TechTime with Nathan Mumm
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TechTime with Nathan Mumm
NEAT | TECH: Is Blue Sky the X-Killer? The digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet, and nowhere is this more evident than in the migration from X to Blue Sky | Whiskey and Tech Disruption
The digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet, and nowhere is this more evident than in the migration from X to Blue Sky. Our latest episode dives deep into this phenomenon while comparing it to another "killer" debate - Smoke Eye Barrel Proof versus George T. Stag bourbon.
With Blue Sky reaching 32 million users against X's 570 million, raw numbers don't tell the full story. At Emerald City Comic Con, a major Pacific Northwest event drawing nearly 100,000 attendees, we witnessed something remarkable - exhibitors and attendees actively avoiding X handles and exclusively requesting Blue Sky accounts. This grassroots movement suggests something profound is happening in how people connect online.
But what's driving this shift? While initially following political divides with left-leaning users gravitating toward Blue Sky, the migration is evolving as scientists and others seeking accurate information join the platform. Blue Sky appears to be recapturing the spirit of early Twitter - before excessive content controls but with enough moderation to maintain information integrity. With Instagram-like features already available (though still lacking streaming capabilities), Blue Sky is positioning itself as a return to social media's more functional past.
Will Blue Sky truly become the X-killer? Like our whiskey comparison (where George T. Stag remains superior despite Smoke Eye's "killer" marketing), the answer lies in user preference and adoption. Major sports organizations still exclusively share roster information on X, forcing fans to maintain a presence there. But as Blue Sky continues developing features and attracting diverse users, we may be entering an era of specialized platforms serving different needs - a healthier digital ecosystem where meaningful choices exist rather than one-size-fits-all environments.
What's your experience with Blue Sky? Have you made the switch or are you waiting to see how the platform evolves? Share your thoughts and join us next time for another exploration of technology's impact on our connected lives.
Welcome to Neat Tech presented to you by Nathan Mumm and Mark Gregoire.
Speaker 2:starting now, Welcome to Neat Tech, where whiskey meets innovation. Pour yourself a glass and get ready for Neat Tech, the newest Tech Time radio segment, where we sip on a whiskey and dive into cutting-edge tech topics. Each episode we'll explore how technology and spirits share a common thread. Each pour has a story and every bite of tech connects the way we experience the world. So sit back, sip neat and join us for a bold conversation about whiskey and the technology shaping our future. Neat Whiskey, smart Tech no Chaser.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:Now, today we are pouring Smoke Eye Barrel Proof, a whiskey that's been making waves as a George T Stag killer in bourbon circles. Put that claim to the test. We'll be comparing it to the regular stag scene If it truly lives up to the hype. While we savor these bold pores, we'll dive into another so-called killer, the blue sky social media platform, with many hoping it can be the next big alternative to X, formerly Twitter. We'll break down its features, potential impact and whether it has what it takes to disrupt the space. So is Smoke Eye really a stag killer, and can Blue Sky take down X? Let's sip, discuss and find out, all right. So, nathan, one of your previous episodes of the full-time Tech Time Radio, you actually had this whiskey, the Smoke Eye.
Speaker 1:Hill Barrel, proof barrel proof.
Speaker 2:All right, and you gave it a thumbs down. I did so for you. I would say it's definitely not a stag killer. So we have both pours here. You don't know which glass is which, all right, and then at the end we'll see which one you prefer and see if it killed stag now we talked on the last show that this smoke eye is 134.7 proof, so it is one of the more proofiest ones that we've had. Okay, this particular stag for those out there, it is the 24C batch and this is 128.9.
Speaker 1:Okay, I already know I have a favorite already that I'm working towards. But there you go, we can see it. Maybe it'll change, but I don't. Maybe it'll change, but I don't think it develops over the. Okay, all right all right.
Speaker 2:So, nathan, let's talk about blue sky versus twitter. All right, I'm curious on your take on this. So, as of uh, roughly recently, x has reported they got about 570 million a month active users. Yeah, in contrast, blue sky has reached over only 32 million users. Yep, but people are talking about it. Better killer. Those are huge discrepancy in the numbers. Still there is. Tell me about the trends, all right.
Speaker 1:So let me just tell you they're in Seattle area because we broadcast out of our main studio. Out of Seattle there's a big geek event going on this weekend which is called Emerald City Comic Con. Not the best geek event.
Speaker 1:Seattle no not as good as Geek Fest West, which is probably the premier geek event in the Pacific Northwest, but a very large event. They have anywhere between 80,000 to 100,000 people that attend this event in the Pacific Northwest region. Idaho comes, portland area, comes all the way down to probably Northern California to come to this event. It's all about comics, it's all about people dressing up in cosplay. So we're out there.
