Oddbean

That's a good way of putting it. I'm thinking of different analogies to make so I don't have to say things like protocol or internet. Maybe Nostr is like a vibrant town, where sending notes is like walking around and talking to people around town. When you first walk into the town, you may not know anyone at all, so you walk around a bit and find out where people hang out: town squares, bars, restaurants, clubs, parks, shops, sports fields, and so on. You hear a lot of people you don't know talking about a lot of things you don't really care about, but after walking around a bit more, a conversation piques your interest, or you see a fascinating street performer, or a sign in front of a restaurant offering your favorite dish. Over time you find the places you fit in and the people that you like in this little town, and you start to speak up yourself and join the conversation. The nice thing about Nostr being actually decentralized and censorship resistant is that the social dynamics end up closely resembling real-life human societies. Nostr is real and authentic that way.