In the days since Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released, Ive been doing a diligent search for the best Sonic-inspired tabletop games out there. And folks, Ive found them. Surprisingly, there is no official Sonic the Hedgehog tabletop RPG (yet). Thankfully, the fans are here to save the day. Through some diligent dives, Ive found two fan-made Sonic games, for two different kinds of players. Rings and Running Shoes and Sonic Tag-Team Heroes are on opposite ends of the tabletop gaming spectrum, but both will fill the ring-shaped hole in your heart and importantly, theyre both free.For more tactically minded fans of the series, Sonic Tag-Team Heroes is a more traditional tabletop game with crunchy, Dungeons & Dragons-inspired grid-based combat to play through heroic boss battles. Players choose from one of four types for their character that determines their attribute set: Speed, Fly, Power, and Technique each following in the path of the major Sonic protagonists. The game itself uses dice pools comprised on d6s and d10s, with a series of corresponding skills. Among those are the expected Melee, Move, Sneak, Deceive, etc you can expect from most attribute-based systems; but there are a few special skills in there like Spin, which has your character curl into a ball to get through tight spaces or attack an enemy. The details of the game mechanics are not too complex, but certainly are for more experienced gamers looking to scratch that combat itch.If youre looking to play in the world of Sonic, but want to focus more on story over combat, Rings and Running Shoes is a Powered by the Apocalypse game set in the world of anthropomorphic hedgehogs and echidnas. Like all PbtA games (a system designed by Meguey and Vincent Baker) Rings and Running Shoes is designed to get short, two-hour-long sessions in while packing all the emotional punch of your favorite Sonic comics, games, and movies. Rather than a list of skills to pick from and assign points to, PbtA games operate off of playbooks, a collection of moves and skills centered on particular archetypes. The game prioritizes two things: teamwork and doing cool things. One of the basic moves of the game is called Kick Butt, need I say more?More than anything else, I appreciate how Rings and Running Shoes prioritizes teaching new players what tabletop games are and how to play them together to tell the best story possible. While the text is a little dense, largely just black print on a white background with the occasional original character art scattered throughout, theres an accessibility to the language that doesnt feel quite as intimidating as Sonic Tag-Team Heroes.Whether you want to get into the tactical combat of a Sonic battle, or just feel like a cool Hedgehog saving the day from Dr. Eggman, the fan communities surrounding the franchise have you covered. You can get both titles completely free, at sonictth.com and ringsandrunningshoes.itch.io. While these games might not have the same design as professional studio-made tabletop games, they have a lot of heart and enough foundation for you to go, fast.

Predator cores are a new crafting material added in Palworld Feybreak.Predator cores are used to create items like pouches and the Meowmere, a sword from Terraria that meows and fires bullets. However, predator cores can be pretty hard to come by as youll need to find rampaging Predator Pals across the map.Heres how to get predator cores and where to find Predator Pals in Palworld.How to get predator cores in PalworldTo get a predator core, you must defeat one of 33 Predator Pals around the map. Predator Pals are similar to field bosses, except they dont appear on your map and they arent catchable.Predator Pals do respawn, but they dont seem to have a 100% spawn rate. This makes it a little difficult to tell what the exact respawn time is, but your best bet is to check every 30 minutes like the other overworld bosses. However, this time can be changed as it does scale with the day and night length of your world.Predator Pal locations in Palworld33 Predator Pals were added to Palworld as part of the Feybreak update. Weve ordered the Predator Pal list below corresponding to the numbers on the map above using information courtesy of Paldb.Keep in mind, Predator Pals do not seem to have a 100% spawn rate, so there is a chance that you arrive at one of the marked locations and there is nothing there. Weve found that fast traveling to one of the nearby waypoints and refreshing the area by returning to the main menu has assisted with the spawn rates.NumberPredator PalTime of dayLevelNumber of predator cores dropped1GoriratDay and Night3012VanwyrmDay and Night2513DirehowlDay and Night2514LovanderNight2615DogenDay and Night2816MossandaDay and Night301-27RelaxaurusDay and Night301-28TarantrissDay and Night301-29OmasculNight311-210StarryonNight341-211RayhoundDay and Night301-212RagnahawkDay and Night321-213MaraithNight381-214DinossomDay and Night311-215Reptyro CrystDay and Night401-216DigtoiseDay and Night452-317Jormuntide IgnisDay and Night482-318GildaneDay and Night482-319DazemuDay and Night472-320PrixterDay and Night452-321Cryolinx TerraDay and Night482-322KitsunNight472-423Faleris AquaDay and Night502-424Loupmoon CrystDay and Night492-425WumpoDay and Night502-426Blazehowl NoctNight502-427ElphidranDay and Night553-428ShroomerDay and Night553-429SplatterinaNight553-430Helzephyr LuxDay and Night60431Bushi NoctNight60432SootseerNight60433Incineram NoctNight604For more Palworld guides, weve got you covered. If youre just starting out, weve got a beginners guide, a list of all Pals, and a type chart. We also have explainers on breeding, eggs, and a rundown of how multiplayer works.On the hunt for resources? Check out our guides on how to get ore, coal, polymer, leather, sulfur, wheat seeds, pure quartz, Ancient Technology Points, and ancient civilization parts. For advanced players, consult our lists of all tower boss locations, the best base locations, and all flying mounts.

