Exciting developments in the realm of decentralized social media have opened communication channels between users of different platforms. In the ever-expanding “fediverse,” there’s a new development: now, users of Mastodon, which operates on the ActivityPub protocol, can seamlessly interact with those utilizing Bluesky’s AT Protocol. This cross-platform interaction includes following individuals, viewing posts, and engaging with content through likes, replies, and reposts.
The technological innovator behind this interoperability is a tool called Bridgy Fed, designed to foster connections within the fediverse, linking not only these platforms but potentially others in the future.
The increasing curiosity about decentralized social media spiked noticeably following the acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, prompting users to seek alternatives like Mastodon. Concurrently, Bluesky, born from Twitter’s nurturing, gathered momentum with a significant user base after its public debut.
Although decentralized social platforms like Farcaster are making impressive strides—with substantial funding support—the real challenge remains in allowing users from different networks to communicate.
The distinction between Mastodon and Bluesky lies in their respective underpinnings: the former utilizes the established ActivityPub protocol, while the latter opts for the newer AT Protocol. This difference originally resulted in a lack of interactivity between the two user bases.
Enter Ryan Barrett, a software developer committed to solving this dilemma. His creation, Bridgy Fed, is a bridging tool facilitating social networking across the fediverse. While debates ensued about how this bridge should function, Barrett took community input to heart and crafted an opt-in model for the interim, envisioning a possible opt-out model for Bluesky participants in the future.
Bridgy Fed had a soft launch in mid-April and then moved towards a complete roll-out. It positions itself as one of the most comprehensive bidirectional bridges compared to other similar initiatives.
How to Navigate Bridgy Fed
Utilizing Bridgy Fed is a straightforward process. It is important to note that it only supports public accounts and posts, preserving the privacy of non-public content.
To bridge from Mastodon to Bluesky, users need to follow the Mastodon account with the handle associated with Bridgy Fed. Following this, a reciprocal follow-back occurs, granting access to a bridged account recognizable to Bluesky users, composed of the user’s Mastodon handle but appended with “ap.brid.gy.”
Conversely, Bluesky users looking to connect to the fediverse should follow a specific Bridgy Fed account. This action will create a bridged fediverse version of their Bluesky profile. It is indicated on Mastodon as an “automated” account to denote that it is bridged.
Interactions such as replies, mentions, likes, and posts between the accounts are all included within the bridging process, differentiating it from cross-posting. Instead, it’s akin to mirroring one’s feed onto another network, expanding audience reach and enabling engagement across different social platforms.
As with any platform in its early stages, users should anticipate encountering some hiccups like bugs or downtime. However, plans are in motion to enhance Bridgy Fed further, such as introducing a discoverability feature that prompts users to opt-in when an attempt is made to follow someone not yet bridged.
Currently compatible with various fediverse servers like Mastodon, Friendica, and PeerTube, as well as personal websites, Bridgy Fed has an ambitious roadmap. It aims to include support for additional decentralized services like Nostr, receiving endorsement from tech influencers such as Twitter’s co-founder.
This bridge represents a significant advancement for a more unified and decentralized social media landscape, allowing for more robust and diverse interactions across different networks.
