Follow Me On Nostr

Representation of Nostr's Mascot - A Purple Ostrich

New to Nostr?

Click here to scroll down the page and get a brief introduction and overview.

Currently on Nostr?

Follow this link straight to my nostr profile. This link "should" open your default Nostr client (e.g., Damus on iOS or similar) and redirect it to my profile page. Please note there is no guarantee that this will work given that it is a new thing.

If that doesn't work, you'll have to do the following:

Step 1:

Launch your client of choice (see a list of some clients below).

Step 2:

Add at least one of the following relays to your client, but more is better:

relay.damus.io
relay.snort.social
relay.nostrcheck.me

Each client interface is different, but here are some screenshots from the Damus iOS client to help guide you:

Within Damus, go to your profile, where you can see a menu of options like this:

Click on Relays to get a list of those that your profile is connected to and add one or all of the relays above and save (Note: you don't have to type in "wss://".) Once complete go to the search feature within your client, again this is different for each client.

Step 3:

Use one of the following values to find me on the network using the search feature:

My NPUB Address: npub1wngn2xk3e3zrnjzwyw32xjyptsz5hhj6arsl77d5ufnqu9spr5hsh2hxf8
My NIP-05: xybermateo@boltnavigator.com
My Display Name: xybermateo

Click on the Goto profile link.

You should see something like this, except in your case, the "edit" button will say "follow.":

Step 4 (Optional):

Click on the "follow" button and then send me a message so I can follow you back. Say something like:

Hey there! Hope you're having a great day.
Greetings from the Nostrverse! How's it going?
waves Helloooooo! Can you hear me all the way from here?
Good day to you! How's the weather treating you?
Hiya! Just wanted to say hello and brighten up your day.
Hey, you! Yes, you! How's life treating you today?
Yoohoo! Just wanted to drop in and say hello.
Hello, hello! How's everything going in your neck of the woods?
Are you a keyboard? Because you're just my type! Hello!
Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm not a poet, but I can nostr a hello to you.

Step 5 (Optional):

If you found this quick guide helpful, consider sending me a tip (i.e., some satoshis, aka sats, by clicking the lightning bolt icon).

New to Nostr

What is Nostr

Nostr is pronounced as "no-ster" with the stress on the first syllable

Nostr is an acronym for Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relay.

Nostr is a simple, open protocol that enables global, decentralized and censorship-resistant social networking. The most common interface seen is similar to that of Twitter, Telegram, and other social networking apps but without the shadow banning, de-platforming, and other limitations employed by the centralized entities.

You can view the original project at nostr.com or if you want to see the open source version on github.com.

Getting on Nostr

Before you get on Nostr, there are a few things you'll need to understand or be aware of.

About Your Keys

In Nostr, every account is established with the use of a public/private key pair. A way to conceptualize this is to regard your public key as your username and your private key as your password, with a significant difference. Unlike a password, your private key cannot be reset if misplaced. So store your private key in a safe place, just like you would with your bitcoin or lightning wallet passphrase.

Please note that your keys are generated when you set up an account through one of the clients.

About The Protocol

Nostr functions as a protocol - a predetermined set of instructions for transmitting messages over the internet.

To use Nostr (the protocol), you will require a client, which can be a web-based, desktop, or mobile application. Most Nostr clients permit users to log in by entering their private key. However, if you decide to use a web-based client, this approach is generally not recommended, especially due to its tediousness and vulnerability. Nonetheless, if you decided to use a web-based client, try using a web-based crypto wallet that is specially designed to handle private keys, like Alby.

Alby is a Bitcoin Lightning app wallet for your browser (e.g., Firefox, Opera, and Chromium-based browsers [Safari is no longer supported]) that incorporates Nostr support making it an excellent choice for new users.

Pick Your Client (App)

Use one of the following clients to connect with the protocol/social network (please note that there are others, these are just some of the more popular ones):

Web Client(s)
iOS Client(s)
- Damus (online guide)
Android Client(s)
- Amethyst

Other Things To Note

Profile Images (Optional)

If you want to add a profile and background image to your Nostr profile, you will need to host your images online, like your own website or an image hosting and sharing service. But take note that it may take some time for your images to show up on your profile as it is synced across the network of nostr nodes.Here are a few recommendations:

imgbb.com - With imgbb.com you'll need to use the direct link in your images. When dropped into a browser address bar, it should be a URL that will load your image and only your image.
nostrcheck.me — This is another free service to host your images but includes the additional feature of getting certified on the Nostr network using what's called a NIP-05.
nostr.build - A Nostr media uploader service that can handle images, audio, and video files. They have a free and premium service.

Getting Certified/Validated (Optional)

As discussed briefly above, you can get NIP-05 certified. NIP-05 is a validation technique for your Nostr account that operates across all clients. It can be viewed as the equivalent of the blue checkmark on Twitter or Instagram, but with a difference: rather than fulfilling the verification criteria set by Twitter or Instagram, you can verify yourself independently, and all Nostr clients will acknowledge it. It also makes finding your profile on Nostr a lot easier.

Technically, you should do this on a domain you control, but third parties offer this for free or for a small fee. Here are some to consider:

Here is a great article from EzoFox on how to verify with your own domain.

Earning bitcoin Via Zaps (aka Tips via the Lightning Network) (Optional)

Another profile field you can fill out is your Lightning Address (aka LNAddress or LNURLpay). Complete this field to start receiving bitcoin via the Lightning Network. Note that your LNAddress should look identical to an email address. In addition, some services that provide NIP-05 verification can also provide LNAddresses that forward to your actual wallet LNAddress (e.g., nostrplebs.com/).

The Lightning Address - get a full list of wallets that provide an LNAddress.
Wallet of Satoshi - once set up, you can generate an LNAddress within the wallet.
Alby - a browser extension, as discussed above.

Support Me (Optional)

If you found this quick guide helpful, consider sending me a tip through Nostr (i.e., some satoshis, aka sats, by clicking on the lightning bolt icon on my profile page).