Reopened my BlueSky today for the first time in a while. I want to support the app but I’m just drained of the internet lacking a safe space for nuanced thought. I’ve watched this app tear down and shun people for takes that were fairly mild and that sucks. A space simply can’t grow that way.
In all things people just have a real problem distinguishing criticism from a personal attack on something they enjoy. One of them you can debate the other is just not worth the energy.
I don't know if social media is the place for nuanced discussion on basically anything but especially not wrestling, which brings up the immediate question of what exactly is social media for. It's fun around here on certain days
This is the best kind of thinking. I've concluded over the last several years, especially after getting a postgrad degree in comp/rhet, that social media is not very "social" and it's more about keeping up appearances and virtue-signaling to in-groups. It's why I've always sucked at it! Too genuine!
You never had these issues on the IGN wrestling boards
Which is truly wild because IGN stands for Idiots Go Nuts
On the other hand, nobody is getting spammed with lemon party and Tubgirl anymore, so SOME parts of the whole thing have improved significantly
Maybe not on the base boards, but the IGNWF got real.
Truly i don't believe there is much space for any nuanced thought on social media of any kind because every app becomes an echo chamber which people will defend to the end times 🤣
Some people only care about status, and everyone else is too afraid to stand out.
Huh food for thought
My experience here has been better than Twitter, overall, but Bluesky does for sure have its own pool of toxicity - just with a different approach, imo
I think people here are kind of scared of this place turning into yet another nazi bar if they don't gatekeep and it causes them to jump down the throat of people sometimes. I get that personally and don't think every place needs to be for everybody, but some folks don't know when to back off.
So much chicken littling tho! Every word that bleeds from "the bad place" about ANYTHING turns into mass terror, amplification, and block-fests. That's the nuance I think Will's addressing. You can disagree on something without shouting "the bsky is falling!" and dragging everyone into chaos.
It's much better than the hellhole site but something about this app just seems to be off.
I always have try to be respectful with people even if we have different opinions but i love hear people out and i just post edits and yell at the endless void so im fine with it here and i love seeing all the artist's here
Honestly, I think the key to having a good experience here is block early and block often. The "nuclear block" is a godsend. You block someone, they no longer exist for you. So block anyone who's the least bit skeevy. Of course, I'm way too guilty of not following my own advice at times.
For the record, since someone clearly didn't figure it out, that includes people who get super weird about blocking. I don't care what you have to say about "silos" and "echo chambers", and the fact that I told you I have boundaries and you immediately tried to convince me not to is a big red flag.
Some people only know how to communicate by being outraged & arguing. Probably because everywhere you look in the world people are trying to make $$$ off of outrage and argument.
Then they need to go touch grass or something. Coming to this place, where we're supposed to be moving away from that, where the algorithm does't reward you for that behavior, and where the community generally disengages with you for it, there's no excuse for it.
I KNow what you mean.
You're going to have to provide specific examples because this doesn't make much sense. Social media is curated by what you do and say. You should be finding like-minded people fairly easily. If you aren't, it might be because you're disingenuous
Years of being exposed to hot take engagement bait in the other place naturally made people defensive. There's not as much of a motive for it here, but it does exist.
You know what I haven't seen here? Attacks on Swerve Strickland for answering a question. Bluesky has been great.
I hope you don't let negativity stop you from posting here. We need more voices and more diverse voices in wrestlesky and you'd be a valued member of the community. I hope to see more of your posts in the future!
The world is full of people who focus on the negative and suck the life out of things. Focus on the positive.
But an app been owned by a nazi is ok?... I do not get it.
See, that’s that dichotomy I’m not interested in. Because I promise you there’s something in between a groupthink social space and a place that lets hate run amok. It absolutely does not have to be one or the other.
"groupthink social space" lmao and you lost me, Will. Like, bro, just say you like the engagement you get from the Nazi place. You don't have to quote some bullshit from Nate Silver to justify preferring the Nazis. You sound ridiculous.
There’s that dichotomy again. Assuming I’ve ever read Nate Silver beyond election cycles is also something
Will, you're a verified Twitter user that came to Bluesky and effectively said "Why am I even here?" It's not my dichotomy. It's your context. Sorry for throwing a reference over your head. If I assumed something, it was that you'd pick up on "Full of Shit Twitter Guy" even without context.
