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Gregory Wild-Smith
@gregory.wild-smith.com

Not going to lie, the @bsky.app team (which is only about 20 people) has pulled off a minor miracle with the quality of the app. A lot of it comes down to holistically focusing on user experience. Not just UI design but how it feels to use & interact on the app.

Gregory Wild-Smith
@gregory.wild-smith.com

User experience is key to so much here. THAT is why there is strong moderation. THAT is why Alt Text is so front & center. THAT is why moderation lists & starter packs exist. Strong moderation tools alone is a huge selling point. Not a surprise: it had been requested of Twitter for over a decade!

Gregory Wild-Smith
@gregory.wild-smith.com

Any people who used to hang out on old-school forums—especially us poor sods who had to admin or mod them—know good moderation is key to a healthy community. I won’t belabor this point, I’ll just point to Karl Popper’s Paradox of Tolerance to anyone who wonders why this is so.

Gregory Wild-Smith
@gregory.wild-smith.com

The focus on Accessibility here is great too. I’m a big proponent of the maxim “Accessibility is Job One”: making your app more accessible isn’t about catering to blind/disabled folk. Accessibility is for everyone. It’s about *making your app easier & richer to use*. The 🦋 team seem to get that.

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Gregory Wild-Smith
@gregory.wild-smith.com

You’re seeing these core principles come out in—and be reinforced by—the community. Block, Don’t Engage. No Quote Dunking. Enable Alt Text Always. No Doom-baiting. These have all emerged organically, partly as a response to The HellSite, but also because 🦋 *gives us the tools to do so*. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