Blue Sky Social Media Data Collector

python
FASTHTML
Author

Alex Kelly

Published

November 26, 2024

Blue Sky logo

Introduction

The social media landscape has dramatically shifted. Twitter (now X) has restricted API access behind expensive paywalls, making data collection nearly impossible for researchers, developers, and hobbyists. Enter Blue Sky - a decentralized social network built on the AT Protocol that embraces openness and accessibility. I’ve been working on a project that showcases just how accessible Blue Sky’s API is, allowing anyone to collect and analyze social media data without expensive subscriptions or complex authentication processes.

Why Blue Sky Matters

Blue Sky represents a fundamental shift in social media platforms:

  • Open API Access: Unlike Twitter’s $100/month minimum API access, Blue Sky’s API is completely free
  • No Rate Limit Paywalls: Reasonable rate limits that don’t require enterprise pricing
  • Decentralized Architecture: Built on the AT Protocol, allowing anyone to host their own instance
  • Developer-Friendly: Clear documentation and simple authentication process

The Project

I’ve built a data collector that demonstrates these advantages. Let’s explore the key components of this project through a comprehensive walkthrough of the codebase, repository structure, and FastHTML-powered frontend interface:

How it Works

The system is intentionally simple, showing how accessible Blue Sky data collection can be:

  1. Authentication: Just needs a basic API key - no OAuth complexity
  2. Data Collection: Direct access to user timelines and posts
  3. Storage: Local SQLite database - no expensive cloud services required
  4. Display: FastHTML frontend for viewing the data
  5. Analysis: Google Cloud integration for text analysis

Getting Started: The Action Plan

Anyone can replicate this project - that’s the beauty of open systems:

  1. Get your Blue Sky account and API key (free!)
  2. Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/resolver101757/blue_sky_data
cd bluesky-data-collector
  1. Install dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt
  1. Set up your environment variables:
DATABASE_URL="your_database_url"
BLUESKY_API_KEY="your_api_key"  # Free to obtain!
GOOGLE_API_KEY="your_google_api_key"

Comparison

Let’s look at what it would take to build this on different platforms:

Feature Blue Sky Twitter/X
API Access Free $42,000/month
Rate Limits Generous Strict
Authentication Simple Complex OAuth
Data Access Full firehose Limited
Developer Tools Open source Restricted

Future Possibilities

The openness of Blue Sky enables some exciting possibilities:

  • Research Projects: Academic institutions can collect social media data without massive budgets
  • Hobby Projects: Developers can experiment with social media analysis
  • Community Tools: Anyone can build and share tools for the platform
  • Data Journalism: Journalists can analyze social trends without expensive subscriptions

My Thoughts Based on Experience

After working with both closed and open social media APIs, the difference is stark. Blue Sky’s approach feels like a return to the early days of social media, when platforms encouraged third-party development instead of restricting it. The 60-second delay I implemented in my collector isn’t from an API requirement - it’s just a courtesy to ensure smooth operation.

Conclusion

This project isn’t just about collecting social media data - it’s about demonstrating what’s possible when platforms embrace openness. Blue Sky’s approach shows that social media doesn’t need to be locked behind paywalls and restrictions. Whether you’re a researcher, developer, or just curious about social media analysis, Blue Sky provides an accessible entry point.

The code is open source and available on GitHub - feel free to fork, modify, and build upon it. This is what open social media should look like!