Is it intentional? I don’t know of a single client that disallows configuration of a user’s preferred relays. There is no centralized catalog of available relays (paid or unpaid) but there is also nothing stopping anybody from creating that. It’s been all of 10 weeks since the first clients gained widespread use.
Using alpha/beta versions isn’t for everybody.
#positivity
I understand your point of view but:
They don't necessarily have to disallow it; we've learned that if they put a feature behind 3-4 buttons, daily users are unlikely to use it, much less write out an entire cryptic URL.
I mean you can call me a relay fanatic😅, IMO relays are a crucial component of nostr and we should strive to build everything around them. Diverse relay distribution should be by design.
It's hard to say whether the potential centralization of the platform is intentional, but there may be incentives to move in that direction.
Personally, I don't trust anyone and believe that decentralization is key to preserving user privacy and sovereignty, easy diverse selection of relays are essential for that . 🥂
#Respectfully 😊
Pretty cynical. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Advocate for relay diversification and build that recommendation service. Somebody should build a relay discovery and info website that has the attributes of each. #positivity
