Nostr feels like it’s trying to be the next Twitter, with its focus on microblogging and short updates. And honestly? I think that’s a bit of a missed opportunity.
What Nostr really needs is to embrace what made Reddit great: community-driven discussions. Reddit’s subreddits allow for deep dives into specific topics, where conversations can evolve over time, and niche communities can thrive. Imagine Nostr with that kind of structure—a place where you can join or create decentralized “subreddits,” own your content, and engage in meaningful discussions without worrying about censorship or your posts getting buried by some opaque algorithm.
Nostr has the foundation to support this kind of platform. It’s already decentralized, so we’re halfway there. But instead of focusing so much on the microblogging style, why not build out features that encourage long-form content, threaded discussions, and community engagement? We don’t need another Twitter clone. We need a space where real communities can grow organically, driven by genuine interest rather than fleeting trends.
Right now, posts from Nostr communities show up in the global feed just like everything else. On the surface, that might seem convenient, but it actually disincentivizes people from participating in communities at all.
Why would anyone bother diving into a specific community if the posts are already out there for everyone to see in the global feed? It dilutes the whole point of having communities in the first place.What makes Reddit successful is the way it incentivizes users to engage directly within specific subreddits.
When you want to discuss a topic in-depth or connect with like-minded people, you go to that subreddit. The content is tailored, the discussions are focused, and you feel a part of something. On Nostr, however, with everything thrown into the global feed, there’s no real reason to spend time in communities, and as a result, they don’t thrive like they could.
Instead of treating communities as just another source of content for the global feed, they should be distinct and valuable spaces where people go to have in-depth discussions. Keep community posts primarily within the communities, allowing them to be discovered by users who are actually interested in that specific content. Sure, some standout posts could reach the global feed, but the focus should be on creating a real reason to visit and engage in these communities directly.
This shift would encourage users to actively participate in communities, fostering the kind of deep, meaningful engagement that Reddit is known for. Nostr has the potential to be more than just another microblogging platform; it can be a place where real communities grow, discussions flourish, and users feel a strong connection to the content and people they interact with.
But oh well