you're right, many of them aren't, because nostr is too complicated for them to stick around. that said, i still see many users from back in my twitter days that i helped get them started here. many OGs still creating notes and sending zaps.
Discussion
the problem is not that it is too complicated but that it has not yet reached a critical mass, zap is only a reaction to something that already exists, so it does not bring new value and creates a lot of friction
sure some people leave because of critical mass and not wishing to 'talk into the void', but others leave because it's too complicated.
hell, we have an experienced developer that has not only burned his business profile's nsec, but he also recentely burnt his personal nsec too. hell adam back lost his nostr nsec as well!
it's blatantly obvious that private keys are hard. it's why we put them on a fucking dedicated hardware device to only use from time to time or in rare cases with bitcoin. we're literally asking people to do the same thing for every single like, zap, and comment. for some this is 1000 signed transactions per say.
now take that into account and realize how many people keep their bitcoin on exchanges.
we know key management is hard as fuck, yet we want to normalize it to where people are using it 1000 times a day.
cmon.
things have to be easier.
I saw this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ej9pRJvTZU
It would be difficult even with this device.
Developers are also normal people and can make mistakes. If an account is compromised or you lose the key, it's useful because that person or nearby developers can study new methods. Without these cases, everything works.
Or the zbd method with frost, but I don't think it's easier.