There will be ads on Nostr, but the attention they get will be earned. This WSJ article explains how Duolingo takes this approach on TikTok.

Why Duolingo Has Replaced Many TV Ads With Free TikTok Posts — The Wall Street Journal

The language-learning app now relies more on memes—helping it climb to 20 million daily active users

(That will be my approach for ads as well - put out advertising content people like well enough to follow & share).

Misinformation can cause financial meltdowns… https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/us-banks-rethink-social-media-threat-not-marketing-tool-2023-05-18/ Freedoms come at a price. The question is how to get the most freedom for the smallest price… (and not just have it be freedom for a few). Obama used to say he tried to look two steps out at possible consequences… That’s probably a good thing. But it’s a balance - it’s about acknowledging the downside and saying the benefit is worth it.

What’s with the idea around here that experts aren’t important and don’t need to be consulted? If I wanted Amateur Night I’d walk 2 blocks and go to the Apollo… SMH…

WSJ: "Google Fined by Russia for Failing to Remove LGBT Content"

Google Fined by Russia for Failing to Remove LGBT Content — The Wall Street Journal

The $39,000 penalty also covers the search engine’s failure to take down material on Russia’s war effort in Ukraine

> "The $39,000 penalty also covers the search engine’s failure to take down material on Russia’s war effort in Ukraine…" Who are they going to fine when Nostr fails remove pro-LGBT / pro-Ukraine content?

Just wait until they hear about Nostr! BBC: "Vietnam to crack down on anonymous social media accounts"

Vietnam to crack down on anonymous social media accounts

It's the latest in a series of restrictions imposed by the Vietnamese government on social media users.

> "Unverified accounts on both local and foreign social media platforms such as Facebook must comply with the new regulations." > > "It is unclear how the new measures, expected by end-2023, will be enforced." > > "Laws requiring tech firms like Google and Facebook to store users' data locally were also passed in 2022."

## "LGBTQ+ journalists face high levels of abuse in UK, study finds"

GAY TIMES

LGBTQ+ journalists face high levels of abuse in UK, study finds

LGBTQ+ journalists in the UK face “high levels” of abuse and a majority do not feel adequately protected by their employer, a study found.

> "The research … found that online abuse targeting the sexual orientation and gender identity of LGBTQ+ journalists is now commonplace." > > "More than eight in 10 (82 per cent) respondents shared that they had faced online trolling, while over half (56 per cent) were subjected to homophobic harassment." > > "Many also believe their role to be dangerous, with 76 per cent of those surveyed either disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that media organisations are adequately protecting them from harassment and abuse." > > "Almost three quarters (74 per cent) of the professionals surveyed reported feeling anxiety over the abuse they received." If Nostr really wants to be about free speech, then LGBTQ+ journalists need to feel safe enough to speak here. If bullies control Nostr then there is no free speech here. #LGBT #journalists #FreeSpeech #gay #PressFreedom #harassment #LGBTQ

What I want to know is whether #[0]​ has gotten #[1]​ & #[2]​ onto Bluesky or whether they’re just on Nostr…

A gay webmaster was found murdered in his apartment recently - William Futral, the owner of TheGuySite.com - it is believed to be a targeted attack.

AVN

TheGuySite.com Owner William Futral Murdered AVN

William Futral, the owner of gay adult website TheGuySite.com, was found murdered at his Tampa apartment the afternoon of May 1, according to multi...

> "I am absolutely gutted to hear of the murder of Bill, owner of TheGuySite. Bill was one of the kindest, gentlest people in our industry. He was always humble, appreciative, and soft-spoken. I've known him for 13 years. There was never a nicer man."

I hate to use the phrase "…but think of the children!", but that's basically the point of this article… "American Psychological Association Says Parents Should Screen Kids for 'Problematic Social Media Use'"

Gizmodo

American Psychological Association Says Parents Should Screen Kids for 'Problematic Social Media Use'

The American Psychological Association offered 10 recommendations for reducing the ills of social media in its first advisory on the subject.

> "Right away, the APA acknowledges social media “is not inherently beneficial or harmful to young people,” but rather is highly variable depending on the personal and psychological characteristics of the user accessing the services. Young users already struggling with body image issues or depression, for example, may be more prone to experience negative outcomes on platforms than their peers. On the flip side, the report notes, young people struggling with mental health issues or others from marginalized groups may actually benefit from the support networks and advice they receive from other like-minded people on social media which may actually aid psychological development." I guess my point in posting this is that it's something else to think about - and yet another reason why Nostr needs the ability to tailor content to users' needs and shield vulnerable folks from harm.

Interesting story on the psychology of Bluesky…

The Atlantic

How to Build (And Destroy) a Social Network

Status means everything to platforms like Twitter and Facebook. But contrary to what Elon Musk thinks, it doesn’t come from a blue checkmark.

> "Social media has always been, at heart, a big status game. The most successful social platforms are the ones that allow people to efficiently gain access to a larger network and accrue status inside it." > >"…Bluesky is also an attempt at status migration. Currently, it is filled with former Twitter power users who are rightfully fed up with being on a platform whose official policies seem intended to troll them, open them up to harassment, and make their experience less enjoyable. Status is about respect, and it’s clear that most of Bluesky’s users have left a platform they feel does not respect them. It’s exciting to watch new status relationships evolve. " It's an interesting way of looking at it. Nostr isn't so much about status - you can't even be sure how many followers someone has… I'm not sure I want Nostr to get focused on status, but status is also about reputation, and reputation does make sense in a lot of contexts… Can we take the good part from the idea of status and incorporate it somehow?

Is there a way to go USD -> Lightning (sats) without going through the pain of on-chain BTC?