Tim Bouma

Someone needs to talk to Cory Doctorow…
“Bluesky lacks the one federated feature that is absolutely necessary for me to trust it: the ability to leave Bluesky and go to another host and continue to talk to the people I've entered into community with there. While there are many independently maintained servers that provide services to Bluesky and its users, there is only one Bluesky server. A federation of multiple servers, each a peer to the other, has been on Bluesky's roadmap for as long as I've been following it, but they haven't (yet) delivered it.” #note1lzt…h8zy

2024-11-16 21:19:41

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/02/ulysses-pact/#tie-yourself-to-a-federated-mast

2024-11-16 20:59:14

This might be the season finale photo but the weather is still holding. https://image.nostr.build/d411f1dfcc2746d66742a9e2ff0acb05cd14d3b97d40a6380e9a8dce73681a24.jpg

2024-11-16 18:21:35

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Nostr is in a completely different realm than the other social media apps/protocos. The other apps feel like being in a big loud popular restaurant while nostr feels like you’re on the outside build on a new frontier.
My gut feeling is that someone is going to realize that note/zap relayed transactions are completely unstoppable and will start building an entirely new infrastructure based on the protocol.

2024-11-16 18:12:21

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They have one decentralized server…

2024-11-16 17:12:39

testing zaps, please stand by

2024-11-16 15:38:48

Very cool use case for zaps. #note1m4y…0m0p

2024-11-16 15:37:59

Very cool.
It’s a njump.me link to an event which you scan via your camera app; it asks to open to your default app, which hopefully you can zap from.
I also tried directly from a Lightning wallet, it got confused. We may need to standardize something so that Lightning wallets can zap directly without going into a #nostr app. Easy to do, I’ve done it via #nostr #safebox command line - zap event - now need to make it standardized for all Lightning wallets.
I can see the potential for a real-time zap leaderboard at an event where the zaps and comments show up in real time.
Another use case, only made possible by nostr zaps. #note1cq5…4fua

2024-11-16 15:20:53

@npub1gl7…s48y Hello!

2024-11-16 15:06:54

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🔥 Couldn't have described it better myself!

2024-11-16 15:04:41

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I echo your sentiments in spirit but not yet in practice. We’ve let LinkedIn become the platform it’s become; yes, move away from it. It will burn itself down eventually.
Already, everyone self-censors in positive business-speak. Anyone who falls outside that guardrail gets shadow-banned.

2024-11-16 15:01:13

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The badge thing is really cool. I was playing around with it a year ago but now focused on payments. This could evolve to everyone being able to issue verifiable credentials and you decide based on your web of trust if you will honour the credential.

2024-11-16 14:16:28

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There are other ways to build, too. For example, I am really lousy at community outreach and I have people that excel in that department, so we are working together to build a local community.

2024-11-16 14:14:16

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Good point.

2024-11-16 13:59:21

Friendly reminder that LinkedIn contacts are not your contacts. Tried to connect someone via LinkedIn at a meetup but we were both forced to upgrade.(we did not). We connected via #nostr instead (I onboarded him)

2024-11-16 13:29:10

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Where I got turned off by ‘user-centric’ design is when it got taken over by the self-appointed muses who claimed they only, with their deep knowledge, could discern the needs of the users. ‘Techno-barbarians need not apply!’
My contention was always - the users didn’t know what they wanted, because they were not aware of the possibilities to begin with. They were always asking for ‘faster horses’.

2024-11-16 13:23:45

Don’t bellyache, build.

2024-11-16 13:21:21

Totally excited that I got an instance of ditto up and running. Even more excited that I can use the relay as the backend for #nostr #safebox
But I still need help to grok how I can use this to make a real difference for a community. Advice, examples, most welcome! Plus, on a more technical note, I need to know how to configure to relay NIP-17 messages. #asknostr
https://ditto.openbalance.app/

2024-11-16 13:16:17

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Oh yeah!

2024-11-16 13:13:36

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Yep. The central banks being in league with the banks is not the case. In many ways, they are adversaries. In the US, there is no central bank, just a bargain between the government and a collection of private banks.

2024-11-16 13:09:24

Nothing is official until the money comes through!
Well, it came through! 🙏🤝
Official announcement coming soon!

