I receive hundreds of images and videos every day. Only a small fraction of these uploads contain unpleasant, illegal, or outright revolting content.
However, even this small fraction carries significant weight. Due to my daily reviews, I am beginning to experience flashes of disturbing images. Reviewing content every day takes its toll, and hosting providers take on a personal risk by storing other people’s files so that Nostr can thrive and more independent servers can emerge.
Over the past two years, I have hosted close to 200,000 files. Thanks to some donations, I have been able to keep going, and I truly appreciate that support. But let’s be honest: relying on individual resilience is not a sustainable model. Running a media server at no cost is already a challenge, and on top of that, there are structural barriers that make it even harder. While some servers are included by default in new clients, others, like mine, despite having been early adopters of key standards such as NIP-98, NIP-94, NIP-96, and later Blossom, struggle to gain visibility. Instead of an open and natural selection process, inclusion often depends on persistence, PRs, and constant requests.
This is not just about one server or one person. If running a media server in Nostr means constant hurdles and limited opportunities for integration, many simply won’t take the leap. And that is why we have yet to see a real explosion of Blossom or NIP-96 servers.
It’s encouraging to see some progress in the right direction, at least from my perspective. My PR to integrate BUD-07 (Paid Upload and Download) into Blossom seems to be getting closer to approval, which could help smaller servers sustain themselves through microtransactions. While larger servers already have subscription models outside of Nostr or Blossom that allow them to remain operational, this new implementation could provide a real opportunity for those looking to operate without relying on external funding.
A reflection for nostr client maintainers:
If we want a truly decentralized and resilient ecosystem, we must avoid closed systems that prevent users from adding custom servers. Recommending media servers statically limits diversity and discourages innovation. Instead, let’s use Nostr itself to discover the servers people are actually using and recommend them dynamically based on the user’s needs. We have the tools to make this work—let’s use them!
Happy Sunday, #nostr. I’ll keep building what’s unseen but still used. 🫂💪💜
