Frequently Asked Questions

What is this handle for and how did it get here?

This handle is intended for use by the NAFO Fellas. More information about the fellas can be found on their official website at https://nafo-ofan.org .The handle came about during the big transition from X to Bluesky. A unique feature of Bluesky is that people can use their own domain names as Bluesky handles. Samuel, one of the Bluesky developers, created a template service allowing communities to create their own unique handles. The Taylor Swift fan club was quick to adopt this, creating the swifties.social handle. A few NAFO fellas noticed and suggested that the fellas could have their own handle too, using fellas.social as the domain. A few days later, fellas.social was born.

Will this affect people who follow me?

You will keep all your followers when you change your handle. Any posts where you're tagged or mentioned will automatically redirect to your new handle. Just keep in mind, though, that once you change your handle, your old handle becomes available for someone else to claim.

Can I change back to my old handle?

Yes, you can change back to your old [name].bsky.social at any time as follows:

Open the Bluesky App (or webpage on computer)
Go to Settings > Account > Handle
Then simply enter the handle you want (old or new)

(Note: When you change your handle, your old handle become available for someone else to use)

It says "Handle not found" when I enter my existing handle in step 1?

Please ensure that you have copied your existing handle exactly as it appears, without the @ symbol at the beginning. Remember, handles are case sensitive, so double-check for any uppercase or lowercase differences. If Bluesky servers are experiencing high demand, you may need to wait a moment and try again. For additional help, you can tag @chrisrid.fellas.social on Bluesky.

It says "Invalid Handle" when I type in my new handle:

Your new handle can only contain letters, numbers and hyphens. It should appear in the format: [name].fellas.social and make sure 'fellas' is plural, ie 'fellas.social' not 'fella.social'

How do I know this is trustworthy?

This project is open-source, to ensure full transparency. You can view the source code and stay up to date with changes at:

https://github.com/ChrisRid/community-handles

How can I make my own custom handles for my community on Bluesky?

You can. This is based on a project made by mozzius (a Bluesky developer) which is open-source, and he kindly provided plenty of guidance so that others can create their own iterations. Check out his GitHub for more information at:

https://github.com/mozzius/community-handles

It's saying I need to be followed by more fellas using this handle?

This is just to help prevent fake accounts from making handles, thereby preserving it for the rest of us. This number is kept fairly low to ensure it shouldn't be a problem for legitimate fellas. So if you've just made an account, spend some more time mingling with the other fellas and you should good to go in no time!