Bill Dybas
@billdybas.com
It’s now safe to turn off your computer.
📍Brooklyn, NY
📍Brooklyn, NY
Pinned
Bill Dybas
@billdybas.com
· Aug 12
I'm organizing a recommender systems (RecSys) community for those in NYC who want to get together more often than the annual ACM conference.
Sign up for information on meetups, events, reading groups, and more.
recsys.nyc
Sign up for information on meetups, events, reading groups, and more.
recsys.nyc
I should be able to create a PDS with an API call.
August 24, 2026 at 12:58 AM
I should be able to create a PDS with an API call.
Much like email has a few large hosting providers (Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.), we need more large scale PDS hosting providers.
Not many people (including developers!) operate their own email server, and not many people will operate their own PDS.
Not many people (including developers!) operate their own email server, and not many people will operate their own PDS.
August 24, 2026 at 12:57 AM
Much like email has a few large hosting providers (Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc.), we need more large scale PDS hosting providers.
Not many people (including developers!) operate their own email server, and not many people will operate their own PDS.
Not many people (including developers!) operate their own email server, and not many people will operate their own PDS.
same: we're still just building software albeit a bit more quickly than before
side-note: i don’t really use the term “vibecode” much anymore because it’s become too diluted and meaningless
i just talk about “prototyping”, “experimenting”, and “play”
these are all incredibly important things to be doing and don’t need to be pitted against more rigorous development
i just talk about “prototyping”, “experimenting”, and “play”
these are all incredibly important things to be doing and don’t need to be pitted against more rigorous development
August 24, 2026 at 12:52 AM
same: we're still just building software albeit a bit more quickly than before
Passing on PDS hosting costs to your users seems like an aligned business model for Atmosphere apps.
August 23, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Passing on PDS hosting costs to your users seems like an aligned business model for Atmosphere apps.
If you’re a cloud provider, you already have these capabilities for your CDN. You’d now need to integrate the AT Proto specific bits.
With a PDS host you’d want
- High availability/reliability
- Blob storage for associated media files
- Moderation and reporting around your users uploading illegal content
- A way to track storage usage and bill your users based on their volume
- Economies of scale around reading the network
- High availability/reliability
- Blob storage for associated media files
- Moderation and reporting around your users uploading illegal content
- A way to track storage usage and bill your users based on their volume
- Economies of scale around reading the network
August 23, 2026 at 12:33 PM
If you’re a cloud provider, you already have these capabilities for your CDN. You’d now need to integrate the AT Proto specific bits.
It does seem like there’s need for an infrastructure provider for PDS hosting so application developers can get started quickly.
Are any cloud providers like Cloudflare thinking about offering this service?
Are any cloud providers like Cloudflare thinking about offering this service?
Seems like a lot of folks at @atproto.nyc Community Day wanted to sign up their users with a custom PDS but were hesitant to take on the infra & moderation responsibilities here.
August 23, 2026 at 12:31 PM
It does seem like there’s need for an infrastructure provider for PDS hosting so application developers can get started quickly.
Are any cloud providers like Cloudflare thinking about offering this service?
Are any cloud providers like Cloudflare thinking about offering this service?
Seems like a lot of folks at @atproto.nyc Community Day wanted to sign up their users with a custom PDS but were hesitant to take on the infra & moderation responsibilities here.
August 23, 2026 at 12:14 PM
Seems like a lot of folks at @atproto.nyc Community Day wanted to sign up their users with a custom PDS but were hesitant to take on the infra & moderation responsibilities here.
I wonder if we solve onboarding to the Atmosphere by having one PDS-per app and worry about merging all the data later.
August 23, 2026 at 12:03 PM
I wonder if we solve onboarding to the Atmosphere by having one PDS-per app and worry about merging all the data later.
Hello from @atproto.nyc Community Day 2026
August 22, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Hello from @atproto.nyc Community Day 2026
Will Bluesky Protocol Services offer PDS hosting as a service?
For example, so a new application could offer app-specific handles & provision new accounts for people who aren't (yet) on Bluesky?
For example, so a new application could offer app-specific handles & provision new accounts for people who aren't (yet) on Bluesky?
August 14, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Will Bluesky Protocol Services offer PDS hosting as a service?
For example, so a new application could offer app-specific handles & provision new accounts for people who aren't (yet) on Bluesky?
For example, so a new application could offer app-specific handles & provision new accounts for people who aren't (yet) on Bluesky?
How does "Sign in with Bluesky" work if your PDS is not hosted there?
Will consumers know what "Atmosphere" is if you say "Sign in with Atmosphere"?
Will consumers know what "Atmosphere" is if you say "Sign in with Atmosphere"?
How can we make "Sign in with Bluesky" as easy to add to your app as "Sign in with Apple" or "Sign in with Google"?
August 13, 2026 at 10:06 PM
How does "Sign in with Bluesky" work if your PDS is not hosted there?
Will consumers know what "Atmosphere" is if you say "Sign in with Atmosphere"?
Will consumers know what "Atmosphere" is if you say "Sign in with Atmosphere"?
How can we make "Sign in with Bluesky" as easy to add to your app as "Sign in with Apple" or "Sign in with Google"?
August 13, 2026 at 9:58 PM
How can we make "Sign in with Bluesky" as easy to add to your app as "Sign in with Apple" or "Sign in with Google"?
Solving this question is what will determine if the Atmosphere is going to flourish.
IMO we're still a long way away from having the turnkey experience that makes a developer want to start their project on AT Proto. Still too much friction today.
