It seems like the site Leon runs (yes, that’s on purpose) is becoming a ghost town for gear guys. When I go through my feed, I see fewer posts from guys I used to interact with regularly. I have been trying to get guys to move to BlueSky for a few months, and I wanted to share a few things that differ from Twitter.
Spicy Content is ok!
Spicy content is okay, but when you post it, you can select whether it’s nudity, suggestive, or adult. Note that you only see this once you upload media (picture or video). If you forget to do this, BlueSky will automatically label it. You didn’t have to do this on Twitter, but it’s one of the quirks here. You can also set your profile to view spicy content as well automatically. To do this:
- Go under Settings
- Click Moderation
- Scroll down till you see “Content Filters.”
- Then, you can select which you want to see:
- Adult Content
- Sexually Suggestive
- Graphic Media
- Non-sexual Nudity
This is where the labels mentioned above come into play. They aren’t there to limit or censor people; they make sure those who want to see spicy or graphic content can see it, and those who don’t won’t.
Now that you signed up for BlueSky, how do you find people to follow? There are several ways to find others.
- Sky Follower Bridge—If you use a Chrome browser (including Edge), this extension is a quick way to find people you follow on Twitter. Granted, if you haven’t deactivated your account already, you follow the instructions. The extension will show you people, and you can follow them directly from the extension. Note that it’s not perfect; if some names match on both services, it’s not the same person.
- Starter Packs—You will see this a lot on BlueSky. Each person can create a Starter Pack listing people others suggest you follow. I recommend everyone create one. My Starter Pack is o.bsky.app/CG6HpBA. To make one (or several), go to your profile and click the “starter pack” at the top. It’s simple to create and share. As mentioned above, you can share as many as you like.
- Lists—I have created lists for “Underwear, Spandex, Kink, Brief Talk Studs” (our podcast, guys) that you can follow and find many of the guys you know on Twitter. It’s a work in progress, and I add to it daily.
- Feeds—Feeds are new, and I’m trying to figure them out. You can follow many feeds created. I’m trying to figure out how to do a gear-centric feed, but I haven’t had time to do so yet.
Some Basic posting information you guys might find helpful is:
- Pictures – You can post pictures just like any other social site.
- Videos – This is relatively new to BlueSky; the videos must be under 60 seconds. They will add longer videos soon; I am unsure if it will be paid or a free service.
- DMs – just like other services, you can direct message people and turn it on or off.
- Threads—I don’t think they are available yet. A thread is a series of linked posts. I didn’t see the option; if I am wrong, someone will correct me. (It appears you need an App to do Threads)
I hope this helps explain the service; while it’s a lot like Twitter, there are some differences. I don’t think any of them are too hard to come over, but navigating if you are new can be confusing!
If you have any questions, reach out to me on BlueSky. My DMs are open, and I will answer you as soon as possible! Welcome to a place where the skies are bluer and the conversations are better.
