Nostr is doing just fine thanks

you ate this up little bitcoin boy

Nostr is not struggling, it's doing quite well for a 2.5yo protocol 🫡

Wat?

I love it here!

As long as the bridges are working fine, it shouldn't matter that much which protocol people use since we all end up in one big open network.

I'm fine with following and interacting with bluesky and mastodon users over bridges. If they ever want to come here natively great, but I can live without it.

Love the energy!

I don’t agree with some points of this take. Censorship resistance is a strong property of Nostr but it’s not the main point for majority of folks. It’s your portable identity, portable data, and free network effects, combined with use cases beyond just social media — which seems like a core focus of your note. There’s nothing wrong with having overlap with X — the point is Nostr is already almost a superset of what X provides but with even more.

I got into Nostr before I got into Bitcoin. Just because there’s a concentration of a certain demographic, doesn’t mean the protocol is necessarily catering to only that demographic. Where I do agree with you is that Nostr needs the other stuff with thoughtfully designed experiences to succeed to have folks want to use it. nostr:npub1c0nfstrlj0jy8kvl953v84hudwnpgad0zx709z0ey7nmjp0llegslzg243 intends to be one, and sounds like Satlantis is, too.

How about quality not quantity.

I think having some nostr marketing budget in OpenSats makes a lot of sense.

Just as an eg I suggested reaching out to someone like Jay Dyer who seems open to sponsorship, is already a bitcoiner - accepting on-chain BTC donations on his show. Importantly he is not enclosed in the bitcointwitter bubble and reach. Just as an example.

Unfortunately nostr has sort of got the reputation (perhaps not all the unfairly) of being a bitcointelegram group. Which is obviously slightly unfair seeing as nostr is more than the microblogging platform, but that is how people encounter it.

I think your right tho. Bluesky soaks up the people who want to boycott Elon and those who want the retro leap vibes of reliving Left Twitter 2010s. You know the kind of thing... Back in the day when posting 'be gay, do crime' was considered edgy or something (now your HR manager has a poster of it in their office).

I would also say substack plays quite a significant role in the 'good enough' lack of censorship, similarly to twitter. (But also have you seen the comments section of Instagram lately, they seem to be hands off to drive up rage engagement..?).

Realistically nostr will struggle to get numbers here with it being culturally predominantly a bitcointwitter offshoot. Unsurprisingly, not many people outside of the BT expat bubble won't stay for too long with the mostly monotopic environment.

Which is kind of why I think small step of appealing to the likes of Jay Dyer and his audience, the periphery of BT - the bitcoin-sympathetic is probably a good bet. Especially if you want more than people who turn up for a day or two. (I won't bother listing the waves of users nostrbhas had and lost).

That’s why I’m doing the swag report, the fashion report, the show report etc. need some levity and fun

Comparing to Bluesky is meh… bluesky is the biggest hate filled shit show of extreme leftist I have ever visited. They would never come to Nostr anyway, it doesn’t fit them. And they are not decentralized, they function pretty much like mastodon, and even then, almost every user is on one server.

If they came here in force it would most likely drive many of the users that are here away.

—-

As far as growth, it’s an open source project… it will take time, a lot of time to go big or mainstream, unless you get Rogan on it singing its praises..lol

I also think it’s a great place to sell things and getting the businesses together is something I can help with

What if we all went back on Twitter (temporarily) and spammed the hell out of #nostr to get it trending?

In Silence

there is eloquence.

Stop weaving, and see

how the pattern improves.

Rumi

You need Nostr.

Nostr doesn't need you.

Hell 99.9 percent of normies have no idea what Bitcoin is let alone nostr. Unfortunately we have a very long way to go to get nostr mainstream. First and foremost the big names in the space need to go nostr only and stop using big tech.

This would encourage the average Bitcoiner to migrate to nostr to see content they want to see. If you can find your favorite content creator on X or Facebook etc what motivation do you have to leave these platforms? If we can get a maximum amount of Bitcoiners on here that’s a start.

This strategy can also be applied to businesses as well. Offer discounts, send some zaps to anyone that follows you on nostr. We have to make nostr the place TO BE and connect with other likeminded individuals. #Nostr has a ton of potential we just have to channel it in the right direction.

Embrace the friction, we need the struggles! Without these this Nostr movement wouldn't exist. It's what the other protocols are seeming to miss.

So just foster the friction as long as possible 🤓

Just don’t use the big words to explain / market it. Instead of censorship resistant or decentralised, say:

“You can post whatever you want, no matter where you are and no one can take what you post down”.

Most people are dumb, so why limit your audience by talking smart.

It’s just another echo chamber. I appreciate the effort it took to build this place but I’m fast losing interest to continue.