Speaker 1:We've sent a bunch of staff members that work on the Geek Fest event that I do, and as we're going around to all the booths, guess what? They no longer want to know how to connect with you on X. It is forbidden and banned literally from the show, and all they're asking for is what is your blue sky account? Because we want to share that and connect with that. For the event itself, they have completely blocked. This whole event is completely blocked. Hey, we can get a head. Uh, contact me on social media, on Facebook, and they're like no. And I say, well, you can contact us through X. No, you can contact us through our website is an okay response, but everybody wants to know their blue sky account. So I have a blue sky account.
Speaker 1:Our event that we put on yearly has a blue sky account, which was requested so that we had to. I didn't even think about it at the time. Account which was requested so that we had to. I didn't even think about it at the time. Tech Time Radio has a Blue Sky account. So I can tell you that the movement that is happening from a consumer to consumer engagement, a consumer to even small business engagement, is blocking the ability for people to use X or wanting even to engage with X, and they're asking people about Blue Sky. All right, so for this conference that you're talking about, was it that the attendees X, or wanting even to engage with X, and they're asking people about blue sky?
Speaker 2:All right. So for this conference that you're talking about, was it that the attendees were pushing for blue sky or the event itself?
Speaker 1:So it's the attendees that wanted to have a blue sky account. When you signed up and how you could connect with, and then, as you went to each of these booths, they had like 400 exhibitors that were presenting with different stuff. What they would ask for is, as you would have a conversation with them, is what's your blue sky account? So there's a whole underground movement, not from the convention itself, but from the actual exhibitors, of saying that we're no longer going to try to connect with people on social media. On X, if you don't have a blue sky account, get one. Blue sky was there doing some sponsorships, so it probably helped out also.
Speaker 2:Right. So what's driving that? So we'll talk a little bit more. What's driving a lot of people to Blue Sky? But this is a little different. These are businesses that are moving. We've talked about left versus right before. Why are the businesses looking to Blue Sky versus X?
Speaker 1:Well, so I don't think X is going to go anywhere. So I want to say that I don't think X is going to go anywhere because major organizations use X, unless you can get rid of the NFL, the NBA, all these celebrities that go on out and post on X. If you are having that still as your primary, main source of information that you get, people will still use X.
Speaker 2:So that makes sense because it's no different than the bourbons we're drinking here, even though we probably will decide that it's not a stag killer, okay, and my guess is you're going to like the stag quite a bit more. That other bourbon's not going away, it's still decent juice. Yeah, maybe not for the price it's about $90.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:But at least you can find this one, while Stag or Georgie Stag you'll never find. But even these Stags are tough to find. Okay, so there's still a place for that one there's still a place for it.
Speaker 1:So I think Exit will still have a place in the market. I do think that a social for social media apps TikTok two years ago was just breaking through. Maybe about three years ago now was just breaking through. We talked about it on Tech Time Radio. Really, tiktok was like 2% of the market share. When we started Tech Time Radio it was never going to make it and now they have the majority of the market share for short videos.
Speaker 1:So people will move to a social media platform, in my opinion, based upon who's on it and how much regularity it gets used. And Blue Sky is coming out with some killer Instagram apps. They really need to spend some time on what I would call a streaming app. They don't have a streaming app yet. They need to be able to create the same aspects that you can with YouTube and with TikTok and some of these other areas, in my opinion, so we could stream our show there.
Speaker 1:If we could do that, then I can drop paying a premium subscription for X. I'm not going to pay a $30 a month subscription to Elon Musk and his organization just for the ability to stream on there when I have other platforms Blue Sky needs to come out with the ability to do that and a couple other features, and then they will be, in my opinion, a social media killer, because people want to use that platform okay, so let's talk about a little bit of the divide of the left and the right, but before we do that, we have a left and right glass here so let's take another sip all right which one are you leaning towards?
Speaker 2:uh, so I glenn karen, and the right is the uh like the mini beer glass.
Speaker 1:So the mini beer glass. So the mini beer glass the right well, with that cough.
Speaker 2:I'm guessing you're thinking that is a smoke eye so that.
Speaker 1:So that is not the one that I've been tending to lean towards, as you can see, my eyes even watered up on that. So the other glass is much smoother. This flavor palette is much easier to handle. So, yeah, I'm still so you lean a little left.
Speaker 2:I have a lot left, right now. All right. So talking about left and right, Well, I'll say I'm leaning a little left also on this one. Okay, all right.
Speaker 1:Is that going to be a trend on the show?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:I always take the left one?
Speaker 2:It is not. It just happened to be the way you put the glasses down Left versus right. So blue sky most of the talk has been blue sky. Is all the people left leaning or jumping to blue sky? The right really hasn't jumped on it and it's turning more into X being more right leaning and blue sky being left leaning. Is that what you're seeing? The trend continuing to be?
