diff --git a/27.md b/27.md index a0e9d9b..293c695 100644 --- a/27.md +++ b/27.md @@ -1,37 +1,33 @@ NIP-27 ====== -Multicasting ------------- +Restricted Tags +--------------- `draft` `optional` `author:cameri` -A new tag `m` meaning `multicast group` allow for events to be addressed to a -group of clients simultaneously. Multicast in this scenario can be one-to-many -or many-to-many. +This NIP extends the `` object described in `NIP-01` to contain +arbitrary two-letter tags (known as restricted tags) prefixed by `#`, allowing +for events with restricted tags to be queried. Any two-letter key prefixed by +`#` is a restricted tag query and must be an array of strings. -A relay MUST forward events containing `m` tags strictly to clients subscribed -with a tag filter `#m` containing at least one of the values of such tags and -refrain from forwarding such events to clients without such filter. The value -of an `m` tag is case-sensitive. +The filter condition matches an event if and only if all of the restricted tags +in the event are also present in a `` object. As such, relays should not +forward events with restricted tags to clients without a strictly matching filter. -A client SHOULD send events containing `m` tags only to relays that explicitly -support NIP-27. A NIP-16 supporting client MAY test for the capability by -subscribing twice to a relay with and without the tag filter `#m` respectively -and sending an ephemeral event with a random `m` tag of equal value and assert -it was only received by the right subscription. +A client wishing to use restricted tags should only send events with restricted +tags to relays that explicitly support NIP-27. ## Events -Clients targeting a multicast group MAY include an `m` tag with a value set to -an arbitrary string representing the multicast group. +Clients wishing to send an event with a restricted tag may include one or more +two-letter tags with a value set to an arbitrary string. -Suppose that Alice wants to multicast an event to a very special multicast group -that covers specific topics. The multicast group is identified by the following -string: `00000000839a8e6886ab5951d76f411475428afc90947ee320161bbf18eb6048` +Suppose that Alice wants to send an event with the restricted tag `#ch`. The value +of the `#ch` restricted tag is the following string: `/nostr/social` Alice would construct the following message and send it to her favorite relay -which happens to support multicasting: +which happens to support restricted events: ```json [ @@ -42,7 +38,7 @@ which happens to support multicasting: "created_at": 1231469640, "content": "Let's get the conversation started", "tags": [ - ["m", "00000000839a8e6886ab5951d76f411475428afc90947ee320161bbf18eb6048"], + ["ch", "/nostr/social"], ], "sig": "" } @@ -51,8 +47,8 @@ which happens to support multicasting: ## Subscriptions -Clients subscribing to a multicast group MUST include an `#m` tag filter with -an array of multicast groups as values. +Clients wishing to subscribe to events with restricted tags MUST include a filter +that matches all of the restricted tags in said events. Suppose that Bob and Charlie both share Alice's interest and would like to stay up to date. Both would construct the following message to subscribe: @@ -62,24 +58,34 @@ up to date. Both would construct the following message to subscribe: "REQ", "", { - "#m": ["00000000839a8e6886ab5951d76f411475428afc90947ee320161bbf18eb6048"] + "#ch": ["/nostr/social"] } ] ``` # Use Cases -1. Subreddit/IRC-like channels (e.g. `{ "#m": ["#newbies", "r/nostr", "#mp3s", "r/oldschoolcool"] }`) over Nostr. -2. Forums over Nostr. (e.g. `{ "#m": ["itguys.com/IT/Support/Hardware", "itguys.com/General/Announcements", "itguys.com/General/New Users", "itguys.com/Social/Memes"] }`) -3. Clients wishing to filter out all the noise from public events may choose to only subscribe to multicast groups. Apps/games/bots leveraging Nostr may prefer communicating over a multicast group to avoid collision with the broader public. -4. A hard-to-guess multicast group can be used for increased (but not total) privacy over a trusted relay. A "channel-hopping" algorithm shared by clients may improve privacy in this scenario where a channel is a multicast group. -5. Two or more parties may initiate contact publicly using Direct Messaging and agree privately on a hard-to-guess multicast group before continuing their exchange hiding further metadata from being leaked to the public. Parties can re-negotiate a new hard-to-guess multicast group at any point. -6. Live events can take advantage of ephemeral events and previously-shared multicast group for communication during the event. -7. Smart contracts may communicate in privacy-preserving way with individual clients using unique short-lived multicast groups. -8. Clients interested in Bitcoin prices in USD may subscribe to the multicast group "prices:btc:usd". Many providers may publish their events to the same multicast groups. -9. Testnet-like multicast group for debugging in Nostr. +1. Subreddit/IRC-like channels (e.g. `{ "#ch": ["r/oldschoolcool"] }`) over Nostr. +2. Forums. (e.g. General/Support subforum at itguys.com forum + `{ "#fr": ["itguys.com"], "#sb": ["General/Support"] }`) +3. Clients wishing to filter out all the noise from the broad public events may +choose to only subscribe to events with restricted tags. Apps/games/bots leveraging +Nostr may prefer communicating using NIP-27 to namespace their communications. +4. A restricted tag with a hard-to-guess value can be used for increased isolation +in communications without the expectation of privacy. A "channel-hopping" algorithm +shared by clients may improve isolation in this scenario. +5. Two or more parties may initiate contact publicly using Direct Messaging to then +upgrade their communications to using events with restricted tags with a hard-to-guess +value before continuing their exchange. Parties can re-negotiate a new hard-to-guess +value at any point. +6. Live events can take advantage of ephemeral events and events with restricted +tags for exclusivity during the event. +7. Smart contracts may communicate with individual clients using events with +restricted tags. +8. Developers debugging in Nostr can use events with restricted tags to avoid spamming +others in public relays. + # Notes -1. Events sent to multicast groups should be considered public, after all they are readable by relays and can also be reshared by any client subscribed to the multicast group. -2. Multicast groups are not a replacement for encrypted direct messages but can work in conjunction. +1. Events with restricted tags are public and offer no privacy.