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# Bluesky Isn't the Open Web, No Matter What It Claims
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/bluesky-isnt-the-open-web-no-matter-what-it-claims/
- Published: 2026-05-21T16:12:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-21T16:12:15.000Z
- Description: Dave Winer’s comparison exposes a distinction: platforms built on open protocols aren’t the same as platforms that simply use open protocols while maintaining proprietary control over distribution, discovery, and monetization.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-consumer, platform dynamics, attention economy, creator economy mechanics

Source: [Scripting News](http://scripting.com/2026/05/20.html?ref=adjacent.media#a191155)

Dave Winer's comparison exposes a distinction: platforms built on open protocols aren't the same as platforms that simply \*use\* open protocols while maintaining proprietary control over distribution, discovery, and monetization. Bluesky can interoperate with other ATProto services, but users' attention, algorithmic ranking, and economic value flow through Bluesky's walled ecosystem—the same extraction model that made YouTube and Spotify dominant despite their reliance on open standards. For consumers betting on decentralization as an escape from algorithmic capture and platform lock-in, the gap is material: owning your data port doesn't mean owning your audience.