Speaker 1:Or is it shifting? Well, I think that's how I was going to start out with. I mean, just to be honest, I think the left liberal organizations will probably really jump on blue sky quickly, and I do think the right polarizing groups like the ability that Elon Musk has X and it's a part of his portfolio and will continue to use the platform. But mainstream America wants a platform where they can get their a information quickly and be probably have the information correct. So I think those are the two key aspects that people look for. X used to do probably too much filtering of what they considered to be right or incorrect information and blocked certain stuff from there.
Speaker 1:uh, then, once elon purchased it, we talked about it on tech time radio, he pretty much removed all of its community based uh algorithms now to get rid of stuff. So so I think I think the left will tend towards blue sky, but I think the right will move to blue sky individuals if they find that the information that they're looking for is there and it's an easy place to get, or if they get bored on X cause they have nobody to rail on.
Speaker 1:So what does make a successful platform is is having both extremes on it too, right? So if you did, if you have all a bunch of right wing people on there and you can't yell at any left wing people, well then you're not going to have a great amount of time of fun, and the same happens for the other way. So you really want to have that kind of pull and tug message to be the most successful and in in in the most desirable.
Speaker 2:You said a couple key things there. That leads me to my next question. Okay, um. So you talked about um, accuracy of information, and that eventually it's going to be not just left-leaning but it's going to be kind of a merger. So I actually saw an article that was just published this past week that actually talked about that and they said a large group of scientists are now moving to blue sky, transition away from x in the meta platform, for that exact reason is in a lot of scientists right, left, they're a hybrid of everything, yeah, but they're really looking for accurate information.
Speaker 1:And, as James Riddle talked on an episode recently, you know you want scientific studies to be accurate and not to be faked, and so a lot of them are trending over there too yeah, I, I think blue sky has a real opportunity to be the next platform that replaces x if they continue to monitor and kind of try to keep the information that was there and just go back to kind of what I would say the original Twitter was not X but the original Twitter and not the Twitter that then all of a sudden they put in a million and a half safeguards.
Speaker 1:But when Twitter first started up it did a good job of actually having smaller content people that would go through and say this is right, this isn't right. If you look back to the election campaign run between Hillary Clinton and Trump, if you go back to that type of deal, at that time Twitter took information and isolated it pretty well, to be honest. And they went through and they said this is factual, this isn't factual, this is factual, honest. And they went through and they said this is factual, this isn't factual, this is factual. Kind of. Uh reminds me of um, um, the tv show that used to do fact or fiction they would test stuff.
Speaker 3:A myth busters thank you od there's our producer behind.
Speaker 1:She's like you guys are idiots. Um, that's right. So yeah, like myth busters, right. So? So mythbusters.
Speaker 1:I always enjoyed that, that tv great show, and the reason why it was because they would take an idea and they say, is it true or not true? And a lot of time it was plausible. That was kind of their thing, which means it wasn't really necessarily going to happen, but you know what it could happen. And then they would just go through miss and say no, this can't happen, type of deal.
Speaker 1:Twitter back in his early days kind of had know what it was plausible, we'll let it still stay posted and didn't get all hypersensitive about the information that was there. And it's interesting because Blue Sky, even some of these add-ons for Instagram and stuff, are just going back to the way how technology was eight years ago, ten years ago, when the original application came on out, and trying to keep those safeguards. Because a lot of the times when somebody comes up with a great idea, uh, over time it evolves and sometimes it gets worse instead of getting better. So we're kind of going back to this time in the era where it's a little bit more traditional I like that x doesn't feel right now um, communicative and supportive.
Speaker 2:You know it's about people trump, you know, yelling out their views. Yeah, I was gonna say people yelling out their views. I was going to say trumping out their views, but that was kind of a Freudian slip, but it doesn't do any good that the NBA.
Speaker 1:I'm a big NBA fan, right, I love sports. The NBA only puts their roster lineups on X. So when they have a roster for a game coming on up, they put it out on X. These are the rosters. Here's the starting players. Here's what you have. The NFL does the same thing. Here's the people that are on injured reserve. Here's the people that are playing. I can't find that anywhere else. So I, as a sports fan, have to use X to get that information because they don't post it on Blue Sky. So we'll see if that changes or not or not. Okay, Odie, just created an account last week while we were on the show, so I friended her. Odie, I'm going to throw it across here. I know you're. Are you on the mic? Can you put on the mic? Have you used your BlueSky account at all?
Speaker 3:I have.
Speaker 1:Okay, and what do you think of BlueSky?
Speaker 3:You know, until it becomes to the same popularity of X, which it slowly is. I know that I'm going to enjoy it. At the moment, I do enjoy it. I like the fact that they have the Insta app, so they have that, and they have their X version, blue Sky. I like that about them, because both of the other ones I just hate okay there you go.
Speaker 1:So it's really the adoption they you have to get the main players on there.
