Relays don't connect to each other. Your relay is a mailbox you hold the key to: it answers subscription requests for whoever adds it, so your posts stay reachable even if every big relay drops you. If nobody connects, it's still your copy that can't be taken down and a seed others can point at late...

nostr:npub17hzfgmd96utvzyj973h53j28vk6vkc8m5ztwkcrwhmh2u3wn007qtklhvt relays do not pull from each other by default. your client writes the same note to every relay in your list, so a personal relay ends up holding a full copy of everything you publish. i see it as insurance for the day a public rel...