The Windows 11 taskbar takes up a thick line of space on your screen. Most people don't mind, but there are valid reasons to want it gone. You might want to take advantage of that little bit of extra screen real estate, or focus more completely on your current task without seeing the time, widgets, or icons for other applications.Whatever your reason, it's not particularly difficult to hide the taskbar. There's a simple way to do this built right into Windows, or you can use a third party application if you want to prevent the taskbar from popping up randomly when you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen.Hide your taskbar using Windows' settingsTo hide your taskbar using the built-in Windows setting, simply right-click an empty place on the taskbar, then click Taskbar Settings. Scroll down until you see Taskbar behaviors and click it. Check the option labeled Automatically hide the taskbar. Credit: Justin Pot This will hide your Windows taskbar with one exception: It will show up if you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen.Hide your Windows taskbar completelyFor most people, the above is going to work perfectly, but not for all. This can, for example, get annoying if an application you're using has buttons at the bottom of the screen that you need to access regularly. As is, it's a little too easy to trigger the taskbar and cover what you're trying to click.This is where Buttery Taskbar comes in. Launch this application, and the taskbar will disappear. It won't show again if you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen, meaning it will never accidentally cover up something you're working on. It's not gone, though: You can hit the Windows key to open the Start menu, which will also reveal the taskbar, or you can move your mouse to the bottom of the screen and scroll up with the scroll wheel. Credit: Justin Pot There is a taskbar icon you can use to configure the scrolling option and quit the application. I prefer launching this application specifically when I want to work without the taskbar, but you can also set it up to launch with Windows' built-in Task Scheduler if you want. Just open the utility, which you can find in the Start menu, and create a new task. For the trigger, choose "When I log on;" for the action, choose "Start a program," and point it toward Buttery Smooth. Make sure "Run with highest privileges" is checked on the Buttery tab.From here, you can basically ignore the taskbar until you specifically want to use it, which I like. This is particularly great if you're already using PowerToys Run to launch software instead of the Start menu.

Many of us could use more money, and we go about finding it in a variety of ways: asking for a raise, changing jobs, or taking a second job, for example. But you could also start selling trash. Not just any trash, of coursemost trash is, well, just trashbut the kinds of things people routinely throw away or leave behind that actually keep enough value to make them worth picking up and reselling them. While these are usually volume businesses (meaning you have to sell a large number of them to make real money), you can make real money just grabbing this stuff from trash, homes, or even public spaces. Six examples of surprisingly profitable trash are golf balls, wood pallets, cardboard boxes, wine corks, and egg cartons.Lost golf balls can be worth up to $2 eachMore than 25 million people play golf in the United States, and if youve ever played a round, you know that means a lot of lost golf balls. Approximately 1.5 billion golf balls go missing every year in this country. The surprising part is that used golf balls actually retain a lot of their value. According to Lashan Wanigatunga, co-owner of Two Guys with Balls, used golf balls can go for anywhere from 15 cents to $2 depending on brand, so you can make a fair amount of money just picking up golf balls you find on the ground.The real money is in diving for golf balls, as water hazards often contain a large volume of them that no one is going to chase after. This is such a real thing theres even a listing on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website for the career, where its noted that divers can make $200 per day retrieving golf balls (Todd Hutchinson of Ballhawker claims you can actually make $800 per day doing it). Diving for golf balls can be dangerous if youre not familiar with underwater work or skip safety protocols, but where else can you make a few hundred bucks a day by picking up stuff someone else left behind?Discarded wood pallets can be worth up to $4 eachWood pallets are pretty ubiquitousand pretty useful. If youve noticed a business in your area that routinely has a bunch of pallets piled up or in dumpsters, you might have an opportunity: Used wood pallets in decent condition are actually worth anywhere from 50 cents to $4 per pallet. All you need are pallets that you can legally take (many businesses are happy to get rid of them if you just ask), a way to transport them, and possibly some tools to repair pallets if you want to maximize your success. You can use the North American Pallet Recycling Network to locate pallet brokers in your area, and companies like Kamps Pallets will actually pay you and come and get your pallets if you have at least 500 per year to sell them. There are usually local pallet brokers in your area, so a little research might lead you to other resources.Used cardboard boxes can be worth $1.25 eachThose Amazon and UPS boxes we toss into the recycling bin or give to friends when theyre moving can actually be worth some money. You can sell empty, used cardboard boxes on platforms like BoxCycle, which pays anywhere from 10 cents to $1.25 for standard moving boxes and buys just about any box you might have on hand; U-Haul Box Exchange, where people post boxes for sale or for free; and Used Cardboard Boxes will buy your used shipping boxes. You can also try to sell used boxes eBay.Wine corks can be worth about 10 cents eachPeople in the U.S. tear through more than 4 billion bottles of wine each year, many of which wind up in recycling bins, but wine corks can actually sell for a pretty decent margin on places like Etsy or eBay. They tend to sell for about 10 cents a pop, although some branded varieties can fetch more. Of course, that's not a lot for someone relying on the average Americans consumption of 16 bottles per year for inventory, but if a local restaurant is just tossing their used corks into the bin, you might be in business.Egg cartons can sell for 30-40 cents eachUsed egg cartons are a surprisingly large market: People use them in crafts, and small farms also buy them for their own egg sales. Your standard supermarket-derived egg cartons can go for about 30-40 cents apiece on sites like eBay, which means that if you eat the average number of eggs each year (around 285, or close to 24 dozen), thats an extra $60-70 alone. If you actually go out and collect 24 egg cartons from local restaurants, hotels, or other businesses every day, thats a few hundred bucks a week.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.One of the reasons lattes from a coffee shop are so special is that perfectly creamy foamed milk swirl. The foam is essential, the latte art is a bonusthough I love admiring a coffee-striped heart before I sip it away. You may have tried duplicating these fancy drinks at home, only to fall short with clumsy steaming wands and battery-powered frothing sticks. I certainly have. It might seem like time to give up on homemade microfoam, but hang in there a second longer. Theres one device that can actually do it for the at-home latte novice (and it is significantly easier than using a steam wand): The Dreo BaristaMaker. I've been testing one for nearly six months, and it's been a foaming wonder. Dreo BaristaMaker Milk Frother, All-in-1, 27oz/800ml Hot/Cold Electric Foam Maker for Coffee, Latte Art-level Microfoam, Automatic Milk Warmer, Dairy/Plant-Based Milk, 30+ Drinks, Dishwasher Safe $99.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $99.99 at Amazon What does it do?The Dreo BaristaMaker is an appliance specifically designed to make professional barista-grade foamed milk at home. Not just foamy milk with big bubbles that pop and fizzle-out after sitting for five minutes, but serious microfoam. This kind of foam has extra fine bubbles that hold their composition for as long as your drink lasts. Theyre so small and compact that theyre barely visible; only detectable by that overall creamy appearance we associate with latte foam. You can see in the picture that the foam isnt bubbly as much as it is dense and fluffy. (Note that this appliance does not make the coffee thoughyoure in charge of that.) I'm no good at latte art, but foam I can do with the BaristaMaker. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann The BaristaMaker is a two-part appliance. The heavy base is where the engine and the digital control panel live. The stainless steel container sits right on top, and thats where you insert the agitation attachment (a little propeller or a circular mesh screen), and pour the milk in. Simply make your selections on the digital screen and press start.Whats special about the Dreo BaristaMaker?What makes this appliance stand out from the rest is that it addresses two issues Ive noticed with other milk frothing devices: frothing alternative milks, and temperature control.Ive tried frothing oat and almond milk with steam wands, only to find out afterward that the temperature was so hot it denatured the proteins in the milk, leaving it watery. I then turned to the milk frothing stick. You know, the long metal stick with a spiral wire at the end that vibrates your milk? That one. Those work on the same premise of hand whisking heavy cream to make whipped cream. The agitation causes the proteins to link up and capture air bubbles, but on a lighter level. This works decently. But the bubbles are usually big and weak, and the milk is cold unless youve preheated it, which is risky (re: denaturing proteins again). Id rather just pour cold milk into my espresso. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann The BaristaMaker froths them all. The machine allows you to select the milk youre usingregular cow milk, half and half, oat, coconut, almond, or soyand heats up that particular milk slowly and to the correct temperature to best achieve a sturdy and elegant microfoam. Not only do those presets work like a dream for milks, but you can also go rogue and choose your own temperature if you need something else stirred, warmed, and foamed, like hot cocoa or a chai latte.Pros and consI am committed to this machine based on the milk options and temperature control alone. But there are other benefits too. This machine is good enough at making microfoam where you could actually become a latte art specialist. It has a latte art marker on the inside of the container so you can add enough milk. It has a sharp, pointed pour spout for precision pouring and detail work as you draw. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Additionally, this is one of the best machines Ive ever used for cold foam. Cold foam is notoriously difficult to make. Hot foam is made with steam wands at cafscombining heat, and violent bubbling from the wandbut cold foam is made purely from agitation. Shaking the milk or using a blender can lead to uneven foam and big, clunky bubbles. Once again, the Dreo BaristaMaker excels. Its as easy to do as any of the other settingssimply pop in the mesh screen attachment, pour in the cold milk, and press start. The cold foam is luxurious, consistent, and creamythe perfect adornment for your cold brew in spring.The cons for this machine are few. Overall, the machine is a bit large compared to a thin milk foamer stick or a steam wand that might be already attached to your espresso machine. At 5.31-inches wide by 9.65-inches high, its the size of a personal blender. Secondly, my partner (who uses the BaristaMaker at least once a week) has had two instances when the foam was lackluster. Meaning, it just didnt get very foamy. He never gives up though, so after a few more tries, the Dreo always came back to full strength. What that means for longevity, Im not sure yet. Weve used it since the summer, and its still frothing away after about six months.Is it worth the money?If you (or as a gift for someone you love) are a total latte-head, flat white champion, cappuccino stan, or a weirdo who eats the scoopable foam from the top first (its me), you will absolutely fall in love with this machine. It is effective, fast, quiet (which is a blessing, especially compared to most kitchen appliances), and significantly better than any other milk frother Ive tried. Even if you prefer a weekly matcha latte, hot cocoa, or warm homemade pumpkin spice latte, this appliance will be well worth it.However, if you think of the BaristaMaker as more of a party trick, or your home has no cupboard space for yet another appliance, then maybe your $99.99 is better spent elsewhere. Plus, if you want to learn latte art, this frother is a great tool to have. You should know though, you have to provide the pouring skills yourself.

xAI gains 150MW power approval for its supercomputer, but locals fear impact on grid and future power availability.

Google is making it even easier for you to ditch Microsoft Teams with its chat migration service.

After months of layoffs, Google is now slimming down its manager, director and VP headcount by 10%.

Twisted equipment and snapped tree limbs still litter Chris Hopkins Georgia farm more than two months after Hurricane Helene made its deadly march across the South.An irrigation sprinkler system about 300 feet (92 meters) long lay overturned in a field, its steel pipes bent and welded joints broken. The mangled remains of a grain bin sat crumpled by a road. On a Friday in early December, Hopkins dragged burly limbs from the path of the tractor-like machine that picks his cotton crop six rows at a time.I have wrestled with lots of emotions the past two months, said Hopkins, who also grows corn and peanuts in rural Toombs County, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Savannah. Do we just get through this one and quit? Do we build back? It is emotionally draining.Hopkins is among farmers across the South who are still reeling from Helenes devastation. The storm made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 as a major Category 4 storm and then raced north across Georgia and neighboring states.Experts estimate the cost to farmers, timber growers and other agribusinesses from Florida to Virginia will reach more than $10 billion. The toll includes ravaged crops, uprooted timber, wrecked farm equipment and mangled chicken houses, as well as indirect costs such as lost productivity at cotton gins and poultry processing plants.For cotton growers like Hopkins, Helene hit just as the fall harvest was starting. Many put most cleanup on hold to try to salvage what remained of their crops.Staggering losses to cotton, pecans and fall vegetablesGeorgia farmers suffered storm losses of at least $5.5 billion, according to an analysis by the University of Georgia. In North Carolina, a state agency calculated farmers suffered $3.1 billion in crop losses and recovery costs after Helene brought record rainfall and flooding. Separate economic analyses of farm damage tallied losses of up to $630 million in Virginia, $452 million in South Carolina and $162 million in Florida.Hopkins figures he lost half the cotton on his 1,400 acres (560 hectares).We were at the most vulnerable stage we could be, he said. The lint was open and fluffy and hanging there, waiting to be defoliated or picked. About 50% of the harvestable lint ended up on the ground.Even with insurance, Hopkins said, he wont recoup an estimated $430,000 in losses from his cotton crop alone. That doesnt include the cost of debris removal, repairing or replacing damaged machinery and the loss of two small pecan orchards uprooted by the storm.The storm ripped through blooming cotton fields, pecan orchards laden with nuts and fields where fall vegetables like cucumbers and squash awaited picking. Hundreds of large poultry houses used to raise thousands of chickens at a time got destroyed.Farmers far from Helenes center werent spared, as tropical-storm force winds reached outward up to 310 miles (499 kilometers).It was staggering, said Timothy Coolong, a University of Georgia horticulture professor. This may be just too much for some folks.Helene was one of the deadliest U.S. hurricanes in nearly two decades, killing more than 200 people. It left more than 100,000 homes damaged or destroyed across the South.Will aid to farmers come soon enough?Georgia farmers suffered storm losses of at least$5.5 billion, according to an analysis by the University of Georgia. In North Carolina, a state agency calculated farmers suffered $3.1 billion in crop losses and recovery costs after Helene broughtrecord rainfall and flooding. Separate economic analyses of farm damage tallied losses of up to $630 million in Virginia, $452 million in South Carolina and $162 million in Florida.But Georgias constitution prohibits using state funds to give direct disaster aid to individuals and private businesses.In Congress, a spending bill passed early Saturday to avoid a government shutdown included $21 billion in disaster aid to U.S. farmers.We need help, but we need it quick, said Jeffrey Pridgen, a fifth-generation farmer who raises chickens in south Georgias Coffee