What is Nostr?
ShortSimon /
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2024-10-29 19:42:51

ShortSimon on Nostr: Many worry about Nostr's open data being exploited by corporate bots harvesting data ...

Many worry about Nostr's open data being exploited by corporate bots harvesting data for advertisers. But let's think about this - what real value would advertisers actually get from this data?

Nostr clients do not give advertisers any ability to push ads on the users. If they did, then we would all quickly move to another client that treats us with more respect.

There could be nostr users that include ads in their posts, but data collection and analysis is only cost effective when it is done on a large scale. It works for platforms, but not for individual influencers. Also, those who do spam their followers with too many ads? Watch how quickly their audience vanishes as people hit that unfollow or mute button!

Zapvertising - sending promotional zaps with messages under posts - might be the one clever exception. Imagine a VPN provider strategically zapping a video about WIFI security. That's actually pretty smart targeting!

What makes Nostr revolutionary is how it completely flips the script on personal data exploitation. Unlike X and Facebook, where the platforms control your feed and sell access to your attention, Nostr puts you in the driver's seat. You will only see content from people that you follow. Want to fine-tune it further? Clients like Primal let you filter for the content with most engagment.

Discovering new accounts on Nostr happens organically - you see someone interesting shared by someone you trust, and you decide to follow them. It's human-to-human recommendation, not some black-box algorithm pulling strings.

Here's the kicker: your individual data on Nostr is worthless to advertisers because no platform can control what you see. No control means no incentive to collect, analyze, or sell your data. Game over for surveillance capitalism!

Traditional social media platforms optimize for clickbait because it drives their profits. They're essentially dopamine dealers, crafting addictive experiences to maximize their advertising revenue.

Looking ahead, Nostr clients will need sustainable business models. The most likely path? Taking a small cut of zaps sent through their platform. Since people typically zap content they find valuable - whether it's quality, creativity, or education - clients are incentivized to promote genuinely appreciated content. Instead of clickbait, we get quality curation through real user value.

This system rewards merit over manipulation, substance over sensation. That's the Nostr difference!"
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