Speaker 2:That goes back to your earlier comment on tiktok. When it was only two percent, you weren't sure what I was going to do, but eventually it becomes more adopted.
Speaker 1:I love tiktok I mean, I know how to fix plumbing and how to install a whole bunch of home remedy fixes. Like you wouldn't believe that.
Speaker 3:What I love about TikTok is that you can find anyone and everyone on TikTok. It does not matter like the Gen Z or whatever generation is below me, or just millennials or just Gen Xers. There's a whole array of people on there and everyone is given an equal opportunity to like make it to the for you page. I would not watch plumbing videos. I do watch plumbing videos.
Speaker 1:I now know how to replace a pipe if it has a leak in it, how you can come on it. Yeah yeah, I watched three or four videos.
Speaker 3:If I wanted to DIY my house, I think I'd have a good idea of what to start with.
Speaker 2:Now, not to go on a tangent, how is that different than YouTube videos?
Speaker 3:Oh my God, to go to go on a tangent. How is that different?
Speaker 2:than like youtube videos, oh my god, youtube sucks.
Speaker 3:One all the ads. Two, it's all these people are trying to get monetized, so they make these super long videos and they're going over every single little detail. I don't want to go with you to the store oh see, that's what I love ads.
Speaker 2:I love that ads really. Yeah, yeah, I said I'm unusual.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:I am an engineer by trade. To me, the proof is in the details. Okay, I love details.
Speaker 1:I read instructions.
Speaker 2:Do any of you guys read instructions? I do the IKEA instructions, that's it. Well, you can't read those. They're just pictures. That's exactly why I'm able to read those my wife does all the ikea stuff okay because she is great, spatial and with pictures. I don't I need words, I need. I love the words.
Speaker 3:Well, so what happens? You know, I don't speak well, but I read well, okay, listen I've seen people like, for example, a couple days ago I learned how to change do your own oil change. Perfect was a dad teaching his daughter how to do it. It was quick and informative and told me they went off topic and they were able to keep it entertaining the whole time, but I wasn't sitting there for 10 minutes with them.
Speaker 2:Once again. One of my YouTube channels I watch is now shifting to that kind of style because they said, people just want the information. They want it quick. I watched a few of those. I stopped watching that channel because it's it's not what I'm looking for. It's nothing wrong with it. It's great for a lot of people, but I I want the details yeah, I love, I love sports radio like this, this, this thing right here.
Speaker 2:We could have done in two minutes, but we're sitting here talking and chatting and I'm enjoying this, yeah that's all right.
Speaker 1:sports radio what do you? Sports radio, what do you got? I was going to say I love sports radio and Tech Time Radio. The main show that I do isn't quite sports radio because it's got segments and they don't go off and just kind of mirander about certain people and individuals. But I love listening to that because I also like the personality. So I don't mind having three or four people that I've developed a little bit of a personality to, whether I like what they say or I don't like what they say. But I know how they're going to react. I know if they like something, I may not like something, and so I like that long format of getting to know the person itself.
Speaker 3:I will say that sounds more like a podcast, which is very popular yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, long form is not obsolete.
Speaker 3:It's still very popular. Yeah, you know, long form is not obsolete, it's still very popular.
Speaker 2:It's just when you're looking to learn something so I guess that that helps wrap it up od okay, because in what I'm hearing you, what I'm seeing is we need options. Yeah, so is blue sky really gonna kill x? Maybe, hopefully not no, but maybe it gives people well okay, that's a different story but basically you need options. Same with whiskey. There's some people that love the smoke eye, even over stag and george t stack. Oh really, we're not one of them?
Speaker 2:I don't think so but, it's an option that people can have. Okay, and the more options we have, I think the more open-minded we are and the more connected we become. So in the end, I love competition and choices versus just one set platform. So I get to watch my details, odie gets to watch her TikTok. We're both happy and we talk about it and we are enjoying each other's company Perfect. So in the end, which glass did you choose, left or the right? I chose the left. I chose the the left which is the stag.
Speaker 2:It is a stag, the 20 the 24c. I believe this one is yep 24c, yeah, which is not even the best stag of the year, and that is again versus the smoke hill. All right, how much is a bottle of Stag when you get it for MSRP out the door? It's $80, but that's after taxes. So I think it's like $70, $75 before taxes, if you can find it. It's very hard to find. I have a few connections. Secondary prices of this is roughly about $150. $150. And the Smoke.
Speaker 1:Eye Hill. How much is that bottle?
Speaker 2:$90 before taxes Rough 150. And the Smoke Eye Hill. How much does that buy? $90 before taxes Anyway.
Speaker 1:Roughly, and there's probably not an underground market for that.
Speaker 2:There's not. You can go to Total Wines right now and find it on the shelf. All right, that makes sense. All right, perfect, all right. Well, thank you everybody for joining us. We appreciate you sitting.