IMO we're still a long way away from having the turnkey experience that makes a developer want to start their project on AT Proto. Still too much friction today.
If you're a software developer today who wants to build new social software, why would you choose AT Proto for your project rather than keeping everything on your own backend?
August 13, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Solving this question is what will determine if the Atmosphere is going to flourish.
IMO we're still a long way away from having the turnkey experience that makes a developer want to start their project on AT Proto. Still too much friction today.
IMO we're still a long way away from having the turnkey experience that makes a developer want to start their project on AT Proto. Still too much friction today.
If you're a software developer today who wants to build new social software, why would you choose AT Proto for your project rather than keeping everything on your own backend?
August 13, 2026 at 9:39 PM
If you're a software developer today who wants to build new social software, why would you choose AT Proto for your project rather than keeping everything on your own backend?
Places people congregate online:
- Bluesky
- X
- Threads
- Substack
- Discord
- Slack
- Reddit
- YouTube
- TikTok
- WhatsApp
- iMessage
- Telegram
- Signal
- Snapchat
- Facebook
- LinkedIn
- Letterboxd
- Twitch
- Tumblr
- Bluesky
- X
- Threads
- Substack
- Discord
- Slack
- YouTube
- TikTok
- iMessage
- Telegram
- Signal
- Snapchat
- Letterboxd
- Twitch
- Tumblr
August 13, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Places people congregate online:
- Bluesky
- X
- Threads
- Substack
- Discord
- Slack
- Reddit
- YouTube
- TikTok
- WhatsApp
- iMessage
- Telegram
- Signal
- Snapchat
- Facebook
- LinkedIn
- Letterboxd
- Twitch
- Tumblr
- Bluesky
- X
- Threads
- Substack
- Discord
- Slack
- YouTube
- TikTok
- iMessage
- Telegram
- Signal
- Snapchat
- Letterboxd
- Twitch
- Tumblr
Very excited about this
Today we’re launching Bluesky Protocol Services, a new brand and website for the infrastructure Bluesky operates. And Jetstream v2, the best way for developers to use atproto at scale, now with network replay.
atproto.com/blog/introdu...
atproto.com/blog/introdu...
Introducing Bluesky Protocol Services
A new home for the infrastructure Bluesky runs on the open network — including Jetstream v2 with network replay, a new Jetstream SDK, and a lex-based TypeScript SDK
atproto.com
August 13, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Very excited about this
Maybe the elephant in the room, but who is currently seriously investing in projects/companies building on AT Proto?
August 13, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Maybe the elephant in the room, but who is currently seriously investing in projects/companies building on AT Proto?
If you want to chat AT Proto business models, consumer social, or ways to grow the Atmosphere, I’ll be at @atproto.nyc Community Day. Let’s chat!
August 13, 2026 at 6:39 PM
If you want to chat AT Proto business models, consumer social, or ways to grow the Atmosphere, I’ll be at @atproto.nyc Community Day. Let’s chat!
As a platform, how do you afford all this infrastructure and moderation at scale with a business model that aligns with your platform's values?
August 13, 2026 at 4:59 PM
As a platform, how do you afford all this infrastructure and moderation at scale with a business model that aligns with your platform's values?
As a platform, how do you create the conditions where people are incentivized to contribute and not just consume? How do you foster psychological safety here?
August 13, 2026 at 4:54 PM
As a platform, how do you create the conditions where people are incentivized to contribute and not just consume? How do you foster psychological safety here?
As a platform, how do you enable people to reach a broad enough audience to meet people with similar interests but no so large where unhealthy parasocial relationships kick in?
August 13, 2026 at 4:53 PM
As a platform, how do you enable people to reach a broad enough audience to meet people with similar interests but no so large where unhealthy parasocial relationships kick in?
If you take a reductionist view of social media, they are:
1. A group of people
2. Content of some form
3. A recommender system that helps match people to content
1. A group of people
2. Content of some form
3. A recommender system that helps match people to content
August 13, 2026 at 4:43 PM
If you take a reductionist view of social media, they are:
1. A group of people
2. Content of some form
3. A recommender system that helps match people to content
1. A group of people
2. Content of some form
3. A recommender system that helps match people to content
What interest do you have or part of your life where you don't already feel nourished IRL or online? Where you wish you knew more of those type of people. That's where to start pulling the thread.
The way to succeed in social today is to create spaces that bring together people who otherwise weren't networked online who would be interested in meeting each other (and ideally hang out IRL).
With social media, you go where people you know are, where people you want to know are, or where there's interesting information.
In 2026, you're already connected to people you know through a messaging app, and you can find interesting information all over the web.
In 2026, you're already connected to people you know through a messaging app, and you can find interesting information all over the web.
August 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM
What interest do you have or part of your life where you don't already feel nourished IRL or online? Where you wish you knew more of those type of people. That's where to start pulling the thread.
Though if you do reciprocate, when meeting people in person for the first time you've only known online, it's like picking up deep conversation with an old friend. You've already seen into each others' minds.
Social media provides the frequency and familiarity you need to build up trust with someone, but it's a one-sided trust unless you reciprocate.
August 13, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Though if you do reciprocate, when meeting people in person for the first time you've only known online, it's like picking up deep conversation with an old friend. You've already seen into each others' minds.
As @zephoria.bsky.social notes, "Social Media Is Now Parasocial Media".
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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journals.sagepub.com
August 13, 2026 at 4:24 PM
As @zephoria.bsky.social notes, "Social Media Is Now Parasocial Media".
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...