Bluesky's role in the ATmosphere is somewhat analogous to Mastodon's in the Fediverse back in 2022: it's the biggest and best-known app, and gets almost all the press, but isn't the main source of innovation.
So when I look at the interesting stuff happening in the ATmosphere, it's Blacksky (creating intercommunal software with a strong mutual aid focus), Germ (E2EE messaging integrated with ATProto accounts), Aendra's XBlock labeler, Anisota (a reallllly different UI for microblogging), microcosm (refactoring the underlying architecture), the feed that Graze put together for the New York mayor's election ... etc etc. They're all experimental, adept at circumventing limitations, community-focused, self-driven. None of them are employed by Bluesky (EDIT: although a couple of them have gotten small grants froim Bluesky).
But just as people outside fedi tend to reduce it to Mastodon, people outside the ATmosphere tend to reduce it to Bluesky. And just as that leads people outside fedi to overlook all the interesting and promising things here (and irritates and marginalized everybody where who's working on stuff other than Mastodon), people in fedi wind up overlooking all the interesting and promising things happening in the ATmosphere (and irritate and marginalize everybody there who's working on stuff other than Bluesky). And that specifically includes some of the high-profile fedi influencers who have been especially hostile to the ATmosphere.
As for Bluesky PBC, no of course I don't trust them. They're a venture-funded startup, of course they're going to put their own interests first; they've shown they don't prioritize safety or community; etc etc etc. Then again, back in 2022 Mastodon gGmbH's was completely controlled by a BDFL who had a track record of putting Mastodon's instances first and not prioritizing safety and community. But just as Mastodon gGmbH's issues weren't the only thing going on in fedi as a whole back then, I don't see Bluesky PBC's issues as the only thing going on in the ATmosphere these days.
(Of course, Mastodon's recent organizational changes are very encouraging, and hopefully they'll start prioritizing safety and community and working to advance fedi's interests as a whole. Still, that hasn't happened yet, and they're still by far the largest platform and user base ... so let's not go patting ourselves on our collective back too hard on this front yet!)
