Nostr statistics (July 2024)

Looking at primal statistics the figures are:

Global Overview: 

    1,652,323 users
    38,385,828 public keys
    3,330,307 zaps
    19.16099363 btc zapped

Looking at nostr band statistics (stats.nostr.band) 2 or 6 months period: 

 2 month overview:

    Pubkeys: 33,398,599
    Users: 991,064
    Trusted users: 162,784
    Events: 272,346,539
    Posts: 88,342,896
    Zaps: 296,0441
    Zap amount: 1,631,822,155 satochis (1,050,355 USD)
    Relays: 2,469

Recap:

Pubkeys: 33,398,599 (vs 38,385,828 public keys from Primal)
Users: 991,064 (vs 1,652,323 users from Primal)
Trusted users: 162,784
Events: 272,346,539
Posts: 88,342,896
Zaps: 296,0441 (3,330,307 zaps from Primal)
Zap amount: 1,631,822,155 satochis (1,050,355 USD or 16.32 BTC) vs 19.1 btc zapped from Primal
Relays: 2,469 (no data)

Artbreeder Director

For people still wanting to try generating images, and wanting to have a different experience from the usual prompt and setup ; there is a feature within Artbreeder called 'Director' which is very friendly, the way it works is very intuitive and user will get immediate feedback along the way.

https://www.artbreeder.com/create/director

Here is an example of an image generated with the Director

https://www.artbreeder.com/image/682613a8460a69bf1bbe36f9a7cc

Using this prompt:

a muscular female warrior with platinum blonde hair in a mohawk style, captivating big anime eyes, beautiful face, scars on face, serious expression, futuristic sci-fi armor showing shoulder and cleavage, adorned with a huge red star, apocalyptic settings with red rock planet background, spaceship hovering behind, in artgerm drawing style, very detailed face, digital illustration, character design, artstation

Nostr and Mastodon (Fediverse)

The Fediverse is a network of interconnected servers (instances) that use decentralized protocols for communication. It encompasses various social media platforms and services, each running on its own server but able to interact with users on other servers. The key concept here is federation, where users from different instances can communicate with each other seamlessly.

It is basically like emails, there are plenty of providers out there (yahoo.com, gmail.com, hotmail.com etc ...) but they all manage to send each other messages.

Mastodon is one of the most popular platforms in the Fediverse. It's a decentralized microblogging platform (similar to Twitter/X). Users in the Fediverse can post short messages (toots), follow others, and engage in conversations. Mastodon instances are independent servers, each with its own rules and community, but users can interact with people on other instances.

Nostr is another (more recent) decentralized social platform, (similar to Mastodon) but with some differences in architecture and design. It uses a new protocol for transmitting data between servers (relays), making it lightweight and efficient. Nostr focuses on decentralization, privacy, and censorship resistance, allowing users to communicate without relying on a central authority.

Compared to mastodon, you do not need to signup when connecting to another server (instance/relay) ; the same nsec key is shared on all relays, making a smooth transition between all services. And second big change is the micro-payment (zap) featured in Nostr, which can serve as incentive to be active on the platform.

Nostr: The Glue That Holds Everything Together

Nostr and the Need for Decentralization

Today, we're diving into the world of decentralization and exploring a fascinating protocol called Nostr. If you're curious about how this innovative technology is reshaping the way we interact online, then you're in for a treat. Let's unpack the power of Nostr and why decentralization is the way of the future.

What is Nostr?

Nostr stands for Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays. It's not just a catchy acronym – it represents a groundbreaking open, permission-less protocol that prioritizes censorship-resistance and interoperability. In simpler terms, Nostr is all about breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive online environment. Whether you're looking to build a social network or a specialized app, Nostr has got you covered with its versatile capabilities.

The Power of Decentralization

Now, you might be wondering, why is decentralization such a big deal? Well, imagine a world where power is distributed evenly among users, rather than concentrated in the hands of a few tech giants (which can then ban you, censor you, change the algorithm, or change their terms and conditions constantly ...). 