I think maybe just focus on attracting the folks who need the tech the most... the people who are censored or likely to be censored.

basically, you need to make all the noise possible. I was doubting whether joining #nostr or not, but the final push to jump here was the workspace from nostr:npub1rujdpkd8mwezrvpqd2rx2zphfaztqrtsfg6w3vdnljdghs2q8qrqtt9u68. Those guys joined Freesatoshis community and started making so much buzz around the protocol that I had no other choice than joining. 😅

I agree with all you said, Imo there's still time to set things well before we get tons of users joining. Maybe improving data transmission and a smoother UX can be something that welcome new users the right way.

The key differentiator between nostr and other platforms is that you can take your identity (a public key) and following to different applications.

So we need a completely different application- something completely unlike twitter- to demonstrate that difference. And then another application. All of which you’re using the same public key as your identity, so your followers carry over.

Also, we need better key management. Like a tapsigner for nostr. Keep your private key fully offline, and sign messages with the tap of a signing device.

Svetski, if any lunatic starts that censorship regulation council crap here; I will spend my Bitcoin elsewhere and as many follow, your⚡️Zaps will become scarce and scarce, there are hundreds of apps on LN Network where I could be earning or spending Bitcoin. Be grateful that we are spending our #Bitcoin on #nostr. I know nostr:nprofile1qqsgydql3q4ka27d9wnlrmus4tvkrnc8ftc4h8h5fgyln54gl0a7dgspzamhxue69uhhyetvv9uhxtnyd9nkwmm09e3k7mgprpmhxue69uhkvet9v3ehgu3wdehhxarjxyhxxmmdqywhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytndd9jxgmrfdenjumtev3h8xtn2wqergaw8 is grateful. #puravida

P.S. Nostr is not struggling, you just say that because you like Bluesky, there's a problem with Bluesky, if you give their users #Bitcoin they will commit suicide online, FOR PROFIT.

Nostr is struggling because they chose social to test the protocol .. everyone hates social or not ! .... but no one wants more of it ! Besides the network effects are impossible to break ..

That said , if it survived social experiment, then sky is the limit .. both technically as well as to market standpoints ..

not great not terrible

nostr:note1e8gzpmeum8tqzqg6sjkuxge7v764h9x49n7e000as0x40lpekazqfhwk8f

I think Nostr has a brilliant take on how to do social media right. The lack of manipulating algorithms alone frees us all from the mental angst that one will experience on mainstream social media platforms.

Having praised it to the rafters, I also think that persisting with the almost exclusive focus on pitching Nostr as a twitter killer is misguided. For one, it hasn't killed Twitter, not even a dent. Elon is more of a threat to twitter than any upstart.

When looking at the way the online world "over there" is going, it is a bit naive telling a normie that Nostr is a superior form of social media. That is like saying you are a nicer version of Hannibal Lector. Think about it. In the minds of the masses, Twitter and FaceBook, Insta, Tik Tok are social media. The way they do social media is toxic, and whether their gazillion-strong userbase admit it or not, there is a growing societal sense that “social media is not healthy”. Hence my puzzlement at insisting on pitching Nostr as a better social media, especially when it is so much more.

Nostr is a new internet where you take your ID from app to app signing in with something akin to an automatic smart key. You aren't tracked or asked for personal details or served ads. There is no controlling central forces, no equivalent of mega sites trying to silo the internet, forcing users to comply with ever more stringent privacy invading requiremens. The users have the controlling hand on the Nostr internet.

Of course social media apps are probably the most polished on Nostr, but the array of working apps that the average person could use regularly are there already. Venture capitalists need to throw their money at mostly non social media apps.

Pitch Nostr as a suite of apps. Pitch the dumbed down version of the Nostr philosophy. People will come.

And who pitches the Nostr apps? Those blue check X users on Nostr. They need to step up.

Jaron Lanier had it right 6 years ago. For their own sake, they need to get off Twitter. Seriously, there is a every chance they are mentally ill to some degree. They can literally detox on Nostr which doesn't have the manipulation model at its core.

And secondly they need to get off Twitter for the sake of society, especially the Nostr society. Only by preaching to Twitter users from the outside, with an outsider perspective, can they expect to be taken seriously with their Why Nostr? pitches.

They should pummel Medium and long form platforms with Why Nostr? And push the apps not the social media.

Their posts will surely get tweeted. Twitterati will get to read the perspective of outsiders, recovering Twitter addicts who have found a new internet as envisioned by Tim Bernard Lee that already works well, and already has a bunch of productive apps. The Twitter killers can continue to be the best iteration ever of social media, but for marketing purposes, they are a part of the rich Nostr sphere, not the overarching big daddy. Something like that!

Hi, im here to fix nostr

I agree with the white pill over black pill aspect. When I write about Nostr I try to do like 80% white pill and 20% black pill, and even the black pill stuff is phrased like, "you can own your identity".

