A developer's attempt to create a fully decentralized Bluesky account using a self-hosted PDS failed due to ATProto's opaque key management. The process required manually editing DID documents, navigating undocumented steps, and ultimately resulted in a 'burned' identity that was blacklisted from the network.

The experience highlights a critical flaw in the protocol's design: its decentralization relies on users handling complex PKI without proper tooling. Unlike Mastodon's federation model, a single mistake or account deletion can permanently sever all connections, forcing reliance on Bluesky's centralized support system.

This validates long-standing concerns about ATProto's practical usability. For true decentralization, protocols must abstract away cryptographic complexity. Until Bluesky's AppView becomes broadly accessible and tooling improves, the gap between its decentralized promise and user reality remains wide.