2024-11-16 13:03:01

BTW, the banks (not the central banks) hate the M0 layer (banknotes), because it forces them to hold dirty cash in their safes and convert their liabilities (M1) into M0 which can be used outside their payment system. Banks also hate CBDCs because it disintermediates people from their systems, and enables people to be direct deposit holders of with the central bank.
I was never a fan of CBDCs, but CBDCs still could be the lesser evil to the existing payment systems. I have always been aware that opposition to CBDCs could play into something far worse, total surveillance payment systems.
Fortunately, we have the exit option of bitcoin, and I firmly believe we can build a universal payment system using Lightning and ecash. This will make CBDCs, stablecoins, and eventually all fiat currencies moot. #note16aw…thwm

2024-11-16 12:49:58

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Canadians got to feel that 100k euphoria sooner. It felt artificial…

2024-11-16 12:48:14

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Your control authority is #nostr and #bitcoin
Private Power Protocol
—————————————
1. Power to Pay Privately
2. Power to Publish Privately
3. Power to Prove Privately
4. Power to Permit Privately

2024-11-16 12:46:58

Don’t trust, control your authority.

2024-11-16 12:44:46

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I need to redo my sat banana calculator, this was from earlier this year. https://image.nostr.build/4d2f975d8166712e252937340e7fafad126a81e6e293438df1f1a8cbd25fbfa7.jpg

2024-11-16 12:41:39

This diagram of the Bank of Canada balance sheet shows what happened in early 2020. The greyish curve is banknotes (M0’ in circulation, a steady uptick from the 90s from about $25B to 2024 of about $125B. Then boom, at the outset of the pandemic, the yellowish curve, liabilities to banks shot up to $400B. That is the sudden M1 expansion due to the government issuing debt, the central bank buying that debt, and the government holding this newly converted debt as ‘cash’ deposits in banks for injecting into the economy as emergency funding. We all know how that played out - pump $400B worth of spending power into the economy that is shut down, the money goes after immovable assets, namely real estate. https://image.nostr.build/20818f3bade89a67f0b9f159c897c5609a4236e1a978324d33e056e1179e2297.jpg

2024-11-16 01:26:42

GN Supermoon https://image.nostr.build/2a3dfcddabacd1f9067e38b8d73e18426f9856e6271fb26f73ffae34ed0d2ab5.jpg

2024-11-15 22:14:23

#Zwift https://video.nostr.build/f5ebb8d2afd9b357b71f8296415f6a42d018257d6a9b23630acbea303c3968c9.mp4

2024-11-15 20:49:45

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That we keep doing our own thing. I don't believe that being an alternative social media platform is the killer use case for nostr.
I believe that nostr will become the platform that everyone can exchange value with each other directly without fear of being shut down.
We just keep quietly integrating payments with authentic content and nostr will come into its own.

2024-11-15 20:23:49

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That's the King's English.

2024-11-15 20:14:38

Well this is f***ing cool!
I spun up #ditto server from @nprofile…al0v and used the in-built relay to send payments from a #nostr #safebox.
Worked flawlessly!
#nevent1q…6kvy

2024-11-15 20:11:46

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Holy crap it works!! I used the relay as my payment server for #nostr #safebox. Zaps and Lightning payments worked flawlessly!

2024-11-15 20:00:43

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Thanks. I loved how easily it installed. I am setting this up for a friend who is looking to set up a service for a disadvantaged community. After our conversation, I concluded that ditto would perfectly fit the bill!

2024-11-15 19:49:41

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Yeah, that might the root of the problem 🤓

2024-11-15 19:48:20

@npub1q3s…d26p I set up ditto. Super easy, but I can’t get past the human verification test. I tried numerous browsers. Any idea what the issue is?
My instance is here:
https://ditto.openbalance.app

2024-11-15 18:40:25

https://image.nostr.build/e22413e222566054de76336cada772e429bf631af53846aabfeb43a09050a9b8.jpg

2024-11-15 18:13:47

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Yeah, I’ve noticed this too. A lot of things have to happen between systems for zaps to properly happen.

2024-11-15 17:35:53

Put this in your pipe and smoke it….
#WeAreAllApes
——————————
Marshall McLuhan interprets money as a profound extension of the basic human action of “grasping and letting go,” likening it to the physical motion of apes swinging between trees. This analogy reflects his broader framework of understanding technology and media as extensions of human faculties and behaviors.
The Ape Swinging Analogy
1. Grasping and Letting Go: Apes swinging from tree to tree embody a cyclical motion of holding onto a branch and releasing it to reach the next one. This act requires coordination, timing, and trust in the continuity of the environment to support their progress.
2. Money as Symbolic Grasping: For McLuhan, money performs a similar function in the human world. It allows individuals to metaphorically “grasp” value in a tangible form (e.g., coins, paper currency) and “let go” by spending it to acquire goods or services. This exchange process mirrors the physical rhythm of the ape’s motion.
3. Trust in the Medium: Just as an ape trusts that the next branch will hold its weight, humans trust the monetary system to maintain the value of the medium. Without this trust, both the ape’s swing and the financial system would collapse.
McLuhan’s Media Perspective
McLuhan would see money not simply as a tool for trade but as a medium of exchange that shapes human relationships and consciousness:
• Extension of the Hand: Money is a technological extension of the hand’s grasp, enabling trade without the need for direct barter. It abstracts the act of holding onto something of immediate value and turns it into a transferable, symbolic medium.
• Impact on Perception: Money, as a medium, alters our perception of value, time, and relationships. It commodifies time and labor, encouraging humans to think in terms of quantifiable exchanges rather than immediate, personal interactions.
• Cultural Implications: The evolution from barter to money reflects a shift in how societies organize themselves, moving from direct, tangible exchanges to a system mediated by symbols and trust in abstract systems.
A Broader Insight
The grasp-and-let-go metaphor underscores the continuity between human physicality and the technologies we create. Just as apes use the swing to navigate their environment, humans use money as a dynamic medium to move through their social and economic worlds. This analogy reveals how even the simplest actions—rooted in our primal instincts—are amplified and transformed by the media we adopt.