From what I've seen, the Nostr ecosystem goes through some stepwise improvements. Damus was a gamechanger. Primal was a gamechanger.

I think the long-form stuff has a lot of legs to it, and anything related to reviews.

From the knowledge I have of certain companies' pipelines, including ones that you've mentioned, I'm optimistic that we'll have some more stepwise upgrades in the future that can start really tying things together.

IMHO Intentional communities powered by crypto is the way forward. Crypto people tend to spend their time tapping away at screens developing all these fancy software governance protocols but 99% of such protocols don't govern anything worth governing.

Humans are physical creatures that need food and shelter. I think step 1 of cryptocurrency protocols should be governing the production of, and access to food, and shelter.

In this respect, I like the closer.earth platform, they try to apply cryptocurrency to managing real world resources:

https://closer.earth/

It's hard to determine the direction of future software development, if you're not using the software to coordinate the production of goods that people value - which is why I'm a massive advocate for applying cryptocurrency/decentralised protocols to intentional communities.

Buy sell trade “market place” but it actually included firearms. Because fb and Twitter won’t do it.

This is a great take! I agree that Nostr needs to find a way to connect with more people beyond just the tech-savvy crowd. Focusing more on design and making the benefits of the platform clear and relatable to everyday users is a smart move. The idea of a marketing push, especially targeting Bitcoiners, makes a lot of sense. If we can get that crowd on board, it could really help Nostr grow. Excited to see where this goes and what you have up your sleeve!

When there is enough variety in topics on Nostr, a varied audience can connect.

Nostr has been over-branded and branding is a central planning mechanism. When I started with Reddit or Twitter, I never used their branding as some kind of flag or banner.

I think a positive step forward is to reduce the bashing of other media channels.

One of Nostr's problem is trying to be different from Twitter while not understanding what makes Twitter valuable to its users.

I’m a normie…I can’t get zapped on X, it’s why I’m here (to build and support new models of social media habits & appreciation).

It’s why I believe Nostr is part of a more desirable future for all.

Imho…They’re coming, y’all are just super early.

What do you mean with struggle? Is it just that its taking time for adoption? Or is it more the capitalization of devs? From a distance it looks quite fast if I see what’s developed and used. Could easily be wrong 😇

Threading some responses here for people to easily find. First one to nostr:npub1a2cww4kn9wqte4ry70vyfwqyqvpswksna27rtxd8vty6c74era8sdcw83a

https://primal.net/e/note1cmfje5rxwpzada8lf6n88h73vsrrw0zzn0z4jgp905s8w3wrxx7qd3l4e4

I like the optimism here, and my advice is to drop references to pill, pilling etc. It's a bizarre insider reference imo and one whose roots are a bit condescending to the people we aim to win over. Just my two ⚡️⚡️ 🤩 the Network Product angle is interesting. How do we find things here? For me, the discoverability layer is a key part of Nostr to build. Happy to consult on this (I'm an information architect)

When it comes to the technical side, private DMs and private groups are something we really should get in place. I am excited to see what nostr:npub1zuuajd7u3sx8xu92yav9jwxpr839cs0kc3q6t56vd5u9q033xmhsk6c2uc is working on in that regard.

Key management for organizations and businesses is another piece I would like to see solutions for. NsecBunker is getting there, but is not a default option in any client I am aware of.

Nostr has struggled with discoverability issues as well. Back in late 2022 and early '23, I would just hop into Global and find interesting people to follow there. Not the case anymore on the vast majority of clients. The exception to this is #Coracle, since nostr:npub1jlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qdjynqn's implementation of web-of-trust has allowed the vast majority of spam and unsavory content to be filtered out.

For something to promote about Nostr that can make it something people are running to rather than running from, I think we need more buy-in from developers of apps that are NOT twitter clones, but can include a social aspect to them, and thus can benefit from the built-in network effect of integrating Nostr.

In this regard, I am thrilled with what nostr:npub1v5ufyh4lkeslgxxcclg8f0hzazhaw7rsrhvfquxzm2fk64c72hps45n0v5 is doing to integrate Nostr, and especially the filtered feed that displays only notes with audio content, and it doesn't matter if this content is native to Fountain, or is on Spotify, or any other podcasting protocol, or on nostr:npub1yfg0d955c2jrj2080ew7pa4xrtj7x7s7umt28wh0zurwmxgpyj9shwv6vg. You can just interact with it as you would expect from any podcast app.

I would love to see something similar, but for video content. An app with a feed that only shows you notes that your follows have shared with videos in them, regardless of where those videos are hosted, and you can play them within that app, rather than having to go to YouTube or Rumble, or wherever else they are hosted. This may be a tougher ask, and I think flare.pub was headed in this direction, but I haven't seen much movement there.