My context was pretty explicit that X having Nazis is worse. The idea is wanting Bluesky’s community to be better about how its users handle discourse and disagreements.
Explicit? Will, you use Twitter. A lot. You've been off Bluesky for five or six months. Sure, fine. Not a dichotomy. Not a choice between the two. You're still on Twitter. Folk here on Bluesky, with all their discourse, still decided Nazis were a red line and you didn't.
It's not groupthink. I was sick of your employer getting kicked in the dick, from the WWE's orchestrated efforts on that racist fucking app. Anyone still using that thing is using something, that is set up to make being decent on it fail. So yeah. When your company hypes X over Bluesky, that's like
rewarding the bullies who want you to just go away. It's bullshit, and those takes? We cool here. I don't know what heat you saw, but this right here is living up to that SICKO name.
I do not need social media to have my social space, I have the real world, I just use it to see news for wrestling and other hobbies, You use whatevere you want and give money to whoevwer. Good luck to you.
his point exactly
I agree, there is a sharpness to some reactions. Defensive posturing stuff and it honestly does make make me tired when I see someone go of on a tirade id they mention a WWE guy or have concerns about AEW We fans! Not zealots, unless someone is being an OBVIOUS troll-ass trolling. I getcha bro
I feel like that’s just social media, unfortunately. I like BlueSky because it gives me the tools to not have to engage with the shitty people. Some people can’t distinguish discussing why someone might have done or not done something with condoning or condemnation of the actions…
I’d like to say that it beats having to deal with literal Hitler apologists on the other app and it does for the most part, but they’re both pretty bleak It pains me because it wasn’t always this way and the moment you step out and interact with real people, you know that still it’s not.
By design essentially, there's a huge contingent of people with a giant chip on their shoulder. Almost inferiority complex by design. Just wish people would treat this spot like an old school forum
It's great to see you back. Can I just mention... I'm certain the AEW BlueSky community would love to be included in the social media posts on television... Similar to what you did with the Tweets.
I was gonna say that its better than dealing with nazis...
This place is so much better than the old place it’s not close. Even with its faults. Hope you stick around.
Good to have you back. The other place is a sewer. I quit being on there nearly a year ago & it’s one of the best things I ever did. This place isn’t always perfect but I don’t think any place is these days. It’s still a billion times better on here though.
Exactly. In this day and age, if you want your version of a perfect wrestling utopia / social space, the only solution is to make a Discord server and employ a bunch of mods with your exact mindset.
My man the best advice I've been given on this app is that we have a block button for a reason, and to never hesitate to use it so you can maintain your peace. So goddamn happy if you stay but we get it if you don't.
Being fair, the world doesn't really have a safe space for nuanced thought to be publicised. Radicalised thought, yes, because they drive others away and so are rarely challenged. But for the person who sees more than one side of things? That's just more people to be pissed off who are already...
...pissed that the radicals get away with so much and now facing someone else disagreeing with their beliefs and had enough and fuck you man!!! ...is how it tends to go. The trick, as with real life, is to limit the reach of your words (use tools to make replies friends only, etc) somewhat.
Have you considered setting your mentions to show you only the replies of accounts you follow? I hear that's great for people who've been having a lousy time on here.
Might be an oversimplification @willwashington.bsky.social but something happened around 2016 that normalized being cruel to others and it’s never been the same anywhere. Appreciate your work, keep it up!
Yea for me it feels like 2 places going in very opposite directions. Its why when I come here I have to go in with the mindset that if I don't 100% agree with a take I gotta not respond and move on or other wise be eaten and told I fit in with the other extreme. Its very with me or 100% against me.
Which is fine, but no one uses this over X without having really profound reasons. It's not eggshells, as much as there are millions of people who use this app because the other one made just liking something, not being a fucking bigot, and trying to support people a living fucking hell
People, are sensitive here, and have reasons to be sensitive. Maybe, over time, that shit will change, but it's still raw. Shit, I am still mad at motherfuckers for Star Wars prequel hate, and that was 20 years ago. So, YMMV.
I was once told by a friend: not posting is free. If I can't get a suitably nuanced take into one skeet, I figure that's my decision point on whether it's really worth it. (And if it IS worth it, it's time to refine it better.)
