Nostr Web Client

I watched this a couple of months ago. I think he's right on a couple of points and wrong on others. Thing is, his criticisms I agree with are actionable.

The only real Achilles Heel (which has stunted adoption) is the tie to crypto. That isn't going away.

We will in fact likely be using Nostr in 5-10 years. The question is whether this is doomed to be the Linux of social networks.

TheDarrenator 2y ago

But wait -- isn't this supposed to be "The Year of the Linux Desktop"? haha

Yes, I hear you.

I was interested in nostr before, but walked away because of its seemingly inextricable ties with crypto. I like crypto, but generally am not a fan of BTC due to privacy issues (I'm more of a Monero guy). As I learned about the browser extensions like Alby, I thought our crypto and online IDs were to be united in such a way that it could only result in bad things -- a "permanent record" that could affect our finances.

Now I know nostr is not built on crypto blockchains and that it's not necessary to involve one's crypto wallet with their nostr account. But I didn't really understand that until I watched many videos -- more than the average human is willing to watch about something that initially sounds strange.

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Fr. Josh Miller 2y ago

We share the same tendency towards Monero, and even then I see it more as a practical solution than an ideological one.

The lean towards BTC is a problem for this network, because it is an ideological enthusiasm most do not share. This ideology contains dubious claims towards freedom and sovereignty through crypto which are patently false. In reality, it is a technology. Some will use it and some won’t. I was never interested in it as a useful thing until the lightning network, because it solves a technical problem with crypto in general, making these minute transactions possible.

What I love about Nostr is the notion of owned identities and the censorship resistance. I don’t think people grasp how cool and how necessary this actually is. We need decentralization. Nostr provides a solution to an actual problem, and that’s why I should be using it above all else even if I’m not exactly bullish on the protocol’s ability to onboard and retain given the prevalence of BTC idealism here. What Nostr needs is a flood of normies who see past the noise long enough to build a stable presence.