Nostr Web Client

After signing up to nostr it took me a minute to grasp how awesome it is that my account is *mine* 🤯 and I can choose whatever client I want. I have been trying to suss out which one is right for me. I feel drawn to nostr:nprofile1qqs9xtvrphl7p8qnua0gk9zusft33lqjkqqr7cwkr6g8wusu0lle8jcpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgqgkwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8qunfd4skctnwv46q25rnrm , which I think looks and feels great on iOS and web, but damn I haven’t been able to rule out some of the others yet. I think they each have decent pluses and less apparent minuses. I notice a fair amount of overlapping functionality across them and it seems to be just the implementation or emphasis on certain protocol features that slightly differs from one to the next. I’d be interested in knowing from more experienced users whether there is a real differentiator (e.g. wallet functionality, search/filter configurability, etc.) or whether I should consider this a largely aesthetic decision. ChatGPT would probably make me a feature comparison matrix, but seems like overkill - I dunno.

I understand that the decision is also, to an extent, use case driven, and that not all users have the same use case. The other thing I think probably may matter is that some of these offer an upgrade plan with access to more features. I imagine that could probably be a factor at some point. Finally, it could also be true that the need for “decision” is an illusion because any so-called choice is completely reversible in this context of absolute freedom. Condemned to freedom on nostr. Very Sartrean.

Thoughts?

#asknostr

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Stephenph 2w ago

So I have (and use) both amythest and primal.

Primal: my first client, I think it is slightly closer to twitter in looks and functionality, I like the idea that it gets you up and running (with zaps even) right away. I think it took me about 20 min all told to do my first intro post. I like that there is a web site I can use on desktop. I think that ease points me to the next point...

It seems a bit too easy. I keep expecting the "corporate overlords" to direct my use. I know it is an irrational thought, nostr can not be easily twisted in that direction, but there it is....

Amythest: my client of choice now. Still need to get zaps worked out, and due to some issues with my plans to run my own relay, it is still not totally setup. I like the look and flow a bit better then primal, I also feel more comfortable that it is mine, my config, my feed.

This is not a slam on primal. They did nothing wrong and it is just the personal vibe I get, probably from all my years on various platforms.... Both clients are well done, they offer a good amount of features.

bent 2w ago

Thanks! I had a similar thought when I read Primal’s Ts & Cs, but at the same time I understand how they’re not locking-in ppl in the way my mind is sometimes wont to presume. They have a right to control their servers and capitalize on the market opportunity for premium services etc. I think their privacy policy seems fair, honest, and less restrictive than what one gets from many other corps in daily life.

One premium service is a larger amount of content storage. So this is making me realize that if I want to ensure my content (e.g. photo or video upload) endures without being evicted at some future point then I would need to either upgrade to theirs or some other hosting service with a content distribution network (AWS or whatever). Fair enough. As I understand it, the note events (absent the attached file content) will persist on the nostr relay network as long as I publish to multiple relays for redundancy.

Stephenph 2w ago

My take as well. Which is actually fair, they are putting the time and resources into providing that premium service.

I do tend to lean into what Darth thinks, if you don't controll your own relay and wallet it is all subject to loss, being controlled, etc. it becomes a tradeoff based on how much you value your works....

If I had a feed that was more than "shit posting" or just socializing then I would definitely run my own services. In fact I am working toward that anyway, but for now I am fine with others hosting