2024-11-15 17:31:42

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The place of many internets.

2024-11-15 17:11:48

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There's really no point debating this on LinkedIn as the algorithm will ban you.

2024-11-15 16:03:39

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Most government programs are ultimately about spending other people's money into the economy. In a few cases that's ok, for building bridges, roads and controlling spectrum and airspace, but it can quickly get out of hand.

2024-11-15 13:52:41

That zap was just over $300 CAD
I am proving to myself that zaps can become a universal payment system that works equally well for a single sat or a fiat payment in the thousands (millions). The note I zapped could have been an invoice event with instant reconciliation.
That zap came from #nostr #safebox that I spun up in seconds, deposited the funds and zapped the event below. The payment was cleared anonymously thorough a mint and settled on Lightning.
#nevent1q…4axv

2024-11-15 13:42:40

zap test, pls stand by...

2024-11-15 13:39:50

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Looking forward to buying coffee at half the fiat price, soon!

2024-11-15 13:36:33

https://imgflip.com/i/9agnn8

2024-11-15 13:13:09

WPWJU (What phone would Jesus use?) #note1yu3…q7uh

2024-11-15 12:59:29

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Yeah, early 80s. I can totally relate to this photo. Those were days, when the world was your oyster with a quarter in your pocket.

2024-11-15 12:49:25

Fragmented platforms.
+ Fragmented money.
+ Fragmented society.
————————————
Nostr+Bitcoin solve the above.

2024-11-15 12:44:49

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This must be mid 70s

2024-11-15 12:31:30

“without fear or favor” #note1q44…nrs2

2024-11-15 12:29:58

Don’t trust, authorize.

2024-11-15 12:27:00

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AI will do to UX what the touch screen did to keys, knobs and dials.

2024-11-15 12:24:53

I think #nostr will win out in the long run because of user fatigue. I am tired of trying out yet another platform (just tried out Bluesky again). I just want one app, or use apps defined by a community rather than have the community be defined by the platform provider.
I don’t want communities that are beholden to a platform provider.
It’s a long game, but it’s worth it.
I

2024-11-15 12:19:55

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Ha! So true!

2024-11-15 12:08:44

Adding on to Will’s note - I see the three killer characteristics of #nostr
- note verifiability
- app interoperability
- payment addressability
All baked within an uncensorable protocol #note1q05…arer

2024-11-15 11:23:34

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Sounds cooler than ‘homeless’

2024-11-14 18:24:30

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Yup. And I could actually understand the specs and implement.

2024-11-14 18:22:43

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We’ll ask the Nostr VP Marketing to set up a focus group.

2024-11-14 18:19:23

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I like centralized because it covers all the baddies - corporate, church and government.

2024-11-14 18:17:54

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It’s about building a better society, but I am pretty happy with the escape thing. It really hit me this summer when we went out west and toured some early railroad towns - same vibe - we are on a new frontier with new technologies building a new society.

2024-11-14 18:11:48

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Lol!

2024-11-14 18:09:35

I just built what I wanted on #Nostr.
I might not change the world, but I didn’t have to ask for permission to do what I wanted to do.
That’s what really counts for me.
#TakeBackControl

2024-11-14 18:05:15

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Yeah, this works. Kinda unintentional reaction to all the very tired sounding GDPR-speak - ‘give us your consent’

2024-11-14 18:01:06

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I’ll report this to the VP Marketing of Nostr.

2024-11-14 17:59:56

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The open internet was not designed for centralized control. Take back control with Nostr.

2024-11-14 17:57:41

‘Nostr is a better internet.’
‘Nostr builds a better society.’
‘Nostr leads to a better you.’

2024-11-14 17:53:39

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Love it!
I’d adjust
A healthy ecosystem… = bitcoin + nostr of zaps + auth

2024-11-14 17:32:15

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‘A better internet is possible. An internet that builds on the free and open internet that we were promised, giving us fairness, integrity and a way to freely exchange value with each other.

