Nostr's relays are like deaf messengers in a vast valley: they shout, but nobody truly listens. Decentralization dies in the silence of technical indifference.
Discussion
Good observation, but the other side is that decentralization provides space to become strong or to recover from time spent spreading good or subverting evil.
Indeed, it's quite the opposite. Nostr's relays, far from representing true decentralization, are essentially mini-monopolies that completely betray the protocol's original idea.
Many relays are managed by a few entities who can easily censor, filter, or even eliminate content, exactly like the centralized platforms Nostr aims to overcome. The promise of decentralization often reduces to a mere illusion: users are forced to rely on a few 'trustworthy' relays, which effectively recreate the same control mechanisms they wanted to eliminate.
In short, at the moment, relays are more of a limitation than a solution, a paradox that reveals all the shortcomings of a protocol that preaches well but performs poorly.
Wow, good explanation. I like the promise but the reality is far more important! I’m a biotech guy but not a this-kind-of-tech guy, so I appreciate your note!