Squalk: an old-school forum engine built on Nostr (NIP-29 groups, NIP-7D threads)
Curated from Lobsters
This explores rebuilding classic forum functionality using Nostr's decentralized architecture. The approach leverages NIP-29 groups for room organization and NIP-7D for thread structure, avoiding traditional centralized databases. While the technical implementation is straightforward, the real value lies in the fundamental shift toward immutable, distributed content storage. This demonstrates how modern protocols can recreate established patterns without vendor lock-in. For practitioners, the key insight is that you can build resilient, long-term systems by embracing decentralized data models rather than relying on single points of failure.
I miss classic forums: slow, asynchronous threads that stay readable and searchable for years, instead of knowledge dissolving into chat scrollback. Squalk is my attempt to rebuild that on top of Nostr, an open protocol where users hold a keypair, posts are signed events, and interchangeable relays store and serve them, instead of a private database.
— Lobsters