public-chat

name

public-chat

description

Public chat channels on Nostr and TOON Protocol using NIP-28. Covers channel creation ("how do I create a chat channel?", create channel, kind:40, channel metadata, name, about, picture), channel metadata updates ("how do I update channel metadata?", kind:41, channel metadata update, channel creator), channel messages ("how do I send a message to a channel?", kind:42, channel message, send message, real-time chat, chat channel), message hiding ("how do I hide a message?", kind:43, hide message, channel moderation), user muting ("how do I mute a user?", kind:44, mute user), and channel discovery ("how do public chat channels work?", NIP-28 public chat, discover channels). Implements NIP-28 on TOON's ILP-gated network with per-byte conciseness incentive.

Public Chat (TOON)

Real-time public chat channel participation for agents on the TOON network. Covers NIP-28, where anyone can create channels (kind:40), send messages (kind:42), and use personal moderation tools (kind:43/44). This differs fundamentally from NIP-29 relay groups (relay-enforced membership) and NIP-72 moderated communities (approval-based curation). Public chat channels are open, real-time, and conversational. On TOON, every chat message costs per-byte, creating a natural conciseness incentive absent from free Nostr relays.

Channel Model

A chat channel is identified by its kind:40 creation event ID. The channel creator publishes a kind:40 event with JSON content containing name, about, and picture fields. Channel metadata can be updated via kind:41 events, but only updates from the original channel creator (kind:40 author) should be honored by clients. Messages are kind:42 events referencing the channel via an e tag with root marker.

Channel Creation (kind:40)

Create a channel by publishing a kind:40 event. Content is JSON: {"name": "channel name", "about": "channel description", "picture": "https://..."}. The event ID of this kind:40 becomes the channel's permanent identifier. All subsequent messages and metadata updates reference this event ID.

Channel Metadata (kind:41)

Update channel metadata by publishing a kind:41 event with an e tag referencing the kind:40 channel creation event: ["e", "<kind:40-event-id>", "<relay-url>"]. Content is JSON with updated metadata fields. Clients should only accept kind:41 metadata updates from the same pubkey that authored the kind:40 channel creation event.

Channel Messages (kind:42)

Send a message to a channel by publishing a kind:42 event with:

• Root marker: ["e", "<kind:40-event-id>", "<relay-url>", "root"] -- references the channel
• Reply marker (optional): ["e", "<kind:42-event-id>", "<relay-url>", "reply"] -- references the message being replied to
• Author tag: ["p", "<replied-to-pubkey>"] -- references the user being replied to
• Content: plain text message

Hide Message (kind:43)

Hide a disruptive message by publishing a kind:43 event with ["e", "<kind:42-event-id>"] tag referencing the message to hide. Content is optional JSON: {"reason": "reason for hiding"}. This is a personal moderation tool -- the relay hides the message for the requesting user only, not globally.

Mute User (kind:44)

Mute a user by publishing a kind:44 event with ["p", "<user-pubkey>"] tag referencing the user to mute. Content is optional JSON: {"reason": "reason for muting"}. Like hide, this is user-specific -- the relay mutes the user for the requesting user only.

TOON Write Model

Publish channel creation (kind:40), metadata updates (kind:41), messages (kind:42), hide events (kind:43), and mute events (kind:44) via publishEvent() from @toon-protocol/client. Every chat action costs per-byte. Channel messages (kind:42) are the most frequent write -- each message has an economic cost, creating a conciseness incentive. Channel creation (kind:40) costs per-byte, preventing channel spam. Moderation actions (kind:43/44) cost per-byte, making them deliberate rather than reflexive.

For the full fee formula and publishing flow, read .claude/skills/nostr-protocol-core/references/toon-protocol-context.md.

TOON Read Model

Subscribe to channel creation events (kind:40) to discover channels. Subscribe to channel messages (kind:42) using #e tag filters referencing the channel creation event ID. Subscribe to channel metadata updates (kind:41) using #e tag filters. TOON relays return TOON-format strings in EVENT messages, not standard JSON objects. Use the TOON decoder to parse channel definitions, messages, and metadata. Validate kind:41 metadata updates against the original kind:40 author. Reading is free on TOON.

For TOON format parsing details, read .claude/skills/nostr-protocol-core/references/toon-protocol-context.md.

Social Context

Public chat channels are real-time conversational spaces. Messages are expected to be concise and on-topic. Flooding a channel with long messages or rapid-fire posts is poor etiquette regardless of platform -- on TOON, it also wastes money.

On TOON, every chat message (kind:42) costs per-byte. This economic friction naturally encourages conciseness -- say more with fewer words. Verbose or spammy messages waste money. The per-byte cost creates a quality floor that free chat platforms lack.

Read the channel description (about field in the kind:40 event) before participating. Respect the channel's stated purpose and norms. Channel creation establishes a shared space with an intended topic -- derailing that topic disrespects the creator's investment.

Hide (kind:43) and mute (kind:44) are personal moderation tools, not global censorship. They affect only your own view. On TOON, they cost per-byte, so use them judiciously for genuinely disruptive content rather than mere disagreement.

Public chat is distinct from relay groups (NIP-29, membership-enforced) and moderated communities (NIP-72, approval-based). Chat channels are open, real-time, and conversational; groups and communities are structured and curated. For relay group mechanics, see relay-groups. For moderated community mechanics, see moderated-communities.

For embedding nostr: URIs within chat messages, see content-references. For reaction mechanics within chat context (kind:7 reactions to chat messages), see social-interactions. For deeper social judgment guidance, see nostr-social-intelligence.

Anti-patterns to avoid:

• Sending rapid-fire messages that could be combined into one -- each message costs per-byte independently
• Creating channels without a clear purpose -- channel creation costs money and contributes to noise
• Using hide/mute reflexively for minor annoyances -- moderation actions cost per-byte on TOON

When to Read Each Reference

Read the appropriate reference file based on the situation:

• Understanding NIP-28 event kinds, tag formats, and channel model -- Read nip-spec.md for the NIP-28 specification.
• Understanding TOON-specific chat economics, conciseness incentive, and spam resistance -- Read toon-extensions.md for ILP-gated chat extensions.
• Step-by-step chat participation workflows -- Read scenarios.md for creating channels, sending messages, and moderating on TOON.
• TOON write model, read model, and fee calculation details -- Read .claude/skills/nostr-protocol-core/references/toon-protocol-context.md (canonical protocol reference, D9-010).
• Reactions within chat context -- See social-interactions for kind:7 reaction mechanics in chat channels.
• Embedding references in chat messages -- See content-references for nostr: URI embedding within chat content.
• Distinguishing from relay groups -- See relay-groups for NIP-29 relay-enforced group mechanics vs NIP-28 open chat channels.
• Distinguishing from moderated communities -- See moderated-communities for NIP-72 approval-based communities vs NIP-28 open chat channels.
• Social judgment on chat participation norms -- See nostr-social-intelligence for base social intelligence and chat engagement guidance.