By decentralizing control and promoting user autonomy, Nostr is fostering a more democratic online ecosystem.

Nostr: The Glue That Holds Everything Together

One of the most exciting aspects of Nostr is that it's not a standalone website or app. Instead, it serves as the glue that binds together a network of apps (clients). This interconnected approach allows for seamless communication and collaboration across various platforms. In essence, Nostr is the backbone that supports a diverse array of applications, making it a game-changer in the world of decentralization.

It's clear that this innovative protocol is paving the way for a more inclusive and user-centric online experience. By prioritizing censorship-resistance, interoperability, and decentralization, Nostr is reshaping the digital landscape for the better. So, next time you're interacting online, remember the power of decentralization and the role that Nostr plays in making it a reality.

Habla.news bug report

 Here is a bug report impacting Habla.news 

How to lose all bookmarks in 3 steps:

• step 1

  

•  step 2 

Save an article in habla as bookmark

 

•  step 3 

Return to Primal 

all bookmarks are gone!

Where are the lost bookmarks? Can they be recovered?

it seems to be a genuine bug when saving bookmarks in Habla.news

bug report posted on github 

Habla.news (Nostr app)

 Habla is a Nostr-based platform designed for creating and managing blog posts. 

While it shares similarities with Medium, Google blogspot, wordpress, ghost, substack, etc ...  Habla offers a unique and enhanced experience. What sets Habla apart is its integration with the Nostr ecosystem, making it far more versatile than traditional blogging platforms. 

This integration ensures seamless interoperability with a variety of other Nostr apps, enhancing user engagement and experience.

Furthermore, Habla leverages the Lightning Network to facilitate instant rewards for valuable contributions. If your content resonates with readers and is deemed valuable, you have the opportunity to be instantly rewarded with bitcoin – widely regarded as the most innovative form of currency humanity has ever seen.

First step on Nostr

 I have just joined this new community gathered around Nostr (this new Internet protocol) and this is quite different from every other social media I had tried before.

First the registration is super easy in one step ; choosing a nickname, once it is done a 'secret code' is generated and associated with the account, and with this Nostr code (which you shall never share with nobody) plenty of other website can be joined (and will transfer stuffs between them using relays).

This has potential to replace all the old (dying) platforms like twitter, facebook, tumblr, and many more ... because these are now filled with ads, fake news and censorship.

I am not saying Nostr is the perfect place, it is filled with bitcoiners and conspirationists, and weirdos (which is great). But it sure is refreshing. 

Anyway, you want to find me, here is my public code (that one I can share)

primal.net/p/npub1xchtl75ftt9s4f8v9ugetxcuyvawcgn47cdnhmhpnvdkujfwyuvs34sudw

What is Nostr?

Nostr itself isn't an app or website, but a protocol. 

Think of it as a set of rules that allows different apps to communicate with each other in a decentralized way. It's designed for social networking and focuses on privacy and censorship resistance.

Nostter.app is a website that uses the Nostr protocol. From this website you can create a Nostr identity, post messages, and follow others.  Since Nostr is decentralized, there are  many other Nostr-based apps available.

Like Primal.net another website using the same protocol (using the same secret key), 

What is a protocol? Imagine email. Email itself is a protocol, just like Nostr. 

Different email providers like Gmail or Yahoo Mail are like the Nostter.app -  they use the email protocol to offer their email services. 

AI Meme

 

ArtBreeder openpose

There are tools available that will make it possible to use a simple picture as an avatar

And put that person into a situation (following a specific pose) like these:

How?

Simply by using Artbreeder poser feature

https://www.artbreeder.com/create/poser?fromCreate=1

and https://openposes.com/

GTA Style

 GTA = Grand Theft Auto (originating from a series of video games by Rockstar Games)

Manga Maker App

A pretty impressive little application, to render a photo into a Manga, I discovered it from this blog 

https://blogclif.wordpress.com/2024/04/05/manga-maker/

Please pay a visit to the blog, and try the app.

