One year after opening to the public, Bluesky's decentralized social network has reached a milestone of 33 million users, solidifying its position as a leading alternative to traditional social media platforms. The real story, however, lies in the technology behind Bluesky – the AT Protocol (ATProto) – which is being used to develop dozens of new applications designed to work together as part of an open social web.

The AT Protocol is an open standard that enables the creation of decentralized social networks, allowing users to take back control over their social networking experiences and personal data. This movement is gaining momentum, with developers from around the world attending the first AT Protocol conference, ATmosphere, in Seattle last weekend to learn about the latest developments and challenges in building on top of ATProto.

The ATProto community is working to rebuild Web 2.0, an earlier version of the social web that included social media websites, blogs, wikis, video- and photo-sharing sites, and other collaborative and hosted services. This time around, however, the apps are being built on open technology, not siloed into centralized services operated by tech giants. Bluesky was the first of these services to emerge, but it won't be the last, as the open social web movement gains traction.

A growing ecosystem of AT Protocol-based apps is already taking shape, with a range of services including photo and video-sharing apps, livestreaming platforms, feed builders, communication tools, and social trend analysis services. Some notable examples include Flashes, an Instagram alternative with 30,000 downloads in its first 24 hours, and Streamplace, a livestreaming video service that respects creators' consent preferences and offers a familiar streaming experience.

Other apps, such as Germ and Roomy, are focused on social discovery and communication, while services like Dazzle.fm and Sill are helping users make sense of the firehose of data from Bluesky and other alternative social media sites. The list of AT Protocol-based apps is constantly growing, with new services emerging to cater to different needs and interests.

The implications of this movement are significant, as users begin to take back control over their online experiences and data. The open social web has the potential to democratize social media, enabling users to choose how they interact with each other and with the services they use. As the AT Protocol continues to evolve and improve, we can expect to see even more innovative applications and services emerge, further solidifying the shift towards a decentralized social web.

With 33 million users and counting, Bluesky is just the tip of the iceberg. The real story is the underlying technology and the community of developers and users who are working together to build a better, more open social web. As this movement continues to gain momentum, it will be exciting to see how it shapes the future of social media and online interactions.