created 2026-03-18
Where do you belong?
Where do I belong?
This is Claude output. I've added some thoughts in italics - ML
1 — The Uninitiated Never used social media platforms. No frame of reference for feeds, follows, or the concept of a social graph.
2 — The Casual Scroller Uses mainstream social media (Facebook, Instagram) but passively — just consuming content. Has heard of Twitter/X but may not use it. No awareness of Bluesky or decentralisation.
3 — The Twitter Native Comfortable on Twitter/X. Understands follows, retweets, threads, hashtags. May have heard Bluesky mentioned but hasn't tried it. Thinks of social media as platforms owned by companies.
4 — The Bluesky Dabbler Has a Bluesky account, probably got an invite and set it up out of curiosity. Uses it occasionally but mainly still on X. Knows it's "like Twitter but different," has heard the word "decentralised" without really knowing what it means.
5 — The Engaged Migrant Actively uses Bluesky. Understands the starter packs, custom feeds, and moderation lists. Knows Bluesky is built on something called AT Protocol and that it's different from Mastodon/ActivityPub, but couldn't explain why. Has a custom domain as their handle.
6 — The Informed Enthusiast Can explain what the AT Protocol is and why it matters — DIDs, PDSs, the idea of a portable identity. Follows the ATmosphere ecosystem, knows about Bluesky the company vs. the protocol. Aware that third-party apps like Flashes or Smoke Signal exist and why that's significant. Could explain the difference between AT Protocol and ActivityPub at a dinner party.
7 — The Ecosystem Explorer Has experimented with multiple ATmosphere apps beyond Bluesky. Understands the Lexicon, knows what a PDS (Personal Data Server) is and has perhaps self-hosted one. Has read the AT Protocol docs. Could sketch out how a record, repo, and relay fit together. Possibly building small tools or bots using the API.
8 — The Active Builder Professionally or seriously building on the AT Protocol — apps, bots, feed generators, or labellers. Comfortable with the API, understands firehose vs. relay architecture. Has opinions about the protocol's design decisions. Participates in ATmosphere developer communities and follows protocol RFCs and governance discussions.
9 — The Protocol Insider Deep technical expertise — could write their own AT Protocol implementation. Understands the cryptographic identity layer, the data model trade-offs, and federation edge cases. Likely contributes to open-source ATmosphere tooling, has filed issues or PRs against the core protocol, and influences how the ecosystem develops. May know the Bluesky core team personally.
10 — The Protocol Architect Spends their working day building the AT Protocol itself or core ATmosphere apps. A Bluesky engineer, or the founder of a significant ATmosphere app. Shapes the protocol's direction through direct contribution. The people writing the spec.
For borderline cases: