The worker cooperative states:
We’re excited to announce NorthSky Social Cooperative where we are building a new ATproto platform for the benefit of marginalized communities that prioritizes the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. After increasing hostility toward these communities we are taking action to provide a platform built by and for us.
They go on to say:
A shift towards federation has enabled the survival of marginalized communities and @bsky.app which developed the AT Protocol has created a foundation for us to build Northsky Social on top of. As such we will be fully compatible with @bsky.app where users will be able to communicate across the federated ATproto space.
are they going to run their own router, or are they still beholden to the bluesky board? ie, is this just another pds stuck in the bluesky walled garden?
They will run their own server, yes.
pds != router though.
theres only a single router in existence run by bluesky, so this would make the official first non-bluesky controlled router?
Yes.
Nope, FAQ says it’s only PDServers they host. The Relay and AppView, DMs stays in bsky control.
Their own server, or their own router? They’re different.