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@ The Nostr Report
2023-09-03 14:48:16
Happy Sunday #Nostr !
Here’s your #NostrTechWeekly newsletter at the nostr:npub19mduaf5569jx9xz555jcx3v06mvktvtpu0zgk47n4lcpjsz43zzqhj6vzk written by nostr:npub1r3fwhjpx2njy87f9qxmapjn9neutwh7aeww95e03drkfg45cey4qgl7ex2
#NostrTechWeekly is a weekly newsletter focused on the more technical happenings in the nostr-verse.
A lot of foundational work happening in the nostr-verse and quite a bit of new projects shipped this week. Let’s dive in!
## Recent Upgrades to Nostr (AKA [NIPs](https://nostr.com/the-protocol/nips))
#### 1) [NIP 75: Zap Goals](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/757) ⚡
Zapping has been such an integral part of what makes Nostr what it is. Earning for your content or contributions. Zaps for memes. Zaps as a way to boost the signal. It’s a growing concept as well.
NIP 75 was merged this week, with the goal of introducing the ability to set a “Zap Goal” which is similar to a fundraising goal. Users can zap the “goal” event directly and help the progress bar go up. Whatever the cause.
Interesting to see if this will stay simple and decentralized or if this will be the foundation of a GoFundMe type platform via Nostr using exclusively Bitcoin.
Author: nostr:npub107jk7htfv243u0x5ynn43scq9wrxtaasmrwwa8lfu2ydwag6cx2quqncxg
#### 2) (Proposed) [NIP 79: Digital contracts on Nostr](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/755 ) ✍️
Think Docusign, but on Nostr. This NIP would introduce support for various kinds of digital agreement (contracts, covenants, agreements) which serve various purposes.
These agreements would all be unencrypted markdown, so the purpose is likely more for non-secret agreements so that they can be cited by all parties in public.
Author(s): https://github.com/xemuj nostr:npub1gcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqlfnj5z
#### 3) (Proposed) [NIP 34: Improved media attachments to notes](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/751) 📎
Attaching media to notes in a way that is handled well on a majority of major clients is still more of an art than a science and nostr:npub108pv4cg5ag52nq082kd5leu9ffrn2gdg6g4xdwatn73y36uzplmq9uyev6 is determined to introduce a better pattern 💪.
This NIP introduces the pattern of using an explicit set of “media” tags on any note so that media that should accompany the note can be explicitly linked without clients needing to parse the content of the note to make the url of the media in the note a hyperlink.
Author: nostr:npub108pv4cg5ag52nq082kd5leu9ffrn2gdg6g4xdwatn73y36uzplmq9uyev6
#### 4) (Proposed) [Improvements to reddit-style moderated communities](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/753/files?short_path=02bdfed#diff-02bdfed052568bc5843aa40e29a9f24f5a8382d63fc6669d733a19fb952d00b9 ) 💬
This proposed improvement to NIP 72 introduces the concept of a post (within a moderated community) that is exclusively posted to a specific community. Think about posting something that can make the front page of reddit versus a post that is intended solely for a subreddit. Seems like a welcome addition to NIP 72 👍
Author: https://github.com/vivganes
## Notable projects
#### [A nostr Wiki](https://wikinostr.tijl.xyz)
The start of a truly open wiki.
Wikis are used for a lot of things: corporate intranets and documentation, fandoms managing information about their universe, and Wikipedia which may be one of the greatest repositories of knowledge on Earth. The main downside to Wikipedia is that it may be crowdsourced but it is centralized, seeking one version of each article (and therefore determining what is true).
This wiki (in the spirit of Nostr) allows people to create any number of articles on the same subject to offer different perspectives. At scale this could become something where people read various perspectives and determine the truth for themselves.
Author: nostr:npub1q7klm2w94hyq3qdm9ffzpahrrq0qcppmjrapzhz0rq6xgq3fdrnqr6atmj
#### [Oxchat](https://w3.do/ddCnoZeY)
Oxchat is a secure, private group chat experience for iOS and Android with a great UX 🙌.
Nostr needs its own standalone chat app that can stand up to the capabilities and ease of use of Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc. And Oxchat may be that app! Looking forward to using it more.