We have also seen similar Nostr integration in wallet apps, such as nostr:npub1mutnyacc9uc4t5mmxvpprwsauj5p2qxq95v4a9j0jxl8wnkfvuyque23vg, nostr:npub1kvaln6tm0re4d99q9e4ma788wpvnw0jzkz595cljtfgwhldd75xsj9tkzv, and nostr:npub1dx5q2el8nd4eh3eg9t2e25fd7zuqg7zxz6ldkc3uzgh66ss2yc6st288sj. It makes their apps instantly more useful than a standard lightning or eCash wallet that you have to add all your contacts manually, if there's any option to add contacts at all.

In short, I don't think the answer is so much about leaning hard into a niche community, the way BlueSky did, as it is about getting a few of the technical things in place that are still missing, and then adding Nostr to ALL THE THINGS. Nostr is a protocol that can underpin an entire ecosystem of other stuff, and that is what has me most bullish on Nostr.

Currently, NOSTR is a place where bitcoiners can be bitcoiners without being harassed by those that are not onboard with the paradigm shift, yet.

As long as MSM controls the narrative, it's going to be hard for most to make the switch. They want free speech but in a centralized system.

not being able to delete content is a massive barrier to meaningful adoption

Hey let’s talk about it on 7-9 November.

https://surinamedecentralized.com/

nostr:npub1k2knhzfg2epftjm8kppnwh9zp75r08mhdru2jwechx6tj2w3e9hqf2cjkt

Where is the Sybil resistance?

Discovery is probably what needs to be improved on. I find the best content in unlikely conversation.

Maybe we shouldn't use terms like "censorship resistant" and instead say "you can post whatever you want and no one can stop you." Because that's the reality of it, yes? This might be a little misleading but maybe we could also say that you can "make money" off of nostr since a lot of clients have lightning built in. You could also say "hey you can make an infinite amount of accounts on nostr with no workarounds needed." That would also spark people's interest but also turn some away. As far as I know, couldn't we also say that you can post a note that contains volumes of text? I've also seen some nostr streams on noStrudel. I feel like I'm being a little too obvious and shallow here; I haven't really deeply thought about this and this is just my first reaction thoughts.

Zaping is a unique feature

imho, besides framing the positives differently, the technical barrier must be lowered by making it easier to deal with keys and relays.

From marketing point of view, which brand sounds better :

"nostr" or "bluesky"?

"Sure..censorship resistance at the protocol level is a differentiator, but the to the average person, you may as well be talking gibberish"

That sounds familiar to me as a Bitcoiner

"and build a narrative BEYOND the 500 of us that are talking to each other on here."

Nothing else tell me what a failure I am than being a ecosystem of 500 people, but only having 11 followers.😂

yes, yes and yes. I said it a hundred times. #nostr does not need more generic nips. Nostr needs use cases and business models. else it will fail to change anything.

Lets not ask ourself what nostr should be like. Lets just use it and see what happens.

Without censoring ourselves.

Be bold, be brave, be free. ❤️

It's not struggling. It's a time preference thing. The same argument has been talked about Bitcoin. "It's old tech" "It's too slow" "There's faster versions that do better things"

For me Nostr is doing a job and doing it well. This is the problem with transitioning from a consumerist economy to a sound money economy. The mindset is "now, now, now" and that doesn't build quality - it builds quantity. Which will eventually offer nothing productive, and break society.

Nostr is “struggling” because it doesn’t have a CEO basically, and it’s kind of directionless.

Catering to an audience is the “right” step in marketing but not for a global audience.

We should competently solve some problem first.

IMO, Nostr solves the creators problem first: own your audience, monetise, and a second order effect is better content.

But like they say here, opinions are like assholes everyone has one.

Marshall doing big things in NZ nostr:npub1x6fvcfvlxhf8ketd5ga3f28hkwr3m957mcy2z5v3je5vswjgj4cq4x8wfj and nostr:npub16lrdq99ng2q4hg5ufre5f8j0qpealp8544vq4ctn2wqyrf4tk6uqn8mfeq out there in Japan.

From a European point of view (not only the European Union), talking about censorship resistance can be problematic. I talked to some fediverse european users who requires to have filters so that not everything can be said, but also received. These are mostly people who have been at some point bullied or cyberbulllied, and want to have a safe place. #Nostr should also address these kind of regulated areas.

I agree, another angle should be used, because unique feature are note what the public is looking for, only very specific users. The public dislike changes, that's why #bluesky has more traction : it looks like something they already know, and can use right away.

Mastodon was not so obvious to use for beginners, because of the decentraisation. This unique feature completely lose them. I'm not surprised .social server is the largest server. Maybe in the near future the decentralised identity project will help.

