I'm with you on this one. I mean, I'm very happy for folks to play with DVMs, algorithmic relays, etc. All great experiments. But I really don't want it imposed on me. (If any client starts enforcing algorithmic feeds, I'll stop using it, and if it becomes the dominant way of doing things on Nostr, I'm out.)

I also don’t get why every problem on Nostr is dismissed as a "discoverability" problem that requires an algorithmic solution. Classic XY problem...

Folks here can hate on the Fediverse content and architecture as much as they want (I myself dislike the fact that identity and content ownership are bound to specific instances. This is why I'm bullish on Nostr), but I’ve been making ActivityPub work with linear feeds, lists, and hashtags for ages. And yes, I can find basically all the content I want there: from niche tech stuff to content specifically for Brazilian expats living in small British/Irish towns. It honestly doesn't get much nichier than that. I'm doing this using a small personal instance that isn't even pulling a fraction of Mastodon’s content in a pool of active users much larger than Nostr. Still, the niche content gets to my feeds.

What we're lacking here on Nostr is a culture of boosting/resharing, content lists, and hashtags, so that content "lives" longer and spreads without needing endorsement from a Nostr influencer account.

That, and a good onboarding experience so that the combination of spam bots, manosphere/homophobic/anti-immigration/hardline MAGA content, or even generally well-intended but overly enthusiastic Maxis and Nostr devs (guilty) don’t drive users away in the first 10 minutes before they even get a chance to check out catstr, artstr, gaming, travelling, music, retrotech, or whatever else they enjoy.