Freedom of speech is not the big pull-in for Nostr right now.
It's because if you look around on Instagram etc. it appears like you can mostly still say whatever you want, build community on most subjects even if they appear to go against the developments of the global establishment such as digital IDs, CBDCs etc. The Trump administration appears to have brought back more freedom and made companies like Meta open up to more speech again.
But I think what's really happening is that the establishment is sure enough that the path forward won't be meaningfully resisted against. The necessity isn't seen by most, nor is there the courage and are the means available for any half-normal citizen to stand up against it.
Building community and trust in an alternative way takes time, community and dedication. Too much time, and the establishment feels safe enough to let some freedoms run to give the illusion that it's never bad enough for a majority to take any serious action against what's unfolding. Conversations will often look something like:
- "I won't accept digital ID".
- "But it's just a new number and system. Nothing will change in principle, what are you afraid of?"
- "No, I still don't want it, thank you."
- "I'm sorry, we had to freeze your bank account for security reasons. Also, you won't be able to continue your business license without the digital ID."
- "Alright, where can I sign up for it already?"
Once enough people have had similar incidents AND start feeling some sort of repression (if their nervous system is still capable of feeling that), only then will Nostr (and Bitcoin if it meanwhile got decent privacy features) become highly interesting! But at this point, we're already more than knee-deep in trouble.
So, what I'm saying is, stay humble, keep on living and building the meaningful, loving alternative in a peaceful way NOW! Help people find the courage to trust themselves and thrive in love. And don't loose trust that Nostr and Bitcoin don't show enough traction yet. The time will surely come.
#community #freedom