Oddbean new post about login | logout This is a really important thing for us to keep in mind when we talk about how to make open protocols and open social media. Digital communities can die in many ways, but one of the most common is one person or a small group behaving in an antisocial way and slowly driving everybody out of the space. Nobody wants to put their foot down and tell them to stop posting off topic, or enforce some moderation rules using the platform. So people leave that space to them and drift away. Enforcing rules in a specific space is often seen as censorship. This is a mistake. If I invite you to my birthday party and you get drunk and start yelling in some drunken rant at everybody else in the party, it’s not censorship to kick you out of the party. You’re more than welcome to continue your drunken rants elsewhere, but the birthday party is something i convened and should be able to enforce rules and norms over that space. There’s a time and a place for drunken debauchery but if you do that in the wrong space it’ll ruin the vibe and everybody else will leave. It would be censorship if you were not able to organize your own space on Nostr or elsewhere online, where you couldn’t post and talk to people. nostr:note1hr2zvjfkj6z8cw0xrdrg7vzptntq4rq74krpwqf99ufdphceenfq5em7wz
But #Nostr isn't nostr:nprofile1qqs8d3c64cayj8canmky0jap0c3fekjpzwsthdhx4cthd4my8c5u47spz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qz9rhwden5te0wfjkccte9ejxzmt4wvhxjmcpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wvh8xmmrd9skchd02dz's birthday party. It's more like a van-in for anarchists. Drunken debauchery should be expected. GFY. 🖕 nostr:nevent1qqs93zr3dxgsccl3cc4yy6mp9x252m37etgz7svgc9rz6e4ecxpmeyspz9mhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejj7q3qwmr34t36fy03m8hvgl96zl3znndyzyaqhwmwdtshwmtkg03fetaqxpqqqqqqztuwrvy
Completely agree. Nobody should feel like they have to apologize for creating a curated space with whomever they wish to share it. My one quibble is that effectively it *is* censorship, and we should just own it. Because, unless you're a government compelled to treat its citizens neutrally, I think it's a mistake to treat 'censorship' as if it's a bad word. Of course, the beauty of Nostr is that there isn't just one, nor even just a few, curated (or not) spaces.
the moment rules are imposed, people have to abide. otherwise, you are out. rules and standards are introduced to create harmony (ideally). however, it is in human nature to over step and would test the boundaries to see if the rules are enforceable. In addition, there is always people who will take advantage of the rules, wield it to whoever as it pleases them. hence, so many people do not trust institutions for this very reasons — abuse of power. 💯 understand about the "birthday party" situation. it is your house, your event and you set the rules. If we use this concept to the digital community, I strongly believe it comes down to setting the right expectations. How do we define censorship-resistant? Are we defining it the same way as the others interpret it? If I play devils advocate here, is nostr as a technology promoting censorship resistant is the same as a birthday party — is it the same analogy? Perhaps if it is a group chat then of course, depending on who owns the group will set the standards and rules. So for nostr, who set the standards, who set the rules? isn't we, the community, collectively — the people? this is interesting discussion! ✌️ food for thought worth pondering. ☺️❤️