Post Overview
In this post I share a handful of improvements made to the @bsky.art accounts and feeds. These updates are intended to make the feeds inclusive for all artists, and simplify the experience for users. These custom feeds are ever-evolving, balancing the growing userbase with the tools to manage the content. As always, I encourage feedback and suggestions to further improve the experience.
For a brief look at @bsky.art‘s evolution and the inspiration behind its creation, click here.
This post will cover
- Updates to @bsky.art and how to post to its feeds
- The return of @photos.bsky.art and introduction of the photography feeds
- The bsky.art website, a hub for these accounts
- A look towards the future
Updates to @bsky.art Feeds
Until recently, the @bsky.art feed was populated by a curated list of artists, accounts needed to be followed by @bsky.art for their posts to appear. While the goal was to be as inclusive as possible—following any new artists that crossed the timeline—Bluesky’s userbase has quickly outgrown this approach and the Art Feeds needed to open up by integrating tags.
Inherently, this change generalizes the feeds to not restrict artists. Content shown spans a wider range of artists and mediums. This has also sparked discussions around more curated feeds, specifically for categories like fine-art, stay tuned for updates on this.
Integration of Tags & How to Post to the Art Feeds
The main Art Feeds are set to take a number of tags as input. To post to the feeds, artists can use any of the over 300 art-related tags in an image posts to add it to the feeds. This list will be ever-evolving to ensure the best experience for everybody
The full list of tags for the @bsky.art feeds can be found here.
More info on posting to feeds here.
Artist accounts that are followed by @bsky.art will still have their image posts sent to the feed automatically without having to include tags. This is to simplify the process for artists with accounts dedicated to their work.
The Return of @photos.bsky.art
@photos.bsky.art has returned after a year-long hiatus. I think this split into a standalone account is warranted as there is a large and active photography community on Bluesky.
How to Post to @photos.bsky.art Feeds
This account and its feeds mirror @bsky.art, using a list of photography specific tags to curate posts, as well as posts from accounts @photos.bsky.art follows to streamline the process for accounts that exclusively post photography.
The full list of tags can be found here.
The bsky.art Website
Along with these changes, I’m working to revamp the bsky.art website to be a central hub for the accounts and feeds. Here you will be able to find information on active feeds, how to post to them and any updates along the way. This will be ever-evolving and I’m always open to feedback and suggestions.
A Look Towards the Future
While I think these changes bring much needed improvements, like everything here, and with Bluesky as a whole, it is ever-evolving. I’m fascinated by the idea of decentralizing social media and I believe being here for its early development comes with responsibilities. We have to be creative with our solutions and mindful of their effects. The ways we utilize the AT Protocol will directly determine whether or not it catches on.
For @bsky.art, I plan on looking into ways users can have more of an impact on the content in our feeds and how it is sorted. @graze.social, the team helping manage these feeds, already have some tools I think will help introduce this.
I’m excited to continue with this account in a more intentional manner, and working with the community to connect artists and enthusiasts across this innovative platform.
Thank you for reading.