((Manga illustration)), ((Pamela Anderson)) torso shot portrait ,solo , medium short hair,  looking at viewer, blush , smile , happy , red lipstick, leather corset, portrait, red hair, focus on eyes, plain background, (in vector style), ((monochrome Manga drawing))

https://www.seaart.ai/workFlowAppDetail/cntunqle878c738ibae0

Game over for Happy Accidents

Happy Accidents is shutting down on May 9th 2024

Happy Accidents offered unique features such as image generation and support for various checkpoints and Loras. While I can't speak to the specific reasons behind the shutdown without more information, fierce competition and a lack of traction are common challenges faced by startups and niche platforms in the tech industry.

In a rapidly evolving landscape, particularly in the field of image generation and AI-driven creativity, staying ahead of the competition and gaining sufficient traction can be difficult.

While it is still on, please pay a visit to https://happyaccidents.ai/

Artificial Intelligence is still not there yet

It has been over a year, but AI is still not fully satisfying ... Mainly it is the lack of continuity between sessions with AI personal assistants which is the major flow. 

There are ways around this issue, tough:

1. AI assistants can be designed to store user preferences, history, and other relevant information in 'persistent user profiles'. This allows them to provide more personalized and consistent assistance across sessions. But these will help in keeping the tone of the conversation, it won't remember if you added a birthday date, or any past plans.

2. Advancements in natural language processing enable AI assistants to better understand and remember context from previous interactions. By leveraging context, AI can provide more relevant responses and anticipate user needs over time. But these 'Contextual Understanding' are still in the making.

3.  AI assistants may integrate with external services such as calendars, task managers, and note-taking apps to access and update relevant information across sessions. This enables them to provide continuity in tasks and reminders. And that is also in the making and there are challenges there as well, namely distributing confidential information across multiple platforms.

4. AI assistants can utilize machine learning algorithms to continuously improve their understanding of user preferences and behavior over time. By learning from past interactions, they can adapt and provide more personalized assistance in subsequent sessions. That might be the solution in the long term, building a database tailored for each users.

5. Researchers are also exploring techniques to imbue AI systems with long-term memory capabilities, enabling them to retain and recall information over extended periods. This could significantly enhance the continuity and intelligence of AI personal assistants.

By implementing these strategies and technologies, developers can address the challenge of continuity in AI personal assistants and provide users with a more seamless and personalized experience across sessions. And we are not even talking about 'singularity', that is still Science-Fiction territory.

Microblogging and ping-o-matic

Ensuring that search engines discover your latest blog entry involves a few steps:

1. Submit Your Sitemap: Create an XML sitemap of your blog, listing all the URLs, and submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. This helps search engines understand your site structure and crawl it efficiently.

2. Internal Linking: Link to your new blog post from other relevant pages on your site. This helps search engine crawlers find the new content while they navigate through your site.

3. Social Media Sharing: Share your new blog post on social media platforms (facebook, instagram, tumblr, pinterest, whatsapp, etc ...). While this doesn't directly influence search engine crawls, it can attract users to your site, increasing the likelihood of search engine discovery.

4. Ping Services: Some services, like Ping-O-Matic, can notify search engines and blog directories about your new content. This can prompt them to crawl your site sooner.

5. Quality Content and SEO: Ensure your blog posts are well-optimized for search engines with relevant keywords, descriptive meta tags, and proper headings. High-quality content tends to get indexed and ranked faster.

However, keep in mind that search engines have their algorithms for crawling and indexing content, so there's no guaranteed way to enforce their crawl. It may take some time for them to discover and index your new content naturally.

Ping-O-Matic is a service that notifies multiple search engines and blog directories about updates to your website. It's been a popular tool among bloggers for many years. However, it appears that their blog hasn't been updated since 2015, which may raise concerns.

