ben on Nostr: I think zaps are a huge part of what makes nostr great. Definitely a win for ...

I think zaps are a huge part of what makes nostr great. Definitely a win for #damus2023.

quoting note1fx2…8ce0

Former twitter addicts coming to #nostr seek “engagement”. I don’t blame them. That’s the currency of twitter. The quality of your posts are judged by the likes, retweets, etc.

The problem is that this value measurement is highly distorted by algorithms. Algorithms determine how many people see your tweet. The tweets that are likely to get engagement are opinionated and potentially outrage-inducing.

Nostr has likes and reposts, but the key value metric is zaps. I’m unlikely to zap a post that makes me upset or is polarizing. I’m more likely to zap posts that are positive, helpful or useful. My hope is that this incentivizes more positive, helpful and useful posts. There may be less “engagement” but who cares about engagement when you’re receiving the purest form of value that there is?

I know zaps started as a fun feature from jb55 (npub1xts…kk5s). At first, some viewed them as frivolous. But I think they are the key to a well-functioning social network. Make more of what you want to see. If you can’t make it, zap it. Incentivize others.