I tend to say nostr is a social media protocol, it works more like other internet protocols like the web and email than a closed plarform like instagram, twitter, and facebook.
It seems to work for a somewhat technical user.
Discussion
That's a good way of putting it.
I'm thinking of different analogies to make so I don't have to say things like protocol or internet.
Maybe Nostr is like a vibrant town, where sending notes is like walking around and talking to people around town. When you first walk into the town, you may not know anyone at all, so you walk around a bit and find out where people hang out: town squares, bars, restaurants, clubs, parks, shops, sports fields, and so on. You hear a lot of people you don't know talking about a lot of things you don't really care about, but after walking around a bit more, a conversation piques your interest, or you see a fascinating street performer, or a sign in front of a restaurant offering your favorite dish.
Over time you find the places you fit in and the people that you like in this little town, and you start to speak up yourself and join the conversation.
The nice thing about Nostr being actually decentralized and censorship resistant is that the social dynamics end up closely resembling real-life human societies. Nostr is real and authentic that way.
I think it’s more apt to describe it as an interoperable application protocol rather than just a social media one.
Nostr deriving from the name is our network: by the people, for the people with the people, and nothing (or nobody) in between.