wtogami on Nostr: #[2] Read-only access for non-paying users is too resource heavy. So locking it down ...

quoting nevent1q…3cx7

I'm beginning to see free read-only from paid relays isn't working. The paid relays are struggling now under read-only load to such a degree that is paid users can't use them. But if relays require private keys to read then a non-custodial personal proxy server would not work until subkey delegation becomes a real thing.

Nostr needs work.

Read-only access for non-paying users is too resource heavy. So locking it down where connection requires authenticating the npub with challenge in order to read would guarantee quality of service.

quoting nevent1q…u0gn

You're on the right track. It need not be custodial for a hosted solution to enable a good experience. Read-only personal proxy could go very far in aggregating and filtering data from relays thereby significantly reducing bandwidth requirements for a client.

Some people already are working on this type of personal proxy.

With subkey delegation and revocation added to the Nostr spec it could be even more powerful without risking the user's main private key.

But requiring the private key for reading from paid relays would break the simplest personal proxy server. These are desired as a way to substantially reduce the amount of data a mobile client needs to download by having your proxy sync from relays and filter on your behalf.

We could have the benefit of both pay-to-read and personal proxies after key delegation and revocation becomes a Nostr standard. We want this anyway to make it easier to keep our master private keys better protected, maybe even offline most of the time.