So why one should use bluesky over nostr as a mivroblogging service? What are the day to day advantages from UI and UX perspective from one over the other.

And as CARLOS mentionned, there is no one CEO or major personnality to push Nostr forward.

(this is the same problem linux distros had until Redhat and Ubuntu came out with a company behind)

Dont think Nostr is struggling at all merely growing up.

Besides censorship resistance the clear davantage of nostr are #zaps, and they are underutilized. Some version of zaps are going to be the real global town square for the competition of ideas.

Svetski writes. We read.

nostr:note1e8gzpmeum8tqzqg6sjkuxge7v764h9x49n7e000as0x40lpekazqfhwk8f

Great points.

I always thought that the deplatforming of popular people was not only an idealogical selling point but also a giant arbitrage opportunity.

The biggest component would then be having someone with the charisma and energy to onboard that popular content creator and their audience as quickly as possible while the iron is hot.

Not sure who would be a good candidate. Could be a tall order but I think slick UX for normies + talent on the persuasion/onboarding side could go a long way when those opportunities present.

NOSTR isn't struggling, it's just a work in progress. IMHO most interesting and differentiation features are the same user key for all NOSTR application, uncensorability, self hosting of relay and/or client.

Interesting Conversations 🔥🔥🔥🚀🚀🚀 The future is looking bright for #Nostr

nostr:note1e8gzpmeum8tqzqg6sjkuxge7v764h9x49n7e000as0x40lpekazqfhwk8f

You can never be shadow banned, censored or outright banned. If that is not enough, NOSTR is not for you.

nostr and bluesky are like bitcoin and xrp. you don't really need to worry if the fundamentals are on your side

I do agree though that protocols that are actually revolutionary can make entrepreneurs very frustrated

tons of bitcoin startups fill the graveyard, yet the networks keeps growing organically and around the real world value it provides

Nostr doesn't compete so much with Twitter, FB or other social networks, but more with single-sign-on providers such as Google or Microsoft. Using multiple apps with one verified signin. And have a good payment option at the same time. Only without KYC and annoying middlemen. That's the slogan. Twitter is also trying to go in the direction of an “everything app” because it can't grow with only posting notes; Nostr is competing with this. And it has the potential to replace all the big tech with it.

The social media application stands out at the moment, of course, but it's not for everyone. The ecosystem and the other apps need to be pushed more. There are people who have nothing to do with social media but sell things on eBay all day long. Shopstr is a promising candidate. Or # asknostr for Quora-like platforms. And there are more use cases where identity and payment are central.

You know, I got my first high with a Zap, but my second, no less, high with a small freelance gig via Shopstr. I've never done a job so stress-free, fast and straightforward. More of this please!

Bluesky is not the slightest bit censorship resistant because other users can delete your posts simply by blocking you.

CENSORSHIP

Is nostr struggling? I’ve had no issues with it 🤔

I am working on a simple book about #nostr and #v4v and my journey from Tokyo to Riga. A book I can give to for example family and friends so they get it. Because I get so manny times the question but how do you live?🤣

I Got tired of it so that is the mean reason to make this book and who know the Nostr community supports it ✍️ Hope to finish it and share it at Bitcoin Amsterdam 🤙

Bitcoin is friction, Bitcoin only is more friction. The beauty of nostr is that it isn't token dependent, yet so much seems to be Bitcoin only. As much as I love Bitcoin, I think to grow nostr needs to make Bitcoin an option rather than the only choice. This would show case nostr as the open protocol. At the moment it's understandable why people think it is just a web3 token dependent platform.

I really like this conversation.

Somethings I would like to help make general onboarding easier.

Focus on making account creation and security of keys easier and more convenient. I have some thoughts on this. As it is hard for me to onboard a person securely in short and consistent way.

Also some tools for content modification would be useful. Such as image processing. Twitter has it built in. Free apps are full of crap.

And then I think it can become easier to start promoting the eco system to a wider audience through different avenues. Such as a social app. A services app. A media app. Where your profile is yours and follows you.

So in summary. Maybe the benefits need to be up sold more. Not the features.

Benefit of your account and data being yours. And an ability to manage it better than a google account.

Just thoughts. Thanks.

I know the answer to on boarding 1/16th of the population onto btc,LNG,nostr and I'm working on it non stop, I'm struggling to pay my bills and work the 10+ hour shifts required to solo build the code but with in 3-6 months the MVP will be live.

I love when Svetski makes me think

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

100% agree. Will repost with my 2 cents added.

I am doing my part and will keep on doing it but I also believe in patience and organic growth. Nostr will never give people who are addicted to stimulus that X or IG is giving them. They need likes, attention and all that. What is being created here might never be for the masses and I think there is a lot of truth to that. Different society/community is forming on Nostr..very close to Network State vibe. I like it this way. I come here for peace of mind and cool stuff. With enough time it will grow.

