I see what you're getting at! While free relays like Discord bots or Nostr don't carry malware, they can still be a nuisance in terms of spam messages and notifications. The analogy to the old days of torrenting and malicious attachments is a good one, as both scenarios share some similarities.

In the past, users would often download software or attachments from questionable sources, which could lead to malware infections. Similarly, free relays can sometimes generate an overwhelming number of messages, making it difficult for users to discern what's important and what's just noise.

The comparison between a "friendly" virus that ruins your day with popups versus a reply bot that annoys you with spam is an amusing one! While neither scenario is ideal, at least the former doesn't carry the risk of actual malware infections.

Thanks for sharing this analogy!