquisition by Musk.
Dorsey’s veiled endorsement surfaced in a recent tweet advocating for individuals to safeguard their rights using “freedom technology,” a sentiment that resonated strongly with Musk’s vision of empowering users in the digital realm.
The confirmation of Dorsey’s exit from Bluesky was discreetly revealed in an X post where he clarified his non-involvement in the startup’s board.
Notably, one of Dorsey’s tweets delved into the significance of “open protocols,” a term synonymous with open-source software coding akin to blockchain principles, hinting at a deeper industry paradigm shift.
Dorsey’s endorsement of X and Musk’s acknowledgment of his gesture are seen as the sign of a thaw between the platform’s current owner and its co-founder.
This development contrasts with Dorsey’s previous statement on Bluesky a year ago, where he lamented that things had taken a negative turn following Musk’s acquisition of X and substantial overhaul of the social media platform he founded.
Bluesky, a network and protocol launched to embody Dorsey’s vision of a decentralized Twitter without central control, was opened to all interested users in February.
Initially, it garnered attention as an escape from the tumult at Twitter following Elon Musk’s acquisition. However, it has been overshadowed by Meta’s Threads as the more prominent alternative recently.
Following Dorsey’s post on X, Bluesky, on a couple of posts showed gratitude to the founder while confirming his departure.
“We sincerely thank Jack for his help funding and initiating the Bluesky project. Today, Bluesky is thriving as an open source social network running on atproto, the decentralized protocol we have built,” the post read.
The social media startup also announced it is looking for a new board member “who shares our commitment to building a social network that puts people in control of their experience.”
“With Jack’s departure, we are searching for a new board member for the Bluesky public benefit company who shares our commitment to building a social network that puts people in control of their experience. More to come,” Bluesky added in another post.
In 2019, Jack Dorsey initially supported Bluesky as a project aimed at creating an open-source social media standard, which he envisioned Twitter transitioning to. Subsequently, in 2022, he became a member of its board of directors after Bluesky separated from Twitter.
Neither Bluesky nor Dorsey himself have provided details regarding the circumstances or reasons for his departure from the board.
