Nostr Web Client

On #Fediverse, I have an address `arinbasu1@social.arinbasu.online`. I can jump into my #Pleroma instance and share whatever I want to share. Can I use `arinbasu1..` when I jump into a #Calckey server or a #Mastodon server? I cannot. I have to tie my identity to a server and then using _only_ that server I can communicate with the rest of the Fediverse. Which is fine but also creates a bloat. I can sheet anchor myself in my own instance at `social.arinbasu.online` and can read/write but to meet new people, and new conversations, I will still need to visit other instances. I wish there was an easier way to do things than that. This is also an aspect that many people, who come to fediverse from a walled garden such as twitter, rue, as they find it hard to negotiate with the medium first and then they will have to `create identities` everywhere first to read/write content. So, in this sense #Fediverse is like email, that with one identity you can read/write content and share with people.

Yet, you need to create separate identity in `each server` you have your account. It is not like you can push/pull to/from everything everywhere. #Nostr has upended this limitation, it seems. Here, I _start_ with an id, which, in my case, is, arinbasu@iris.to, but then with this id, I also get a public id ,

npub17vs8nsgxt2r3saj6w4089z05xvvkahj7urqs7jkdz9329s4cj5qquwmr5w

and a private id.

That private id acts like my login everywhere or all other apps I visit, and that's it. So I can visit any `service` such as damus, or iris, or coracle, login with my associated private id, and I am in. Then everything depends on how I tweak my relay list, as the more relays I will subscribe to, the more I will receive in my Global feed, and the more likely my `voice` will reach wider. I can even store my ideas to my own created relay and read/write when I want if I want.

In theory I will never need another identity with another app unless I need a special user case (even then). The magic is how I decide to tweak my relay list and do what I want to do.

Beat that!

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Discussion

Srijit Kumar Bhadra 2y ago

> "... but to meet new people, and new conversations, I will still need to visit other instances... they will have to create identities everywhere first to read/write content..."

One must register an identity with a ActivityPub based Fediverse instance to publish content. However to read public content in a Fediverse instance, there is no need to create a registered identity on that instance. Also once need not visit multiple instances to meet new people and generate new conversations. It can be done from the client connected to the existing Fediverse instance. The existing instance can belong to Fediverse platforms like Mastodon, Pleroma, Friendica etc.

Also note Masotodon has multiple clients. Those clients may work with other Fediverse platforms. I am not sure since I have not tested those clients with other Fediverse platforms.

Arin Basu 2y ago

I probably did not explain properly. While it is true that you can access publicly available contents from one registered instance, it helps to discover new contents and people if you _visit_ the instance where conversations happen. For example, if I wanted to add new people to follow on Mastodon.social, I'd have to visit the instance, I cannot do so from my personal instance. If you know otherwise or have a tip how that can be achieved, will appreciate your advice.

Srijit Kumar Bhadra 2y ago

> "If you know otherwise or have a tip how that can be achieved, will appreciate your advice."

In any Mastodon public instance, there are typically three options:

1. Explore

2. Federated timeline

3. Local timeline

I understand that for the third option, one needs to explicitly visit the specific public instance. The other two options will give almost similar results from any Mastodon public instance. So for the the first two options, it is not mandatory to visit any specific instance.

I am not aware how your personal instance is configured. The "Explore" and "Federated Timeline" usually provides reasonable opportunities to discover new people and posts. In addition, one can follow hashtags for new content.

Based on my limited use of Nostr, I observe that either the "Explore" or "Federated Timeline" or these two choices together provide the equivalent of Global timeline of Nostr.

Arin Basu 2y ago

My comment or statement was about the local timeline. Explore or Federated timeline (some apps call it "Global") provide you with a list of everyone who has shared status updates, with various degrees of separation, but that is not the same as going into the local timeline of an instance where you have your account and checking out new conversations. You won't be able to access them from global feeds/explore alone. For this one needs to check out the local timeline of the _instance_ where one has an account.

I hope it makes it clear what I wanted to write there.

Thanks!

Arin Basu 2y ago

I think you and I are talking about different things. I agree that I can follow anyone on the #Fediverse from any account (as long as I know their address or can search them), I can follow any topic/hashtag, etc I want, I can pull in any RSS feed.

But if I am on instance X, I cannot post on instance Y _from_ instance X having been logged in there; I can at mention a user and any post I make from at instance X will show up on instance Y feed for a user who either traverses the global timeline or as a follower, but those are different things.

_Within_ an instance, in order to participate in discussions or discover _new contents_, I will still need to log in to that particular instance. There is no other way.

In the attached image, I have shown you a #Mastodon instance `qoto.org`. If I use the posting box there, I can only post to qoto.org. Whatever I post there will show up on my timeline in another instance alright, but as `user@qoto.org`, if I have to post something, then I will need to _either_ visit that site on a browser or log in as that user on an app (e.g. Tusky or whatever). Once I am _inside_ the app, I can discover new contents and all that.

Other than that, indeed, for following individuals or topics etc, one does not need to _visit_ an instance. But to _read_ contents _within_ an instance that goes beyond following individuals or topics, there is a need to visit individual instances to be kept up (say following conversations and discussions in press.coop, you need to visit or create an account there, because following random accounts with `press.coop` will not work.

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