Bluewillow acquired by Limewire

LimeWire has acquired BlueWillow (leading image generation model and the world's 2nd largest Discord community with over 2 million users).

https://www.bluewillow.ai/ is redirecting to https://limewire.com/studio/image/create-image

prompt: 

Cover, painting of a girl with long blue hair in a white t-shirt on one side of a tattooed cyberpunk space with details, luminism, strip lighting, complex, head and shoulders portrait, 4k concept art portrait by Greg Rutkowski, artgram, WLOP, Alphonse Mucha

Procrastinating in 2024 (like it is the end of the World)

Procrastination can be linked to a variety of reasons, and understanding these is crucial for overcoming this behavior. Here are some common emotions behind procrastination:

1. Fear of Failure: The fear of not meeting one's own or others' expectations can lead to procrastination. The anxiety associated with the potential failure of a task might make an individual postpone getting started.

2. Perfectionism: A desire for perfection can be paralyzing. If a person feels that they must accomplish a task flawlessly, they might delay starting it due to the fear of making mistakes or not meeting exceptionally high standards.

3. Lack of Motivation: Procrastination often occurs when there is a lack of intrinsic motivation for a task. If the task lacks personal significance or if the rewards are not immediately apparent, it becomes easier to delay. This one is a big one nowadays, as we can see the World slowly turning into a dystopia and global warming getting more and more noticeable...

4. Low Self-Esteem: Individuals with low self-esteem may doubt their ability to successfully complete a task. This lack of self-confidence can lead to avoidance, escapism and procrastination.

5.Task Aversion: Certain tasks may evoke negative emotions or discomfort, leading to avoidance. This aversion might be due to boredom, dislike of the task, or a lack of interest in the subject matter. I mean was is the point anyway, since we are all going to die?!

Understanding these emotional factors can help individuals develop strategies to address the root causes of procrastination and build healthier habits for task management.

Navigating the Commissioned Art Market in the Age of AI

While the digital age has given opportunities for artists (digital or traditional) to showcase their work on the internet, a less discussed but equally significant consequence emerges – the economic challenges faced by artists relying on commissioned work. The proliferation of AI-driven tools and user-friendly platforms threatens to reshape the traditional market for personalized art, impacting the livelihoods of artists who thrive on commissions.

1. Erosion of Commissioned Art Market:

Many artists (hobbyists or professional) could earn a living through commissioned work, or add some revenue to their main income, by producing commissioned artworks (such as caricatures, portraits, or comic pages), but that was before  2022 as this market is being eroded by the accessibility of AI-powered tools.

2. Economic Realities for Artists:

Competing with AI tools is unfair, they are fast, produce relatively good quality artwork in matter of minutes, this is leaving artists potentially undervalued for their time and expertise. The customer could get dozen of possible artworks version in less than an hour, and if he has the assistance of a prompt engineer or a person skilled in Stable Diffusion (or midjourney), it is just a matter of retouching the best result they have selected in the end. Most AI artwork are public domain.

3. Quality vs. Quantity Debate:

There are tensions between artists and AI companies, because of the ease of producing AI-generated art quickly and the fact that the database (the checkpoint model) used to generate art is a mix of 'plundered' artwork produced by humans, some from past public domain source, or taken without permission.

Sure the unique, personalized touch that human artists bring to their creations is something that AI is not able to bring to the table, but many customers previously taking commissions are not art literate and will not perceive the difference.

4. Platform Dynamics:

Because some many AI generated images have flooded tumblr, facebook, pinterest, etc ... these new images being mixed with the real work of artists and hobbyist (trying to make a living) has impacted their visibility, client acquisition, and overall market presence.

5. Adaptation and Innovation:

The artists who manage to learn AI skills have successfully navigated this changing landscape by adapting their skills or finding innovative ways to collaborate with AI tools. And are now a lot more efficient, and produce more and with a keen professional eye.