Just block bad faith actors and move on. Bad people live everywhere, but you don't have to engage. Glad to have you back on the Bsky!
This place has been miles better for me. Curating your following and blocking appropriately seems to be the key, along with scrolling past and not interacting sometimes. The #AEW community here is thriving.
100% - you have to put a bit of work in initially here, muting words, doing some blocks, getting the right feeds showing up but once you do, it has been fantastic for the last 6 months 🫶
Yeah. The Block Lists helped initially but over time, using your own judgment to block/mute works much better, especially once you’ve gotten a feel for how this app works.
Agreed. If people are rude or disrespectful, block and mute them. If they're inappropriate beyond a certain point, report them. The block, mute, and reporting tools seem to work well here. Use the lists @andy.wrestlejoy.com has provided as a starter and build who you want to communicate with.
I'm very sorry to hear that's been your experience. I wouldn't call this place perfect, but it's been a much happier experience for me as a fan (personally).
It's not just you. It's been happening a lot more frequently, particularly since the "Blusky is dying" talk started. bsky.app/profile/did:...
Alot bots and controlled stuff going on
I literally just reactivated mine just now out of curiosity. It's tough to maintain common sense on social media.
My experience has been the opposite. Initially I had a few a**holes on here that were narrow minded and trollish but I stuck with it and actively curated my engagement specifically blocking people that could not respect other perspectives. I seriously love this place.
I think this is just the nature of human beings. There will always been baseless negativity from people who get their fill from arguing with strangers online You can always respond in kind and no reasonable person would hold it against you. It’s self defense
We’re pretty clear in the wrestlesky, at least that which I’ve seen.
Don't hold your breath. I posted a silly thread of "cats as wrestlers" today and got lambasted by a couple of people for having the *audacity* to include a couple who are "problematic" in real life, outside of the ring while not in character. Goofy cat pics, for crying out loud. 🤷♂️
Well you posting this made me look up your thread and I had some good laughs out of many of them!
Glad you enjoyed it! Lord knows we can use a few chuckles right now. 👊😎🙏
Oh lord, and sadly I am not surprised, I wish I was There is a certain "type" who patrol "morality" and stuff.
I feel you. Especially now as I’ve worked in wrestling for 2.5 years, I see more and more that most of the ideas that people online have of wrestlers in “real life” couldn’t be further from reality. Sometimes, you just want to enjoy who people are on TV and that’s okay. You should, actually.
The same applies to musicians, actors and religious leaders. *ESPECIALLY* religious leaders. 😂 👊😎🙏
First of all the thread is great. But I don't think a couple of people disagreeing with you is a problem with the platform itself, rather than an unavoidable aspect of humanity.
Agreed. People are people, for better or worse.
I just looked at the thread. It’s cats. People complaining need shooting out of a confetti cannon. Colourful and might cheer the miserable gits up!
Like, I didn't even include any commentary, pro or con. JUST EFFING CATS. Some people need to switch to decaf.... 😂
Your real downfall was probably not giving each a cat pun themed wrestling name 😅 /s
Decaf and sugar free.
Hope you and your family are doing well Will 🫶
Glad you’re back.
sorry you feel that way; for my way of thinking it's pretty refreshing compared to the other place
What do you mean? This place is chill. It has nothing to do with the 300,000 people that I've blocked.
Crazy.... 🙄
Not gonna lie, we’d love to have you back on here regularly. But you’ve gotta do what’s best for you and your mental health, whole BSky can be “better” than Twitter, it does (often) fall into the same trappings as the other sites. The block function is excellent, use it liberally.
It seems like it's gotten mildly better of recent, or maybe I've just developed an immunity - or been blocked by all the right people. It's hard to say, really.
As a former Twitter power user, it's a million times better but there is a contingent of "you don't think exactly like I do, you must be evil and part of the problem" people on here that I try to steer clear of. Coalitions are built by bringing together like-minded people of a broader spectrum.
It is a very AI kinda way of thinking - you 💯agree with me, or you are 💯 wrong Life does not work like that, just mindless automatons who dont care about context and various shades of gray.
That contingent found my post. 😂
Lol 🤦♂️
This place has been infinitely better for my mental health than Twitter. It's one of the better places for AEW discussions and I have good conversations here. Sorry it hasn't been great for you. I will say blocking early and often helps immensely here!