reply on: Introducing Pulsar a private nostr chat app that protects your metadata \ stacker news ~nostr

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110 sats \ 6 replies \ @ek 22 Aug 2023 \ on: Introducing Pulsar a private nostr chat app that protects your metadata nostr

Nice! I am very interested in DMs on nostr. We might use nostr DMs for DMs on SN when NIP-44 is merged.

Additionally a padded / encrypted message is posted every 3 seconds while the instance is open (this is the pulse) which prevents outside observers from identifying the real messages AND when real messages are posted

If you want to create noise to hide the real messages in, you should post these fake messages in random intervals. If you post it every 3 seconds it could be trivial to filter the fake messages out.

And I tested it out but my messages just disappear: https://files.ekzyis.com/public/pulsar.mp4

I then reset Alby for this website and tried again and then it worked. Maybe I clicked on cancel in some prompt or something, idk

31 sats \ 2 replies \ @supertestnet 23 Aug 2023

you should post these fake messages in random intervals. If you post it every 3 seconds it could be trivial to filter the fake messages out.

How is it trivial? All messages are sent in those 3 second intervals. There are no "in between" messages. When you send a real one, it waits til the next fake one is supposed to go out and then takes its place.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek 23 Aug 2023

Ah, oh, didn't know that. But doesn't this make the chat slow? I assume it's 3 seconds per message per group (and not per sender) so in a big group, a lot of real messages would get queued up, no?

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @supertestnet 23 Aug 2023

It's 3 seconds per message per sender

The delay doesn't seem noticable unless you compare side by side

But it would probably get worse in a big chat with lots of people

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @bitcoinplebdev OP 22 Aug 2023

Thank you, and great feedback!

I think that's a good optimization to make, randomizing the interval of padded messages (though we would still need to keep it within a tight timeframe 1-5 secs)

Looking into this issue now, did you close the browser right away after the message didn't come through, or wait a few seconds?

I imagine it could be the relay connections spinning up quick enough

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @bitcoinplebdev OP 22 Aug 2023

Wait nvm it looks like the issue is the extension didn't popup before you entered the chat so you were able to enter without a real npub, making a fix now!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek 22 Aug 2023

I think the extension just didn't popup because I already tried it before and clicked on "remember my choice"

I thought I just clicked on cancel + "remember my choice" so it did not have permission and wasn't able to prompt me anymore. Would at least be the easiest explanation

But just tested it again and it didn't work even with giving all permissions. Will record a new video now with the browser console open

update: mhh, wasn't able to reproduce. Works now: https://files.ekzyis.com/public/pulsar2.mp4