If you have :Nostr: Nostr:
- Private Groups
Then, you don't need DMs.
Discussion
How are you differentiating mail from dms?
Mail:
- messages going from one sender to receiver(s)
- works on a message by message basis
- no need for a group state
- no need for anyone to be the owner of the communication channel
- ability to not accept replies (and communicate that!)
- ability to set a price on your inbox
- privacy slightly less important
DMs:
- needs a channel of communication (who owns it?)
- privacy vaugueness
Why not just spin up a Private Group for two instead, and leave the option open to get bot npubs invlved etc... ?
Hmmm...
I'm slightly confused, as is usual. 🤣
I don't know what you mean by "a group state."
While there might not be a need for an owner, I would want that ability in a private group so that I could moderate who has read/write privileges.
In a Private group (especially MLS):
- there are clearly defined Admin
- there is a group state, in the sense that if you're not up to date with it, you can't encrypt messages any longer
So it's not really appropriate for one-off communication.
In Big-Tech land, the third party server is the hidden owner of the communication channel between 2 profiles that "DM" each other. Here we don't have that. So either you create a Private Group (with admin etc) or you send one-off messages that, imo, we should better call "Mail".
OK. Yes. That makes sense except for the fact that... Aren't all data packets basically mail, then?
Please don't waste your time on my faffing about with this. I'll understand it eventually. 😅
Sure.
But one is me sending a letter to your mailbox (with a service that relays the letter).
The other is me and you talking a private room, that we both have an access code to, but that ultimately somebody (admin) controls the access codes for.
Hmmm... Yes.
And ultimately, there's a lot of stuff happening in the background to make it work in either case.
Even if it's just a matter of calling DMs "Mail".
It sets up the expectations and use cases, way better.
When you call it "Mail", Nip-17 suddenly sounds a lot more acceptable :winkwithtongue:
I like mail more than DM. It's just a narrative thing I know, but I'm more comfortable with mail as a concept 😅
> just a narrative thing
Narratives are underestimated in Geek-town.
For Shop checkouts, you need mails, not DMs.
For Service updates and billing, you need mails, not DMs.
For sharing MLS keypackages, you need mails, not DMs.
For rich one-off update messages you need mails, not DMs.
Etc...
MLS :pointright: Private Groups
Nip-17 :pointright: Private Mail
Nip-17 honestly just needs a "title" tag and we're :90percent: set.
It has it! Amethyst iirc shows the subject if set. Chachi shows the subject but I need to implement changing it.
:Check: Mail icon = drawn
:Check: First widget = built
https://cdn.satellite.earth/9d4f5c58355718f4764d12a432c333cdc7a53f997be63fa8ff5318bd139fa262.mov
This re-framing got me excited to actually implement Nip-17