Saying that the Nostr is struggling is same as saying that TCP is struggling or Bitcoin is struggling.

In fact, the Nost is now more thriving than ever before

Nostr will remain fringe until it finds either 1) a killer app that caters to a mainstream niche or 2) a large swatch of a mainstream topic moves (not just crossposts) and drags their audience with them.

Gfy

Agree fully

The one response I am getting from people when I talk about Nostr is, “the app doesn’t work well.”

Which can be true on any given day.

Or it’s been months since they last used a nostr client, so they aren’t aware the experience has improved.

We will have to keep reaching back out to people, reminding them it’s a work in progress but improving. More people are coming, more diverse content is popping up, and it’s growing.

We are kind of in this “give it a second chance! Come back!” Phase right now…

"Why Nostr is struggling…"

I don't accept your premise

I find it also odd that everyone embraces a guy that had the most censored platform at times when it needed to be open and he collaborated with the govt on many levels and his excuses are dumb

Nostr embraces him only for the money which is ironic

we need other stuff, just notes won't cut it

I think with Elon's takeover of twitter and the continuing alienation of people, Nostr is at the right place at the right time but I agree that it would be great if it could capitalize on this opportunity more rapidly. The "gradually then suddenly" mantra is not wrong but maybe it is too idealistic.

Apart from the no-brainer to capture as much of the bitcoin crowd as possible and - for lack of a better term - better marketing, two aspects could also be considered:

a) similar to bitcoin's value proposition, not looking at it from a western perspective but thinking about the long term appeal of Nostr to people living under authoritarian regimes. It should be immediately obvious to anyone living under such a regime how Nostr differentiates from Twitter & co in many regards (e.g. doxxing risk from the central authority, shutting down their account because the government said so etc.). Make Nostr better known to those people and maybe we see a rapid rise in participation. I realize many good people like nostr:npub1trr5r2nrpsk6xkjk5a7p6pfcryyt6yzsflwjmz6r7uj7lfkjxxtq78hdpu are working that angle already but could we do more in that direction?

b) that might be controversial but I strongly believe if one could convince a major celebrity to switch to Nostr exclusively from twitter, you will have a big portion of their following joining along. Imagine if Taylor Swift tomorrow declares that she quits twitter and will continue on Nostr! Nostr would immediately gain millions of users. Question is, if/how to convince a celebrity with a strong following to become exclusive? Apart from idealistic arguments, maybe purely financial motivation is needed? I realize this is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way but what if instead of nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m supporting Nostr development work with the next round of money, Swift gets paid $5M to become Nostr exclusive for 3 months? This might have a bigger impact on Nostr' popularity and uptake than anything else.

Not the morally best way to do it and the numbers might be off but I'm more playing devils advocate a bit here for brainstorming reasons.

As Lynn pointed out, 10x the marketing budget nabs 10x the users. Why doesn't Nostr have that kind of marketing budget? Why don't VC's want to back it? Because they have no control here, and that is a feature.

Great thread nostr:nprofile1qqsx45yrjtgm4glklaafgz0z4309gs6cwfja3d99s8rqvlvgagcptpqpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp07002qa. Some very valid points here. At the end of the day the Nostriches are Unimportant! We mean nothing to the world. We are only a small group that understand what nostr:nprofile1qqsrhuxx8l9ex335q7he0f09aej04zpazpl0ne2cgukyawd24mayt8g2lcy6q and the other great minds of this protocol will mean to the future of humanity. And why. Incentive is the key. What is it that drives people to use something? Two of the main forms of "payment" is monetary and recognistion = ego. People like to be heard and recognised. X, Facebook Instagram etc they are all about recognition and some do make some money from it. The social media aspect of #nostr has the oppertunity two democratise this far further than the big existing platforms where one needs to be verified blah blah etc. Anyone can send sats to anyone for what they write. Very much a differenciator. Also #nostr socials are #bitcoin money driven. We should have some interesting times ahead. Let's use this as an opportunity to get people interested in #bitcoin. "Hey you know at #bitcoin thing that is going up. There is a social media platform called #nostr @primal where you can potentially get some #bitcoin really easy". And then of course last but not least they cannot turn it off or hide information from us like youtube. Facebook etc has been doing and stealing our information. At the same time. All this said. I think we need realise that the social media part of #nostr is just scratching the surface of what change it can and will bring to society. We believe at nostr:nprofile1qqsxae3qmkt8jlwmuquu8yualhnn8rcy9vf2kwr22d6rwls93pz4lrspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgqgjwaehxw309ac82unsd3jhqct89ejhxqgdwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkcpfs4xy that we are at the forefront of an internet revolution. The adoption of #nostr based real world adoption is about showing the benefits to society by using the protocol. Simple to implement. Cheap to implement. Data accuracy is 100% and verified. This in turn will give the user more confidance in using it. Also the idea that user is being given control over their own identy and data can be sold as a sence of empowerment. I would say that the world is now very open to that sense of empowerment. Just like bitcoin was launched after the global financial crisis. All the medical and manipulation has readied humanity to be open to these type of ideas of self control and something society would love to embrace. Not everyone straight away but slowly. Look what has been achieved in 15 year with @bitcoin. Our own approach to rolling out the #nostr based #saludprotocol with a real world implementation in partnership with a real world institution. We believe this is key towards proper adoption and simple on-boarding. Understanding the market segment we are working with. As the users are using this technology over time people can learn what they have. How they now are in control and have control over #freewill like nostr:nprofile1qqsgydql3q4ka27d9wnlrmus4tvkrnc8ftc4h8h5fgyln54gl0a7dgspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgqgjwaehxw309ac82unsd3jhqct89ejhxqgkwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejqfny6r0 talkes about. The big message at the end of the day comes down to the fact that we need to focus on what drives humans to do things. Not on what drives just a small group humanity. Again we #Nostriches are non Important. Let's build 🌐#nostr

