Nostr Web Client

Hypothetical Privacy / Censorship Question:

I buy tallow soap from nostr:npub1zzmxvr9sw49lhzfx236aweurt8h5tmzjw7x3gfsazlgd8j64ql0sexw5wy using btc (which I have and it is a great product).

My payment is permissionless and uncensurable. But if the government where soap miner is located decides that anyone who makes and uses tallow based soap is an enemy of the state they can stop the flow of tallow soap by persecuting the maker and also go after previous customers who ordered tallow soap (now that they have addresses of previous shipments).

First time this occurred to me. For physical goods a permissionless payment rail is 1/2 the battle. Same as the Silk Road. Is my privacy/security from the government as the one who ordered the good just in the fact that it would be a pain to track me down?

Or is there a anonymous way to get a mailing address to receive physical goods to make the other 1/2 of the transaction permissionless / private (or at least a way to maximize privacy / uncensorability of the delivery of the good).

SoapMiner 9mo ago

I have actually given this some brief thought as of late. Nothing in depth, as I don't think they're going to come after a soap maker, but I can understand some concern.

Just so you, and anyone that has purchased my soap, know. I can delete your info at any time. Just email me with the name and shipping address you used, and I will delete it, no questions asked. I have no purpose, or reason to keep it, other than it makes it easier for subsequent orders.

Now, that doesn't mean it's not on a server somewhere. Not technically literate enough to know how that works. But they won't get it from my computer.

There are ways to do things for total anonymity, but it's lengthy, costly, and generally a pain in the ass.

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Discussion

157mm751 9mo ago

Thank you for the response and the awesome product you make. Apologies for using your name haha thought it was good for a hypothetical. To be clear I have no issues with your company and don’t think the government will come after tallow soap anytime soon.

I meant broadly speaking for any physical good this seems like the choke point. It just occurred to me and was wondering what the smart people of nostr had to say.

SoapMiner 9mo ago

No worries brother. So glad that you like the soap. And very appreciative of your support 🙏🫂

And, I do get your point. My thinking, and I know that it's an unpopular one, is that sooner, or later, we are going to have to take a stand. The more of us that just blatantly disregard their rules,... The weaker they become. We can't hide forever.

I'd be interested in other points of view as well. I believe Nostr to not only be the largest circular economy in the world nostr:nprofile1qqsqfjg4mth7uwp307nng3z2em3ep2pxnljczzezg8j7dhf58ha7ejgprpmhxue69uhhqun9d45h2mfwwpexjmtpdshxuet5qyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnswf5k6ctv9ehx2aqpr9mhxue69uhhxetwv35hgtnwdaekvmrpwfjjucm0d5klqft7 , but also the largest brain trust. I would bet, if you could actually measure this metric, that the average IQ on Nostr is the highest of any space that currently exist.