NOSTR is not a platform.
It’s not controlled by any person, corporation or government.
It’s FREE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE.
No censorship. No ID. No surveillance. No algo.
Just Freedom of Speech
This morning, I launched Primal and my account was disabled.
I then logged into Nostr using the Amethyst client (W for decentralization) but still can't access any media hosted on Primal's media server (including my own PFP) which is the default media server for both Primal and Amethyst.
So, I've effectively been censored on Nostr.
I can still see and post notes (sans images and video, for the vast majority of notes). I also can't upload media because the only option other than Primal's blossom is NIP95, which doesn't work for most images (file size too large).
Also, my understanding is that Primal's "mystery cache server" isn't open source. I knew this, but used Primal anyway because they provide the best UI/UX. I even defended their use of closed source media servers, mostly because I appreciated their work.
I obviously threatened somebody at Primal by (respectfully) promoting Pubky.app - which is understandable, given that Pubky's technical architecture is obviously superior.
I wasn't being super obnoxious or anything, as evidenced by the fact that I gained a lot of followers after I started talking about Pubky.
That person(s) had enough centralized control over the Nostr protocol to nuke my Primal account and nerf my Amethyst and overall Nostr UX.
Given the above, you may want to reevaluate your assessment that Nostr isn't centrally controlled. I thought the same thing until this morning. I didn't even consider the possibility.
The same goes for free speech. Apparently, promoting other decentralized tech stacks isn't tolerated by whoever has that level of control over Nostr. Note: Elon doesn't nuke accounts that promote Nostr on X.
Pubky.app fixes this BTW, which is why I'm so hyped about their recent release of a stable and decentralizable technology stack. It has a better UI/UX, better DX, novel features, and no lagginess or missing notifications. Most importantly, the Pubky protocol enables a true, credible exit.
Their 2026 roadmap includes new apps, new features, new user superpowers, and integration of a parallel Bitcoin economy (a.k.a "Atomicity"). Atomicity will make zaps look like a silly gimmick.
Pubky Ring is really cool too. It provides a streamlined onboarding UI/UX that enables app authentication without exposing your private key(s).
Also, builders are starting to take notice and vibe coding cool apps - sometimes within 30 min of somebody pitching the idea. For example, you can now generate vanity public keys with a single terminal command.
Most importantly, the effective censorship that I experienced today on Nostr/Primal would have been impossible if my data had been on a Pubky homeserver. I could have just updated my PKARR and my account's full functionality would have been immediately restored.
[Note: I have no association with Pubky.app and no financial or social incentives to promote it. I'm just passionate about (true) decentralized, permissionless and open source software technologies. I sincerely believe that the Pubky tech stack is the only protocol that has real potential to compete with the big tech oligopoly.]
I then logged into Nostr using the Amethyst client (W for decentralization) but still can't access any media hosted on Primal's media server (including my own PFP) which is the default media server for both Primal and Amethyst.
So, I've effectively been censored on Nostr.
I can still see and post notes (sans images and video, for the vast majority of notes). I also can't upload media because the only option other than Primal's blossom is NIP95, which doesn't work for most images (file size too large).
Also, my understanding is that Primal's "mystery cache server" isn't open source. I knew this, but used Primal anyway because they provide the best UI/UX. I even defended their use of closed source media servers, mostly because I appreciated their work.
I obviously threatened somebody at Primal by (respectfully) promoting Pubky.app - which is understandable, given that Pubky's technical architecture is obviously superior.
I wasn't being super obnoxious or anything, as evidenced by the fact that I gained a lot of followers after I started talking about Pubky.
That person(s) had enough centralized control over the Nostr protocol to nuke my Primal account and nerf my Amethyst and overall Nostr UX.
Given the above, you may want to reevaluate your assessment that Nostr isn't centrally controlled. I thought the same thing until this morning. I didn't even consider the possibility.
The same goes for free speech. Apparently, promoting other decentralized tech stacks isn't tolerated by whoever has that level of control over Nostr. Note: Elon doesn't nuke accounts that promote Nostr on X.
Pubky.app fixes this BTW, which is why I'm so hyped about their recent release of a stable and decentralizable technology stack. It has a better UI/UX, better DX, novel features, and no lagginess or missing notifications. Most importantly, the Pubky protocol enables a true, credible exit.
Their 2026 roadmap includes new apps, new features, new user superpowers, and integration of a parallel Bitcoin economy (a.k.a "Atomicity"). Atomicity will make zaps look like a silly gimmick.
Pubky Ring is really cool too. It provides a streamlined onboarding UI/UX that enables app authentication without exposing your private key(s).
Also, builders are starting to take notice and vibe coding cool apps - sometimes within 30 min of somebody pitching the idea. For example, you can now generate vanity public keys with a single terminal command.
Most importantly, the effective censorship that I experienced today on Nostr/Primal would have been impossible if my data had been on a Pubky homeserver. I could have just updated my PKARR and my account's full functionality would have been immediately restored.
[Note: I have no association with Pubky.app and no financial or social incentives to promote it. I'm just passionate about (true) decentralized, permissionless and open source software technologies. I sincerely believe that the Pubky tech stack is the only protocol that has real potential to compete with the big tech oligopoly.]
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