The web used to be a more open place. Sadly, we’ve watched that whither away. Twitter and Reddit used to have a robust ecosystem of 3rd party apps killed off by exorbitant API prices implemented in an attempt to milk the value of user data in the age of AI.
However, we’re seeing a new wave of open social media crop up, Bluesky being the most promising. It’s gained a lot of traction as a Twitter alternative, but the current experience just scratches the surface of what is possible — not only is the API open but the protocol could theoretically support experiences radically different than Twitter.
One thing I used to use was a handy little menubar app for tweeting, and I figured for our first foray into AT Protocol experimentation, I would recreate that experience — just for Bluesky. Thus became smolsky.
This already shot up to the #2 Mac social networking app on the App Store, and a few people asked me for something similar for iPhones, so we have also adapted it for iOS — currently pending Apple’s review. This version can also be installed on iPads, though it doesn’t do anything special beyond the iPhone version — it’s just a zen posting experience with few frills.
The appeal of having a way to shout out into the void without getting caught up scrolling in what it says back is valuable. Furthermore, using focus apps, you could do things like block the regular app and website while leaving that route open. We are so excited at the positive response already, and hope a lot more people find it useful.
Since this is a fairly simple app, it’s just $1.99 on the App Store. No subscriptions, no recurring costs — buy it once, use it forever. Download smolsky on the Mac App Store today!