How would you get every client to implement this, knowing that anyone can make their own open source client? You don't need anyones permission to sign a note containing a list of npubs with your own key, which is all following someone is. What you want isn't possible đ
Discussion
You're right that anyone can build their own client and bypass itâthat's the nature of open protocols. But this isnât about forcing anything on everyone. Itâs about setting a new standard that high-quality clients can adopt voluntarily to improve the network.
Plenty of things in Nostr arenât enforced by the protocol but are still widely adoptedâlike relay selection, zaps, or even UI/UX norms. Same thing here. If enough clients and users value this âpay-to-followâ model to reduce spam and bot activity, it becomes a social norm. Itâs opt-in capitalism. And guess what? Bots donât pay.
So no, Iâm not trying to restrict freedom. Iâm offering a market-based filter for higher signal, and those who want the benefits of a cleaner, more organic network will choose to implement it. You can still go use a free-for-all client if you wantâbut donât expect everyone to want that chaos.
It's an idea that would never work, but make the client I guess, see how that goes đ¤ˇââď¸