Sill, a newly launched link aggregation service, is poised to fill a gap in the social media landscape by helping users keep track of popular links on alternative platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon. The service, which is similar to Nuzzel, a startup acquired by Twitter in 2021, aggregates and displays the most shared links among users' networks on these decentralized social media platforms.

The launch of Sill comes at a time when Twitter's owner, Elon Musk, appears to be deprioritizing links within the X app, suggesting that links should be added to replies instead. This shift has created an opportunity for Sill to step in and provide a valuable service to users of alternative social media platforms.

Sill's creator, Tyler Fisher, has a background in building technology for the news ecosystem, having previously served as CTO at the nonprofit newsroom The 19th and as a software engineer at The Washington Post. Fisher has designed Sill to be an open-source project, allowing users to self-host their own version, with plans to introduce paid plans that offer advanced features in the future.

To get started with Sill, users need to connect their Bluesky and Mastodon accounts to the service. Sill uses Bluesky's new OAuth for AT Protocol, ensuring that it does not have direct access to users' passwords. Once connected, users can see the most shared links among those they follow across the two services, with the option to receive a daily email listing the top 10 most popular links in their network.

Link popularity is determined by the number of unique accounts that share a URL across users' social apps, including those that may have reposted the link. Sill aggregates these links and displays what people are saying about them, allowing users to further curate their links by muting phrases, domains, and accounts they don't want to see included.

Sill's launch was first spotted by Apple news site Six Colors and NiemanLab, which focuses on journalism in the digital age. The service had around 300 users in its private beta ahead of its public beta launch and is now open to anyone. As a beta project, Sill may experience performance issues and bugs, but these are expected to improve over time as the service moves towards a general release.

The launch of Sill highlights the growing importance of decentralized social media platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon, which are built on open protocols and promote the idea of a decentralized social web. As these platforms continue to gain traction, services like Sill will play a crucial role in helping users navigate and make sense of the vast amounts of information being shared.

In the broader context, Sill's launch underscores the ongoing evolution of the social media landscape, with users increasingly seeking out alternative platforms that offer more control and flexibility. As the social media landscape continues to shift, services like Sill will be key to helping users stay informed and connected across multiple platforms.