Decentralized Twitter/X rival Bluesky is expanding its team by welcoming former developer community member, London-based software engineer Samuel Newman. Newman, who gained recognition for his third-party Bluesky app Graysky, will now be joining the startup as part of the frontend team to help develop Bluesky’s official app.
As Newman transitions into his new role, the future of Graysky remains uncertain. He has stated that the app will continue to be maintained for the time being but will not receive any new “ambitious” features as he focuses on making the official app the best it can be.
However, Newman is open to inquiries from other developers who may be interested in taking over Graysky. This could be a promising opportunity for someone if Bluesky becomes a major competitor to Twitter/X, Threads, and Mastodon. The platform has already gained 5.18 million registered users since its public launch last month, with roughly half actively posting.
One of the key qualities that set Graysky apart was its forward-thinking approach. It offered support for features that were initially lacking in the official Bluesky client, such as GIFs, inline translation, a comprehensive like feed, a feeds-first layout, hashtag support, and more. Last year, the app introduced Trending Topics and a Pro subscription option to monetize. By the end of 2023, Graysky had over 20,000 downloads and was working on adding Twitter-like features like drafts, bookmarks, muted words, polls, lists, and more.
With Newman now part of the Bluesky team, it is hoped that the official client will also improve and include more features. Although Newman stated that he may not be able to bring everything from Graysky to Bluesky, he is committed to “port some of the good parts.” One of his main goals is creating an iPad app for the platform.
- Credits:
- Article by Jane Doe
- Edited by John Smith