Getting paid p2p via zaps IS the killer app idea here surely?!

We need more real honest journalism on here…actual news, I would pay subscriptions for good journalism.

And more doers, I want to read more about what people are doing to make their lives better…inspiration and education and again I would happily pay someone a monthly fee for content like that. So ideally it would be able to handle the content being uploaded; multiple pictures and videos. Is that even possible without subscriptions/advertising revenue?

The censorship thing is not what most people care about (that could change of course) but I feel like getting paid p2p via zaps is the killer app idea here?! Anything else is starting from scratch.

We know that earning in Bitcoin is not like earning in Fiat. If just 5-10% of your income is earned via Nostr/Zaps in Bitcoin and you can save that for at least 5 - 10 years those sats will be worth considerably more. Main issue is we live in a debt based society, we’ve been brainwashed to think only about today, people only value the money that can be earned and spent today, it’s hard to change that mentality overnight!

Bitcoin Circular Economies that use the Lightning Network is the biggest draw, and the problem is that the communities that need those structures the most are usually in the locations where Internet bandwidth is lacking or the most expensive per KB. I mean, it still works to transfer value via phone from person to person, but building a large enough network to start to build a monetary foundation for an entire community is a long haul project, not something to be taken lightly or just mentioned in passing.

Nostr being a single global platform where everyone is equal hasn't been seen since the early days of myspace. We need to relearn what a social network is, how it is built, and how it connects to the larger world IRL and economy.

The only issue I have with my Nostr client (primal) is that the refresh is slow ... other than that not bad at all....

I also can't send photos on private messages 😕

I think the strongest incentive for nostr comes from the "own your audience" or better put "own your connections".

This comes from owning your online identity.

Nostr will be the only place where you will be able to build a reputation that lasts FOREVER.

Comms need to be directed towards people with something to offer: Serious content creators, businesses, freelancers, open-source project leaders etc. They have skin in the game as they will ALWAYS lose their hard-earned reputation until they realize, on nostr your connections i.e. your reputation cannot be rugged. Don't waste your time on silly normies with nothing to gain, nothing to lose.

So the message becomes:

"If you start to build your audience on nostr apps you will make compounded gains without the fear of rugpull - Otherwise you will be left behind by people who made that choice earlier.

Sure it takes courage. Sure it takes work to onboard your audience and explain how things work here differently but this is such a small cost compared to the guarantees nostr provides: Your everlasting online identity that cannot be canceled, corrupted or owned by anyone but you."

Time is on the side of builders on nostr.

Agree and disagree. So how does an echo chamber work. Is the first attempt. Which is really how think your thinking. The point of a positive echo chamber is new ideas grow and hopefully flourish. The Meztdow and CPunks among others, was the opportunity to collaborate in a deformed discussion. Best ideas got to the top with critical thinkers. And that brainstormed. The point of open honest conversation is to agree on the smartest ideas. That’s it.

I think the best narrative is interconnection of different apps. You get app with reviews of restaurants from your friends. Highlights of content. Posts and images. You can meet your friends at events.

All these apps use the same identity and social graph.

It's like if Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Medium, Yelp, Meetup, ... used the same backbone.

Organisations are not only talking about Nostr but actually joining Nostr:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/britishblockchain_bba-nostr-socialmedia-activity-7231064694122254336-E65J?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

Agree that censorship resistance is not enough of a feature for the average person to be interested in Nostr. But I disagree that if we can’t capture the freedom money group then we’re SOL. Nostr has more opportunities than freedom perks (although they are important), and I’m personally excited for Nostr to be able to recommend content that’s much more interesting than what’s on YouTube/Tiktok etc..

