A ship is safe in the harbor, but that is not what ships are for.

I asked ChatGPT to “Explain how BlueSky and Nostr are different” and it actually gave a pretty solid answer. Thoughts?

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BlueSky and Nostr are both decentralized social networking protocols, but they differ in architecture, philosophy, and functionality. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Underlying Technology

• BlueSky (AT Protocol):

• Built on the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol), which emphasizes interoperability, data portability, and algorithmic choice.

• BlueSky creates a federated network, similar to Mastodon, where multiple servers can host user data. Users can move between servers without losing their identities or followers.

• Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays):

• A lightweight protocol designed to enable censorship-resistant communication.

• Relays store and transmit messages, but users are not tied to any specific relay. Anyone can run a relay, making the network extremely decentralized and resilient.

2. Governance and Development

• BlueSky:

• Initially funded and incubated by Twitter, with a centralized team driving development.

• Focused on building a polished user experience and catering to broader social media use cases.

• Nostr:

• Open-source and community-driven, with no central organization.

• Development is grassroots, driven by enthusiasts and developers focused on principles like censorship resistance and simplicity.

3. Identity and Authentication

• BlueSky:

• Uses domain names as user handles (e.g., @username.com), allowing for self-hosted identity.

• Relies on federation for user authentication and identity management.

• Nostr:

• Uses public/private key cryptography for identity. Your public key is your ID, and your private key signs messages.

• This approach eliminates reliance on third-party servers for identity.

4. Censorship Resistance

• BlueSky:

• Moderation depends on the policies of individual servers, meaning content can still be censored by server admins.

• Focuses on user control over algorithms but doesn’t prioritize censorship resistance to the extent Nostr does.

• Nostr:

• Designed to be censorship-resistant from the ground up. Messages are signed by the user’s private key and broadcast to multiple relays, making it hard to remove or block content.

5. Ecosystem and Adoption

• BlueSky:

• Aims for mainstream social media adoption, competing with platforms like Mastodon or even Twitter.

• Focuses on building user-friendly apps and features to attract a broader audience.

• Nostr:

• Has a smaller, niche community, primarily consisting of tech-savvy users and Bitcoin enthusiasts.

• Prioritizes decentralized communication tools, with additional use cases like Bitcoin payments and alternative apps (e.g., Nostr clients for chat, blogging, and even marketplaces).

6. Philosophy

• BlueSky:

• Strives for a balance between decentralization and usability, appealing to users who want control over their data without compromising on user experience.

• Nostr:

• Emphasizes maximum decentralization and freedom, even if it sacrifices usability for the average user.

Summary

• BlueSky is a federated social network protocol focusing on interoperability, user experience, and algorithmic choice, with some reliance on centralized servers for moderation.

• Nostr is a simpler, more radical protocol focused on censorship resistance and decentralization, built for users who prioritize control and freedom over polish.

⚠️ Confirmed: Metrics show social media platform Bluesky, a popular X alternative, has been restricted in Pakistan, corroborating user reports of issues accessing the service; Pakistan has imposed a growing number of social media platform bans and is also targeting VPN services

WallStreetBets regards are exhausted from burning cash shorting $MSTR. Meanwhile, #Bitcoin keeps winning. Stay mad, boys.

ROFL

TIL that Jefferson originally wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "we hold these truths to be sacred", rather than "self-evident", which was introduced by Franklin. This is a huge shift in the grounding epistemology of freedom from God-given to nature-given.

This leftist is doing what Bitcoiners have been doing for ages. Gotta love the Keynesian Brainwashing that makes him think this will hurt Trump.

I don’t fear death.

I fear dying for nothing.

I don’t fear life.

I fear living for nothing.

Results are not linear, at least for most things. You put in 3 years into rock climbing and improve a lot. Then you put 3 more in and improve very little. Then you put in another year and you find yourself doing things you didn't dream of doing.

We like linearity. It's put in this much effort, get these predictable outcomes. Put in a little more effort, get a little better outcomes. What dirves us crazy is putting in a lot of effort and not seeing results. It's discouraging if not devastating.

But the world is non-linear and the curve of effort and time vs results is maddeningly unpredictable, so we make artificial linear outcomes. This is why jobs are so popular. They don't require specific outcomes, but pay based on time put in. And why entrepreneurialism is so scary, the results are non-linear.

This desire for predictability is at the heart of why people tolerate fiat money. Central banks promise some level of normalcy in return for continuous theft. Sadly, all that volatility just gets built up until it explodes some place as hyperinflation, war or worse.

So embrace non-linearity. If you're on here in a sense you already have. Bitcoin price is very non-linear and so is post engagement. But embrace it more. Because the wins are worth it and because it's more in alignment with reality.

Getting fluoride out of the tap water is a huge win.

The one that's gonna be hard is getting the anti depressants and estrogen out and all the other gay frog stuff.

That's not added by governments, but from what's getting excreted by the general population.