Bluesky’s Major Outage: What Happened and What’s Next?

If you’re a Bluesky user, you might have experienced a frustrating hour on Thursday evening when your feeds refused to load. You’re not alone! The Verge’s own team was affected, and it seems like many others were too. But what caused the outage, and what’s being done to prevent it from happening again?

The Outage

According to Bluesky’s status page, the issue was caused by “major PDS networking problems.” The company’s CTO, Paul Frazee, tweeted that the team had identified a likely root cause and was rolling out a fix to the Bluesky PDS fleet. By 7:54PM ET, Frazee announced that “we are back” and that the team was still clearing out the situation.

A Familiar Problem?

This isn’t the first time Bluesky has experienced issues with its feeds. Back in November, the company faced slow-loading feeds and notifications due to an internet provider’s downtime caused by a cut fiber cable. That outage occurred on what Bluesky described as its “highest traffic day ever.” It’s clear that the company is still working to resolve these types of issues.

What’s Next?

While the outage has been resolved, it’s essential to understand what’s being done to prevent similar issues in the future. Bluesky hasn’t commented on the matter, but it’s likely that the company will be reviewing its infrastructure and processes to ensure that such outages don’t happen again.

Actionable Insights

For Bluesky users, this outage serves as a reminder to always keep an eye on the company’s status page for updates on any issues. It’s also a good idea to have a backup plan in place, such as using alternative social media platforms or apps, in case of an outage.

For Bluesky itself, this outage highlights the importance of robust infrastructure and contingency planning. By investing in these areas, the company can minimize the impact of outages and ensure a better user experience.

Summary

Bluesky’s major outage on Thursday evening was a frustrating experience for many users. While the issue has been resolved, it’s essential to understand what caused the outage and what’s being done to prevent similar issues in the future. By keeping an eye on the company’s status page and having a backup plan in place, Bluesky users can minimize the impact of outages. For Bluesky itself, this outage serves as a reminder of the importance of robust infrastructure and contingency planning.