Bluesky's newest app update introduces a controversial feature that automatically sorts post replies based on their "hotness" - a metric weighing recently liked responses more heavily than others.
The social media platform, often viewed as a potential Twitter alternative, rolled out version 1.95 with this notable change. By default, the new sorting system pushes replies receiving recent engagement to the top of conversations.
While users can manually adjust their preferences to view replies in different orders - including chronologically, by total likes, or randomly - many community members have expressed disappointment with the automatic "hot replies first" setting.
Critics argue this change mirrors features that drove them away from other social platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Several users suggest the feature should have been optional rather than the default setting.
For those wanting to modify the reply sorting preference, the option is available under Settings > Content and Media > Thread Preferences. Users can select from multiple sorting choices including:
- Oldest replies first
- Newest replies first
- Most-Liked first
- Random ("Poster's Roulette")
The update arrives during an interesting period for Bluesky, as the platform navigates user concerns about AI training data and content moderation policies. The new version has been deployed across devices on both Android and iOS.
This development marks another step in Bluesky's evolution as it attempts to balance user preferences with platform growth, though reception suggests the "hotness" feature may need refinement based on community feedback.
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