People are so used to being fed content, that when they arrive to nostr they aren't sure what to do. It's like watching a horse leave its pasture, run wild for a few minutes, and then head back to the barn for its dinner. I'm not sure what the solution is?
Discussion
Clients could integrate hashtag function where something like #grownostr and new user-friendly tags are followed by default. Doesnt need to be an algo. Although people might take advantage of that so I dunno how good that solution is.
I think it will take a lot of retraining and this would require a desire/willingness of new users to be retrained.
Not a bad idea, even if just temporary. We really need to do something about content discovery.
Agreed. It has to be like teaching a child to ride a bike. New users will have to put in some work, but only enough so that they don’t know they are doing the work. Also, you don’t just want to give them an electric bike that peddles for them. It will have to be a balance. Default settings for new people, that can easily be toggled off for people who don’t ever want to be fed content.
Would something like an in-client dedicated discovery tab that's basically just a hashtag directory be feasible? I have no idea if thats realistic, I'm just a user. Terms could be static and generic so long as they cover a broad array of topics. Static would probably be better than intuitive to avoid the trending trap, but maybe rotate on occasion to help combat phrase capture. A search function could help people narrow in on their interests.
I know global feed offers full search.(at least on the client I am using) but that whole feed is honestly a bit much for first exposure. Something with a softer landing would be nice. When I joined, the first thing I did was start poking buttons to see what does what...world feed made me think wtf and back out of it.
I'm also thinking I just interjected myself into this convo randomly. Apologies 💜
More users
Yes and more engagement from high profile accounts. I believe many people arrive and follow all of the same people they do on other platforms. Which would be okay, if those large accounts start to post more here. Unfortunately, people with this mentality will miss out on engaging with smaller accounts.
For me it’s like breaking up with your partner, only to find a much more better partner. <3 #nostr
Yes, me too, but I wanted to break up and was willing to put in the work to find a new partner. Many people come over to see if the grass is greener, take one look, and head back to what’s familiar.
True
I think the main solution is time. There will be one day where there will be many more horses and much greener fields. The barn will become more broken down and unwelcoming over time that being in the wild is worth the risk.
So the domesticated horse will always need a herd? It’s surprising how long a horse will stay in a barn with no roof.
yes. domesticated or wild, horses need herds. humans need community. that is how we thrive.
that's the long game for Nostr. all the tools and tech that is made is to help facilitate community building in a positive, organic way. There is no tech or engineering that can build the interpersonal trust that communities require like time does.
Agreed 😁🤝💜
Depends what you mean when you say “content.”
In what way? Wouldn’t it be the same for all types content? It’s the medium that matters, no?
The type of content would determine the solution. For instance, TikTok swept in and dominated the short form video content market because it gave users incredibly easy to use tools for creating them, an an algorithm that feeds users with content they like with an eery level of precision and accuracy. Instagram and YouTube are still playing catch up. Nostr doesn’t stand a chance right now in that type of content. Just one example.
Ah, I see what you mean. In the scenarios you have presented, how does nostr compete with the precision of an algo and the learned behaviour of mindlessly consuming one's feed? I don't believe censorship resistance and decentralization are factors that the majority of people will consider when assessing the value of a protocol.
First, the content has to be there, and in order for the content to be there, the people who create the content have to be there. If people come to Nostr interested in nature photography and don’t see any or know how to find it, then yea they’re going to leave. If they come to read and share poetry but don’t know how to find other poets, or where/how to publish their poems, then they’re probably going to leave. And video content on Nostr is all but a joke right now. In-app viewing experiences are horrendous, and the uploaded greatly limit how much you can upload. No creation tools. Etc. It’s all early, so that’s not so much a criticism as it is just a reality check. That’s what I mean by “it depends what you mean by content.” Content varies widely. Nostr is good for some right now, not so much for others. And it’s not great for any of it yet.
All that said, for those of use on Nostr now, the roughness is part of the charm. We love it. But not everyone wants that. Most people want a sleek and easy user experience.
Agreed. Maybe the future doesn't lay in an "everything" client. Instead, the future may be the development of clients for each type of content, with the ability of the user to transport their network to each.
