I didn't say that relay server coders can't code -- the servers are impressive in what they've achieved. What I've said is I'm surprised at how little spam filtering appears to have been built into the servers from the start (though I caveated that with the fact that I have not reviewed the codebases).

I've also said that it's an arms race. That if teams of engineers with massive resources at the likes of Twitter can't stop spam the best solution is paid relays. I stand by that, though I do apologize if I've sounded overly harsh in my criticism. The spam situation has indeed been very frustrating for everyone, myself included.

As for how to attract newbies without free relays, how does any product attract new customers without giving it away for free? It offers what other products can't, and at a price that people are willing to pay. Nostr offers freedom of expression and an algo-free experience.

Spam-filled feeds certainly won't attract newbies. One quick browse through the Global feed in most apps and a lot of people will likely walk away saying Nostr is just a spam farm full of telegram invites and porn. Maybe there's a hybrid solution. That's what I'm trying to achieve with NostrGram.