You’ve seen the word everywhere on your timeline. It sounds a little weird. Maybe a little dirty? Honestly, if you’re migrating from the chaotic energy of X (formerly Twitter) to the relatively calmer blue skies of, well, Bluesky, you’re going to run into it.
So, what is a skeet?
Simply put, a skeet is the colloquial term for a post on the Bluesky social network. It’s the "tweet" of the decentralized era. But there is a massive catch: the people who actually built the platform kind of hate it. Jay Graber, the CEO of Bluesky, has gone on record multiple times begging people to stop using the word. Yet, like most things on the internet, the more a "parent" tells the kids not to do something, the more they lean into it.
The Accidental Birth of a Term
It started as a joke. Back when Bluesky was in its invite-only beta phase in early 2023, the community was small, tight-knit, and incredibly post-ironic. Users were looking for a way to differentiate their experience from Twitter. Someone—and the internet historical record points to various early adopters—suggested a portmanteau of "sky" and "tweet."
The result was "skeet."
It’s catchy. It’s short. It fits the mouth perfectly. It also, unfortunately, is a slang term with a much more adult connotation in certain urban dictionaries. This is precisely why the Bluesky team tried to pivot everyone toward just calling them "posts." They didn't want their shiny new protocol, built on the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol), associated with 2000s-era Lil Jon lyrics.
But the users didn't care. The term stuck because it represented the platform's early culture: a bit messy, a bit rebellious, and definitely not corporate.
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Why the Name Actually Matters for Decentralization
You might think arguing over a name is petty. It’s not. Bluesky isn't just another app; it’s a technical shift in how we own our digital identities. When you understand what a skeet represents in the context of the AT Protocol, you realize it’s more than just a 256-character brain dump.
On Twitter, your tweets are locked in a cage. If the cage burns down, your tweets die with it. Bluesky is built on a "federated" model. Think of it like email. You can have a Gmail account and I can have a Yahoo account, but we can still talk. Right now, most people use the main bsky.app server, but the "skeets" themselves are designed to be portable.
If you decide you don't like the way Bluesky is being run, you can—in theory—take your data, your followers, and your history (your skeets) and move them to a different provider. That is a massive shift in power from the platform owner to the user.
Skeeting vs. Tweeting: The Technical Nuance
What is a skeet on a technical level? It’s a record in your personal data repository.
When you hit publish, you aren't just sending text to a central database. You are signing a record with a cryptographic key. This record is then indexed by "Relayers." It sounds complicated because it is. But for the average person, it just feels like the old internet.
- Character Limit: Currently 300 characters, giving you a bit more breathing room than the original 140 or the current 280 on basic X accounts.
- Media: You can attach photos, and more recently, video support has started rolling out, though it’s been a slower implementation than some would like.
- Feeds: This is the "secret sauce." On other platforms, an algorithm decides what you see. On Bluesky, you can choose your own feed. There are feeds for "Cat Photos," "Science News," or "Mutuals Only." Your skeets show up where they are relevant, not just where a billionaire's code says they should.
The Great Terminology War
Jay Graber hasn't been shy. In various interviews and posts, she has reiterated that "skeet" was never the official branding. The UI of the app consistently uses the word "Post."
"Please don't call them that," has become a bit of a meme within the community.
Some users have tried to propose alternatives. "Skies?" Too vague. "Clouds?" A bit too airy. "Blues?" A little depressing.
The reality of language is that it’s democratic. If 10 million people decide a word means something, that’s what it means. Even the official Bluesky social media accounts have occasionally slipped up or used the term playfully to engage with the "skeet-posters." It’s a classic case of the community taking ownership of a product in a way the developers never intended.
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How to Write a "Good" Skeet (and Get Noticed)
If you’re new to the platform, you might notice the vibe is different. It’s less about "main character energy" and more about "community discovery."
The "skeet" culture thrives on interaction. Because there are no "verified" checkmarks you can buy to jump to the top of the replies, the only way to get noticed is to actually be interesting. People use hashtags, but more importantly, they use Custom Feeds.
If you want your skeet to travel, find a feed that matches your niche. If you’re a photographer, use the "Quiet Photography" feed. If you’re into tech, find the "DevSky" feeds. Posting into the void is for X; posting into communities is for Bluesky.
Also, don't be afraid to use the "Alt Text" feature on images. The Bluesky community is fiercely protective of accessibility. If you post a photo without a description, someone will likely (and usually politely) remind you to add it. It's part of the etiquette.
The Safety and Moderation Factor
You can't talk about what a skeet is without talking about who sees it. Bluesky uses a system called Labelers.
On most sites, moderation is "top-down." The platform decides what is offensive. On Bluesky, you can subscribe to independent moderation services. If you want a feed that is strictly G-rated, you can subscribe to a labeler that hides anything remotely edgy. If you want a wild-west experience, you can do that too.
Your skeets are subject to the rules of the server you are on, but the "Stackable Moderation" means users have more control over their own "mental real estate" than ever before.
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Is the Word "Skeet" Dying?
Actually, it might be.
As Bluesky has grown from a million users to over twenty million, the "inner circle" jokes are being diluted. New users who didn't live through the 2023 beta phase often just call them posts. The "Skeet vs. Post" debate is becoming a generational marker within the app.
Early adopters—the ones with the low-digit handle numbers—will probably call them skeets forever. The new wave, escaping the latest policy change on X, might never even hear the word.
But for now, if someone asks you "Did you see my skeet?" they aren't talking about a 20-year-old rap song or a niche shooting sport. They’re just asking if you saw their latest update on the fastest-growing decentralized social network on the planet.
Actionable Steps for New Users
- Claim your handle: If you have a domain name, you can actually use it as your username (e.g., @yourname.com). This is the ultimate way to prove you are who you say you are.
- Explore the "My Feeds" tab: Don't just stay on the "Following" timeline. Search for "Discover" or "Popular With Friends" to see what’s actually happening.
- Use Alt Text: Seriously. It’s the fastest way to gain respect in the Bluesky ecosystem.
- Set up your moderation: Go into Settings > Moderation and look at the "Advanced" options. This is where you can subscribe to Labelers and truly customize your experience.
- Don't overthink the name: Call it a skeet, call it a post, call it a digital scream into the ether. Just engage. The platform is built on conversation, not just broadcasting.
The transition from a centralized world to a federated one is confusing. We’re all learning the vocabulary together. Whether the word "skeet" survives the next five years or fades into the graveyard of internet slang doesn't change the fact that the platform it represents is fundamentally changing how we talk to each other online.
Keep your eyes on the AT Protocol developments, as that's where the real "magic" happens, regardless of what we call the messages we send.