In NOSTR Clients: The Convenience of Choice I gave quick run down on Clients, but in Why NOSTR May be the Next Big Thing in Social Media I only briefly mentioned Relays, so I’ll go into a bit more here. Relays can play an essential role in preventing spam in decentralized networks like NOSTR. They are responsible for relaying messages between different nodes, and they can help prevent spam attacks by filtering out unwanted messages.

To understand how relays prevent spam, it’s important to first understand what spam is. spam refers to the act of sending large numbers of unwanted or unsolicited messages to other users on the network. These messages can be in the form of chat messages, payment requests, or any other type of data that can be transmitted on the network. Spam is a problem in any online system and can lead to overloaded servers, slower performance, and frustration for users. In the context of NOSTR, spam is particularly concerning because it can also be used as a means of attacking the network or attempting to defraud users. As such, NOSTR has implemented measures to prevent spam and protect its users.

Relays can help prevent spam by implementing a set of rules that must be followed for a transaction to be considered valid. These rules can vary depending on the specific network, but they generally include things like requiring a minimum fee, for now in sats. This can be done per post, a one time payment, or a subscription method. This method makes it very expensive for bad actors to send spam across the network. It’s a very powerful way to disincentivize bad actors and if they try they will be paying hefty fees vs sending out thousands to hundreds of thousands of messages for free as is done through email.

Hosting a relay is also relatively cheap in terms of resources. Relays typically don’t require a lot of computing power or storage space, and they can be run on a variety of hardware configurations. This makes it easy for anyone to set up a relay and help contribute to the health and security of the network.

In conclusion, relays are an essential part of preventing spam in decentralized networks like NOSTR. By filtering out unwanted or unsolicited messages to other users and enforcing a set of rules for validity, relays help ensure that only legitimate messages are processed and that the network remains fast and secure. Additionally, hosting a relay is relatively cheap and accessible, making it easy for anyone to get involved and contribute to the network’s success.