Nostr Web Client

This sounds to me like everybody has to use the same DNS resolver or plug into the same DNS resolution services somehow. And those have to plug into blockchain. And then you've got DANE and TLS fingerprinting, and how much other stuff?

I find it far simpler to just use self-signed certificates, set the certificate verifier to ignore the issuer-trust relationship and just verify the self-signature matches the pubkey, and then check if the key in the certificate is the nostr key of the relay you were trying to connet to. Zero external services, no DNS, no blockchain, nada. Just client-server. Of course, where my idea falls down (which I think I already explained) is that in nostr relays don't have keys they have URLs. But other than that, far simpler.

Garbage nsec 6mo ago 💬 2

DNS resolvers would be like relays, the user chooses which to add (1 or more). Some resolvers might be free, some might be paid, some might handle different chains, etc. DVMs, essentially.

For DANE and TLS fingerprinting is one or the other. If you're doing TLS fingerprint then no need for DANE. In both cases they are self signed certificates (DANE-EE if DANE). Also it's the TLS pub key that gets fingerprinted, not the whole cert, to allow for updates.

The key is (I think anyways) is that ICANN or not ICANN you will always need a source of uniqueness for human readable labels that can link to records, and there are only two ways to get that in a decentralised way, blockchain or some DHT-based Frankenstein. So blockchain it is.

But yeah, it adds another layer and I don't know if it's worth it, I think perhaps not. I actually think ICANN is pretty okay as far as systems go, they get an unfairly bad rap here sometimes.

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Mike Dilger ☑️ 6mo ago 💬 1

Ah. I guess I don't care too much about shared human-readable names. I'm more of a "send me your key" kind of guy who builds up his network that way, or "scan this QR code". There is value in human-readable and memorable names, but maybe I'm not willing to pay for them.

Garbage nsec 6mo ago

That's fair enough. In terms of the price for unique + human readable + decentralised + stores relevant records... I think that's pretty much as cheap as it gets in the off-ICANN world. And as cheap as it gets still isn't that cheap.

I'm skeptical that anything not human-readable can scale, for relays, mints, or anything of the like. But yes it would be nice to have a QR-based network of sorts, that's a cool idea.

Daniel Wigton 6mo ago 💬 1

Human readable names are a great shortcut for IDs you already know. They are nothing but a web of lies for IDs you don't.

Garbage nsec 6mo ago

I think truth and lies is a few layers below. Human readability at the top layer is simply about encapsulation.