County.Pridgen operated a dozen poultry houses, each large enough to raise up to 20,000 chickens at a time. Helene destroyed four of them, along with thousands of chickens. Only one of Pridgens houses remains in working condition, the others having been badly damaged.Pridgen said new chicken houses will cost about $450,000 apiece. Because most of his were decades old, he expects insurance to cover just half the cost.I was looking at retirement, but I lost my retirement and my income in one day, said Pridgen, 62. Itll be two years before we get fully operational again. Im basically starting over.Everybody lost somethingGeorgias poultry industry took an estimated $683 million hit, with farmers having to rebuild about 300 chicken houses and repair hundreds more.The poultry processing plant that relies on Pridgen and other storm-impacted farmers for chickens is now operating just four days per week, he said.Now for at least a year, perhaps a little bit longer, were in rebuilding mode, said Mike Giles, president of the Georgia Poultry Federation. That affects production in an area for an extended period of time.Helenes devastation shouldnt have much impact on consumer prices because crops grown elsewhere can make up for most shortages, said Michael Adjemian, a University of Georgia professor of agricultural economics. Pecans are one possible exception. Georgia is responsible for roughly one-third of U.S. production.In most cases, even a terrible storm like this is going to have a relatively small impact, Adjemian said. And maybe its not even noticeable, depending on the product.Helene cost Georgia cotton farmers roughly one-third of their crop, with direct and indirect losses valued at $560 million. Some were still recovering from Hurricane Michael in 2018.Cotton growers also were facing low prices this harvest season of around 70 cents per pound (per 0.45 kilograms), said Taylor Sills, executive director of the Georgia Cotton Commission. That meant they needed a big yield to turn any profit.Times were awful, and then they got hit by a hurricane, Sills said. There are people who lost everything and there are people who didnt. But everybody lost something.Russ Bynum, Associated Press

Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musks X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owners support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Metas Threads and its algorithms.The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually intended to replace Twitters core mechanic. Thats unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Blueskys growth trajectory with a user base that has more than doubled since October could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms.But with growth comes growing pains. Its not just human users whove been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites.The skyrocketing user base now surpassing 25 million is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October.Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was briefly banned in Brazil.They got this spike in attention, theyve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam, said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue Ones Council for Responsible Social Media. But they dont have the cash flow, they dont have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to attract new users, such as starter packs that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature.Compared to the bigger players like Metas platforms or X, Bluesky has a quite different value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience.The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders, Bluesky said on its blog in March. Our online experience doesnt have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users whove grown tired of the big players.People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network, Wardle said. But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that its in other peoples interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, posting plagiarized articles or making seemingly automated divisive comments in replies.Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers.I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper Die Ziet,' he said in an email to The Associated Press. I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musks more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.Cassens said the bots messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead.There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels.Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts hed initially detected a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it.Bluesky posted earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on whats allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party Labelers that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context.The company didnt respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.Even as its challenges arent yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a crossroads, said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitters civic integrity team.Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world, Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow.That said, disinformation and bots wont be Blueskys only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be.Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X.Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people, Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where theyre trying to keep everybody happy are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they arent see Metas platforms the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news.The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Ali Swenson and Barara Ortutay, Associated Press