I'm firmly (and I mean FIRMLY) against the idea of restricting edits or deletion. Sure, taking back something you previously said is alright but if you have a lot of takes in the past that you don't want to keep online, you're going to look really bad. Plus, it's a major privacy concern. I've made posts in the past that were before I learned the importance of privacy. If I couldn't delete them, I'd be keeping myself open to doxxing, not to mention potential embarrassment. Some posts people make can also damage their reputation. If they made a comment that was written in frustration (or even under the effects of exhaustion or alcohol), their entire reputation could be irreparably damaged if edits and deletion didn't exist. I mean, we see how easily people get canceled for comments they made years ago and forgot about, and society today tends to not accept apologies even when they're legitimate and genuine. So yeah, no edits/deletion = no use for me. I like Nostr but if a basic function of user control and privacy isn't possible, I will not use it. It's objectively a bad thing and that's a Nostr hill I will die on.

Replies (4)

sb's avatar
sb 1 year ago
Hard agree. Also we're all about people owning their data. But they can't edit or delete it? Doesn't add up.
ATX's avatar
ATX 1 year ago
Another view point. When you talk face to face to a person or a group of people, once you say something it can’t be edited or deleted. Although a face to face conversation flows at a much faster pace than typing a post online. Not having the ability to delete or edit may make people think more before pressing the send button. You have the time to do so. I am still open minded about having edits / deletes.
A passing conversation isn't a permanent record, though. Aside from memory, it's not stored ad infinitum. Moreover, if abuse/harassment occurs, such as the canceling thing, it boils down to hearsay. None of that is even remotely true without edits and deletion. Transparency for governments, corporations, money and software. Privacy for the people.
Your comment is well thought out. Look at NIP37 that fiatjaf linked to in his comment to my note and see if that allows your usage without compromising the protocol. It seems to. I think it may be the answer for clients to leverage.