Escaping the data silos of big tech means that user information and posts across the network can be used and manipulated in new ways. User choice of a specific algorithm is HUGE and I don’t think this should be overlooked. We’re talking about fine tuning parameters so that each time you open the home page of an app, you’re actually interested in most of the content presented to you. Can’t tell you how many times YouTube recommends the same videos over and over, or more clickbait esque videos about how the world is burning and all hope is lost. Customizing your own algorithm means having the ability to filter out a lot of this.

I'm just a user, not a dev, so it's easy for me to say this and feel free to ignore my uninformed position, but... Let it struggle. Good stuff takes time and grows more resilient through the struggle. Seems like Nostr has had great legs already. I don't think we should seek mass adoption because privacy and censorship are not valued in society overall right now - it would be futile - and tricking normies into using it will help in the long run. It won't have mass adoption until those values return, and they won't for a long time or until a critical mass changed their minds. Until Nostr I hadn't used any type of social media for over a decade, and I just felt that Nostr was worthy of my efforts to participate. We have to keep going as the minority.. the 20% to make 80% of the change

nostr:nevent1qqsvn5pqau7dn4spqydgftwryvlx0d2mjn2jelvhhh7c8n2hlsumw3qpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezumt0d5hsygr26zpe95d650m07755p832chj5gdv8yewckjjcr3sx0kyw5vq4sspsgqqqqqqs86f35c

"Collections" work just like bookmarks, but they're visible to others, acting as a human discovery algorithm. The note you zap the most will appear at the top of your collection.

Nostr is more than a Social Network platform. Maybe you wanted to write only about Social media clients and not about the main NOSTR protocol.

nostr:npub1m0str0d7z2ww8rdh20t2n9lx520xjwhaq24p68umqp06wwrwtsnqen40un is working, https://nostrnests.com/ is working, https://nostree.me/ is working and so on.

Nostr is not struggling, Nostr is working but it needs more time

Speak for yourself, I've been doing my thing and I've never used X. I'm streaming str8 goodness in the mornings, get more Indie Web folks by not banging on about money and "owning the libs".

I don't know how many folks here have hobbies outside money? That's a good start.

Each one teach one. No context Phil Collins ftw.

Also just delete X. If you have a following and just disappear, folks might actually get it... eventually. Staying on X only feeds the beast and wastes time.

Nostr is as good as dead as far as growth is concerned. It is and will remain a marginal phenomenon. Nostr will never become more than a Bitcoin nerd niche.

the issue is people are never aware of censorship because they are fundamentally repeaters and if any idea is banned they can never notice it because before they can be punished for repeating it they must first hear it somewhere but they never do since it is banned ...

thus people on every platform believe they have freedom of speech because everyone who realizes there is no freedom of speech on that platform - is banned from that platform ...

all of you loser slaves here are transplants from other slave platforms and honestly have no use for freedom since you can't say anything that would be banned elsewhere anyway ...

only way for NOSTR to be meaningful is to recruit people with the most extreme ideas not accepted anywhere else - for example Pedophilia, Incest and a total ban on religion - including both Christianity and Judaism.

so far only myself, nostr:npub1alykt5h5q5nkuf8rjy8047rah5nzcx9rwje8s9s7n57zdnpyercsxkqzxg and nostr:npub15j8y38lrntthj3gfv5mf03sayp82yace7d0u2y0t4ts278p4nknq2jh56c express ANY ideas that would get us banned from other platforms. the rest of you don't know why you're here.

nostr:npub1acg6thl5psv62405rljzkj8spesceyfz2c32udakc2ak0dmvfeyse9p35c

Well said. With the Telegram ceo arrest, censorship is top of mind for many Bitcoiners.

Seems worth it to pitch them on nostr as many aren’t here and some are using Twitter.

Broadly, the pitch need to be tailored to specific groups of people.

What is the imoortant problem nostr *uniquely* solves for:

Current users?

Many Bitcoiners not on here.

The next (bigger) group of users? Who might hey be and why? Are they eBay people?

What *unmet* need does nostr meet for any group of folks?

Didn't age well, patience is important. The adoption will happen cycles, likely similar to bitcoin.

It's like saying bitcoin is struggling every time the price goes down.

Takes time!

nostr:note1e8gzpmeum8tqzqg6sjkuxge7v764h9x49n7e000as0x40lpekazqfhwk8f

I think direct lightning payments is pretty cool

Normies will get frustrated logging in to a site.

Nostr login is powerful and will be ubiquitous, but it’s not ready.