Twitter's Redemption: How Nostr Could Reshape Its Future

In my role as Spike’s CEO and co-founder, I've had the opportunity to experience the immense benefits of open protocols. Our team chat and collaboration platform is a testament to this, functioning as a layer 2 solution built atop the foundational layer 1 email protocol (SMTP). This open protocol has allowed us to offer unique solutions for our customers while reducing the need for yet another app.

Open protocols are the lifeblood of the internet. They are the invisible threads that weave together the vast digital world we interact with daily. Protocols like TCP, HTTP, SMTP, FTP, and many others have not only stood the test of time but have also been the springboards for significant innovation over the past few decades. They provide a common language, a set of rules that different clients and solutions can use to communicate easily across different device types and platforms. This uniformity is what makes the internet a global network instead of a collection of isolated systems that cannot communicate.

When we look at the adoption of new technology, this common understanding is critical. It reduces friction and simplifies compatibility. Customers are more likely to embrace new technology when it fits seamlessly into their existing digital ecosystem, and open protocols are key to achieving this. Imagine a world where Apple’s iCloud email couldn't communicate with Gmail users.

The tech industry moved away from protocols

Over the past 15 years, we've seen a noticeable shift in the tech industry. Companies have increasingly moved away from building on open protocols, opting instead to create platforms they own and control. From a business perspective, it might seem like a better path to own and control the entire stack, but it’s a bad idea to try to lock your customers in. Any web browser can access just about any website. Imagine a world where our web browsers could only access a subset of the internet. That’s the world we’ve seen developed with social media and messaging apps. Facebook owns and controls its customer’s data. iMessage isn’t available on the PC and non-Apple users can’t easily use it with Android customers. This wasn’t how the internet was designed to be, but big tech companies have taken over and built up walled gardens. Customers are lock-in and innovation is stifled

The state of affairs at Twitter

I've been closely following the recent chaos at Twitter over the past few months. Following Elon Musk's buyout of the company, a significant restructuring occurred, leading to the departure of numerous executives and nearly half of the workforce - especially on the engineering side. This move, while drastic, has had unintended consequences, including a surge in legal fees and the potential aiding of Meta in creating Threads. Twitter now finds itself in legal disputes, not only with Meta over accusations of intellectual property theft but also with a legal firm over a hefty bill and with former employees over severance pay issues. Threads has emerged as a formidable competitor gaining rapid popularity with nearly 100 million users in a matter of days. These developments underscore the complex challenges Twitter is grappling with, as it navigates a path forward as a private company. Every decision Musk makes is analyzed and written about in depth by the tech media and mainstream media alike.

The Reddit effect

While the world was watching the drama on Twitter, another social media giant, Reddit, was grappling with its own controversy. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman announced in May that the platform would begin charging third-party apps, bots, and companies for using the site's API that many of the popular third-party apps used. This decision sparked a significant backlash from the Reddit community, leading to a 48-hour protest where numerous popular subreddits went dark in opposition which dramatically affected Reddit’s SEO and advertising impact. This powerful demonstration of community powers underscores the balance social media platforms must strike between operational needs and user expectations - further defining the question: who is the customer among free services?

Enter Nostr

Towards the end of 2022, Nostr emerged as a promising open protocol designed to create a new way to build social networking solutions that are free of big tech control. Its unique approach allows users to own and control their data, fostering the creation of decentralized social networks that are very similar to the early days of email when anyone could run their own server. Unlike traditional platforms like Facebook or Reddit, Nostr doesn't rely on a central server.

Users run a Nostr client, publish content, sign it with their private key, and send it to other servers that relay the content. While this might sound complicated, it’s all happening in a matter of seconds. If users have issues with certain relays, they have the freedom to run their own relay or even start their own network of relays to redistribute their content. There is no Nostr “database” or “main server”. Nostr servers are powered by the people for the people. Any company can run one on a massive AWS server or any single person can run it on something as simple as a Raspberry Pi4.

Despite being an open-source project, Nostr has garnered significant support from major technology influencers, including a notable donation from former Twitter CEO and founder Jack Dorsey. While Nostr operates independently of Bitcoin, it can be integrated with Bitcoin's Lightning Network, opening up possibilities for micropayments worldwide without the need for banks - especially in areas around the world that are unbanked.

Should Twitter build on top of Nostr?

In the world of social media, the idea of a major platform like Twitter becoming a Nostr client and supporter represents a major shift. This move would fundamentally alter the dynamics of user interaction and data ownership, marking a departure from the traditional model of social networks. Instead of operating as “owner of data”, Twitter would become a Nostr client and relay.

At its core, Nostr is about empowering users without the need for trusted third parties.. It allows users to own and control their data, a stark contrast to the current norm where platforms hold the reins. By adopting Nostr, Twitter would be placing the power back into the hands of its users, a move that aligns with the original ethos of the internet - a decentralized space where users have control.

This shift would not only change the way Twitter operates but also redefine its goals. Instead of focusing on controlling user data and interactions, Twitter's objective would become creating the best Nostr client. This means providing a user experience that is seamless, intuitive, and enriching, while also ensuring that users have the freedom and tools to manage their data. Twitter could still have advertising, and still offer Twitter Blue for verification and increased reach, but it would all be done on top of Nostr as the client backend. Twitter would switch from running it’ own core technology to simply acting as a client on top of an open protocol - very similar to how email apps work today.

By embracing Nostr as a backend protocol, Twitter could enhance user trust, foster a more democratic and inclusive platform, and stimulate innovation worldwide without the need to be the gatekeeper for everything.

This move could set a precedent for other social networks, encouraging them to follow suit and embrace open protocols like Nostr and ActivityPub (a competing protocol). In an era where concerns about data privacy and platform control are increasingly prominent, this could be a significant step towards a more user-centric model of social media where the users are ultimately in control of their data

Wrap up

In my experience leading Spike, I've seen firsthand the benefits of prioritizing user empowerment and data ownership. Our platforms are built on top of email technology so Spike users can easily chat with someone using iCloud or Gmail. Simply put, protocols > platforms.

As we look towards the future, the potential adoption of Nostr by Twitter could signal the dawn of a new era for social media. This would be an era characterized by genuine user control, where the power dynamics are shifted back to the individuals who form the backbone of these platforms. It's a bold vision, indeed, but one that I firmly believe is worth pursuing by Twitter, Threads, and other social media platforms. A social media landscape where users are truly in control, where data ownership is the default and expectations, and where platforms compete on providing the best user experience rather than controlling the most data, is a landscape that promises greater freedom, inclusivity, and innovation.

The journey towards a more user-centric model of social media is just beginning. But with open protocols like Nostr leading the way, I believe we are heading in the right direction. And I, for one, am excited to see where this journey takes us.