Alex says kind should be a string #59

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opened 2025-06-05 12:28:51 +12:00 by mikedilger · 1 comment

mikedilger commented

2025-06-05 12:28:51 +12:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Basic argument is that kind should be long enough that randomly chosen ones will never collide, then you don't need a kind registry.

https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/issues/511

Basic argument is that kind should be long enough that randomly chosen ones will never collide, then you don't need a kind registry. https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/issues/511

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melvincarvalho commented

2025-07-15 16:40:25 +12:00

(Migrated from github.com)

Using strings for the kind field is a clear win for interoperability, nearly every modern social protocol does the same.

Interoperability by default: let different apps recognise each other’s events without a central allocator.
Human-readable & self-documenting: A literal name tells you what an event is at a glance; no magic numbers or lookup tables required.
Permissionless innovation: Anyone can ship a new kind instantly, experiment in the wild, and iterate without waiting for an official number to be assigned, which has crowded out most developers, during the often multi-year waiting period.

In short, strings make the protocol friendlier for developers, users, and even AI systems, which can infer an event’s purpose directly from its descriptive identifier. Having it as opt-in NIP would make a much more scalable nostr.

Using **strings** for the `kind` field is a clear win for interoperability, nearly every modern social protocol does the same. * **Interoperability by default**: let different apps recognise each other’s events without a central allocator. * **Human-readable & self-documenting**: A literal name tells you what an event is at a glance; no magic numbers or lookup tables required. * **Permissionless innovation**: Anyone can ship a new `kind` instantly, experiment in the wild, and iterate without waiting for an official number to be assigned, which has crowded out most developers, during the often multi-year waiting period. In short, strings make the protocol friendlier for developers, users, and even AI systems, which can infer an event’s purpose directly from its descriptive identifier. Having it as opt-in NIP would make a much more scalable nostr.