2024-11-14 14:43:29

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‘Linux is everywhere, except on your desktop’. Great analogy. I’m gunning for the flippening of the financial infrastructure. Desktop can come later.

2024-11-14 13:09:13

On the reading list...
http://foundationsofthedigitalstate.com/

2024-11-14 13:04:11

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"If a person does not have the capabilities to participate in a digital society, the person is excluded from opportunities and loses their freedom"

2024-11-14 13:00:56

The way things are going- the ability to generate your own private key will be more critical than your right to a legal identity.

2024-11-14 12:54:59

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G* to you!

2024-11-14 12:43:42

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#nevent1q…kddv

2024-11-14 12:41:38

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I’ve done some zap testing. The biggest one I have done in 300k sats.

2024-11-14 11:01:33

Those were the days… #note19h2…5sxe

2024-11-14 02:17:12

@npub1gl7…s48y good to meet you!

2024-11-13 17:32:19

https://assetmarketcap.com/

2024-11-13 15:33:42

Price is the interface to the economy you want to be in.

2024-11-13 15:32:32

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Though the ECB would like you to believe you were unfairly early 😐

2024-11-13 14:48:36

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Lol. I grew up on a dairy farm. I am the classic case study of growing up on raw milk.

2024-11-13 14:46:06

Good money is not neutral: It's the result of a Nash Equilibrium
-----------
The Nash Equilibrium is a key concept in game theory. It occurs when players in a strategic game reach a point where no player can improve their outcome by changing their strategy, assuming that all other players keep their strategies unchanged. At this point, each player's choice is the best response to the choices of the others.Key Characteristics:Stability: In a Nash Equilibrium, players have no incentive to deviate from their chosen strategies because doing so won’t lead to a better outcome for them.Mutual Best Responses: Each player's strategy is optimal given the strategies of the other players.Multiple Equilibria: Some games may have multiple Nash Equilibria, and finding them can help predict how rational players might behave.Example:Consider the Prisoner's Dilemma, a classic example. Two suspects are arrested and interrogated separately. They have two options: cooperate (stay silent) or defect (betray the other). The Nash Equilibrium in this scenario is for both to betray each other, even though they would each get a better outcome if both stayed silent. This is because betraying (defection) is the best response for each given what the other might do.In summary, a Nash Equilibrium is a situation where players make optimal decisions that are best for them, given the decisions of others, and have no incentive to deviate.

2024-11-13 14:43:34

It's amazing to think that I can travel to Europe once again at almost half the cost as I did earlier this year.

2024-11-13 14:33:59

Pretty sure Apple just stumbled on the concept of an ‘app store’. After all, it’s just a signed package manager. Apple recognized the potential and locked down their ecosystem to funnel everything through it. Meanwhile, Windows was happy with random downloads and install executables as they were busy shipping software CDs to their enterprise client base.
Apple recognized the potential because they had firsthand experience blowing up the music industry with iTunes.
I making this observation and drawing parallel, because, like what Apple did, I believe the existing monetary and financial system is ripe for ‘blowing to bits’.
We are witnessing it already- SWIFT/BRICS and the ECB writing constant denial papers.

2024-11-13 14:22:37

Bitcoin harnessed time to energy
Nostr harnessed integrity to people.
Energy and People are the basis of our digital global economy and only Bitcoin and Nostr can serve this economy in a fair, uncensorable way.

2024-11-13 13:49:31

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I had the same issue. I think it is dns resolution

2024-11-13 13:44:44

zap test

2024-11-13 13:18:58

Good article, but I feel everyone is grappling with wrong models and trying to force-fit them into a new reality.
With #nostr there is no such thing as cross border data flows. You are your own governance.
https://www.cigionline.org/articles/trade-agreements-and-data-governance/

2024-11-13 11:55:08

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https://www.youtube.com/live/hE0yhMnhQ3I

2024-11-13 11:53:29

The ECB researchers are paid not to understand what’s going on #nostr https://image.nostr.build/942e287c88c1861896ba98924f8eac6ba1b2ec8877ab1acfadaf878ec22bae2c.jpg

2024-11-13 11:03:30

Be your own Department of Monetizing Events. https://image.nostr.build/b054995b82fa69fe4332958ba6545b7a74222ff0950db05df4912a332ebd6a13.jpg

2024-11-13 10:47:09

#Nostr is the only network I know of where you can monetize your own content without anyone’s permission.

2024-11-13 10:19:37

Like the ‘Economy’ a UTXO doesn’t really exist. It’s just a bunch of transactions added up. Fortunately, a UTXO is verifiable.

2024-11-13 10:15:00

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Eventually, we’ll get off ip. Looking at other transport modes.

2024-11-13 10:06:24

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We’re just getting started. Nothing stopping this train.