Nostr Protocol

So, Nostr is quite a beast.

A beast of a concept, anyway.

It's not a network or an app.

It's a protocol for sharing content, in an apparently uncensorable way.

→🌐🔗What is Nostr?

Taken from a guide website on how to get started with Nostr:

"Nostr stands for “Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays”. Like HTTP or TCP-IP, Nostr is a protocol; an open standard upon which anyone can build. Nostr itself is not an app or service that you sign up for."

I recommend that you explore their website because it has a lot of information on how to set up Nostr. It's not very hard, but it's certainly more involved than we are used to with normal, centralised social networks.

Useful links

What is Nostr?

https://nostr.how/en/what-is-nostr

Nostr Apps .com

https://nostrapps.com/

Currently down.

Nostr App Manager

https://nostrapp.link/

Here's some notes I've written today, going through my own Nostr initiation:

Getting started on Nostr as new type of network

1. Nostr is a protocol of network connectivity. It is not a specific app.

2. You have a Nostr ID. This is how you log in to every app. Keep it secret. Non-negotiable.

3. You should set up a nostr security service. This will keep your Nostr ID (nsec) key and will allow you to manage new apps that try to connect using your Nostr ID. I am using one called Nsec.app. See Nostr security section for setup instructions.

4. Connect to Nostr network apps by pasting your Nostr ID into the login box. Some apps will request you to log in by scanning a QR code or pasting a "bunker" URL instead (provided by security key manager apps like Nsec.app).

5. You can post on the Nostr network with a variety of post types.

Nostr Platform Types

• microblogging — like Twitter, sometimes like Facebook

• images — like Instagram, very similar actually

  • Olas.app — it is currently quite broken.

  • There don't seem to be many purely image-based apps yet — Olas seems to be the only one.

• group chats — looks a bit like IRC, Discord maybe, but probably less featureful. I haven't explored these apps at all yet.

  • Flotilla

Nostr tools

N Sec .app

https://nsec.app/

Security app for storing your sign-in keys and signing you in to Nostr apps.

Alby

https://getalby.com/

But I don't fully understand what this is yet, and it seems to do too many things automatically.

Amber

https://github.com/greenart7c3/Amber/releases

Security key app for Android (& iOS?). I haven't worked out how to use it yet.

Nosta.me

Seems to present your Nostr ID's data, but this site isn't for posting on. It also provides URLs to your Nostr profiles on other platforms, which is useful.

nJump.me

"a HTTP Nostr gateway to browse profiles, notes and relays; to preview a resource and then open it with your preferred client. The typical use of njump is to share a resource outside the Nostr world, where the nostr: schema is not (yet) working."

Nostr apps

App name

Amethyst

Type

Microblogging

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

amethyst.social

Web app

Android app

Google Play — F-droid — Obtanium — Zap.store

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

GitHub site

App name

OpenVibe

Type

Microblogging, cross-platform

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

openvibe.social

Web app

Android app

Google Play

iOS app

App Store

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

Coracle

Type

Microblogging

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

Web app

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

Primal

Type

Microblogging

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

primal.net

Web app

primal.net

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

Iris

Type

Microblogging

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

iris.to

Web app

iris.to

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

GitHub site

App name

NostrMo

Type

Microblogging

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

Web app

web.nostrmo.com

Android app

Google Play

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

Olas.app

Type

Photo sharing

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

olas.app

Web app

olas.app

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

Flotilla

Type

Group chat

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

flotilla.social

Web app

app.flotilla.social

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

Snort

Type

Microblogging

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

snort.social

Web app

snort.social

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

Nostter

Type

Microblogging

Nostr App Manager

Nostr App Manager

Home page

nostter.app

Web app

nostter.app

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site

App name

NoStrudel

Type

All post types?

Nostr App Manager

Home page

nostrudel.ninja

Web app

nostrudel.ninja

Android app

iOS app

Windows app

MacOS app

GitHib site