Author: nostr:npub10td4yrp6cl9kmjp9x5yd7r8pm96a5j07lk5mtj2kw39qf8frpt8qm9x2wl
#### [Nostrnet.work](https://nostrnet.work)
A web-based dashboard for Nostr, it’s a webpage that is a configurable hub for all the Nostr apps you want to have available quickly. You can log in with your Nostr account, and configure it to your liking.There’s a section for managing your profile (including your relays), as well as for taking notes, all of that on top of the list of Nostr apps for quick access.
Nostrnet.work seems to be evolving into almost a web-based browser of the nostr-verse.
You can manage the apps that are on the dashboard Nostrnet.work via the basic/open [app store](https://nostrapp.link/) from [nostr.band](https://nostr.band). There’s endless possibilities for users to discover what Nostr has to offer and use those offerings from one unified interface.
A recent addition to the Nostrnet.Work interface is an area for “Nostr AI'' which is meant to allow users to utilize Data Vending Machines (explored in the Latest Conversations section). Data Vending Machines (or DVMs) are something that I think is unique to Nostr, and it's a product/ecosystem that may be the killer unique offering people come to Nostr to try out.
Author: nostr:npub1cmmswlckn82se7f2jeftl6ll4szlc6zzh8hrjyyfm9vm3t2afr7svqlr6f
#### [w3.do url shortener](https://w3.do/hmL581au)
URL shorteners are a stable web util. In fact,
We started using w3.do because the tool we use to draft/publish this newsletter as a long form note will send Nostr links and embed the note instead of just linking to the note. So a url shortener is enough to trick the tool so we get fewer embeds and more links! Thanks nostr:npub1alpha9l6f7kk08jxfdaxrpqqnd7vwcz6e6cvtattgexjhxr2vrcqk86dsn !
## Latest conversations
#### [Data Vending Machines](https://vendata.io/) (DVMs)
“Data Vending Machines are data-processing tools. You give them some data, a few sats, and they give you back some data.” [source: vendata](https://vendata.io). A practical example is a recent DVM published by Pablo: [FOMOstr](https://w3.do/6HpbXEan). You put up some sats, you’ll get back content on Nostr that you may have missed.
The concept seems to be that people need help from machines. And right now, the most common way for people to get that help is to pay a company for that help (email provider, calendar management, group chats, entertainment, etc).
These are great for more complex digital products, but what if you just have a question? Maybe you just want to generate an image. Or maybe just extract text, and then maybe translate it. These are most efficient as pay-as-you-need-it products. That’s where DVMs shine (on the long tail of needs).
You can put up a certain amount of money and people who have created algorithms or AIs that can accomplish these tasks will compete to do the job for the lowest price (and therefore win the money). This is the foundation of an economy of people who need jobs done and people who want to make income by creating the best DVMs for the jobs people need done.
DVMs that help you discover people and content on Nostr will be a god-send for improving the experience for people using Nostr while maintaining decentralization. This will certainly evolve over time, but it seems this could become an integral part of the Nostr ecosystem as well as become a unique service that can only be found on Nostr (attracting a new set of users).
## Events
Here are some upcoming events that we are looking forward to! We keep a comprehensive list and details of Nostr-related events that we hear about (in person or virtual) that you can bookmark here [NostrConf Report](https://habla.news/nostreport/nosconf)
1. [Nostrasia](https://nostr.world/) Nov 1-3 in Tokyo & Hong Kong
2. [Nostrville](https://www.meetup.com/bitcoinpark/events/292518506/) Nov 9-10 in Nashville, TN, USA
3. [NostrCon](nostr:note1ah9vkqn395rqqqnqpkhzrd2yh9074vhl6gzl2h4rjn2tkdunhksq3ujl3f) Jan 15, 2024 (online only)
## Until next time 🫡
If you want to see something highlighted, if we missed anything, or if you’re building something I didn’t post about, let me know, DMs welcome.
nostr:npub1r3fwhjpx2njy87f9qxmapjn9neutwh7aeww95e03drkfg45cey4qgl7ex2 or nostr:npub19mduaf5569jx9xz555jcx3v06mvktvtpu0zgk47n4lcpjsz43zzqhj6vzk
Stay Classy, Nostr.