While many others are struggling. Except for the renowned, recognized one.

The hope is that the future will empower artists to remain competitive while preserving the value of their craft in the face of technological disruption. The hope is that art communities are coming together to support one another, sharing insights, and fostering a sense of solidarity amid industry changes.

As the commissioned art market undergoes a transformation fueled by AI and automation, the economic realities for many artists become increasingly complex. Navigating this landscape requires a delicate balance between adapting to technological shifts and preserving the intrinsic value of personalized, handcrafted art. Artists and the broader creative community must engage in conversations, advocacy, and innovative solutions to ensure the sustainability of artistic livelihoods in the face of evolving digital landscapes.

Sora, Gemini, 2024 AI news update

bard.google.com is now https://gemini.google.com/app

It is possible to edit and run Python code snippets directly in Gemini's user interface.

It is important to remind people that "Gemini Apps" are an experimental technology and may sometimes give inaccurate (or inappropriate) information.

For example don’t rely on medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice given by the AI, double check everything.

It is good to know as well, that Google will collect your:

• Conversations
• Location
• Feedback
• Usage information

The Mystery has been resolved

Have you ever found yourself staring at a photo, completely stumped about who's in it? Yeah, me too.

This has been going on for months, scratching my head over who could be that cosplayer, and I posted a few articles using this picture, hoping someday to find a match in google lens.

Enter the hero of this story, an online gentleman by the name of cliffordpadraig, who had the answer!

With a keen eye he identified the person in the photo as none other than the fabulous Fabibi World cosplay! 

The mystery of the "unkown Cammy Bison cosplayer" photo  was solved, and it was all thanks to this amazing individual.

Online small act of kindness have big impact. 

It not only cleared up my confusion but also reminded me of the power of online communities. 

Here was the picture:

Fabibi, the Chilean cosplay phenomenon, has graced stages at conventions worldwide, dazzling audiences with her diverse costume creations. Cammy White in her various flavor (Classic Cammy, Killer bee Cammy, and Bison Cammy).

Here is the link to clifford's blog: https://blogclif.wordpress.com/

Once again, thank you very much, good Sir!

Krea tutorial

More about Krea.ai

AI Video with pixverse

https://app.pixverse.ai/create/video

Generating images with Krea.ai

KREA is a website with a creative assistant and with it you can create text-to-images, alter them in a variety of ways and arrange them in a canvas.

There are basically two different way to use Krea, through the 'on the fly generation' (this is extremely disorienting as an image is automatically generated as you type!)

Or through 'Studio Projects' which is a bit messy.

These below are my first impressions on the interface, I was really impressed by the real time rendering of the image.

On the right side, you can switch to different style (default, portrait, cgi, cartoon, ...) this is just for the quick changes. A download button is here as well, but the export will be in low-resolution.

To access the finalized image, you are invited to click on rendering, then the image/enhancer/ page will open and from there the high resolution image will be tweaked and then exported.

Using the same image (as always), I was pretty happy with the result

Krea is fun because of the real-time feature, but it does not offer a large checkpoint selection, Loras etc ... It is a perfect fit for people discovering AI art, and who wants to see it working fast.

The free plan offer 3mn of runtime, but that is enough to play with Krea and generate 10 to 15 images. 

Here is a link to their documentation:

https://krea.gitbook.io/krea-wiki/getting-started/01_getting_started

https://youtu.be/wkkvcnpFSXw?si=Xdj02tvcgrYl4rBI

Stable diffusion: How to make a "Russian Propaganda Posters"

One of my most visited post on this blog is the propaganda poster article

it is from 2009 and now in 2024 with Artificial intelligence this is even easier

a prompt such as:

'vector poster of a revolutionary soldier woman in commissar uniform with a red star ; in the style of (((vector art))), by Shepard Fairey, in the style of tarot card'

will generate this

Upscaling Low-Resolution Images

In the fascinating world of artificial intelligence, one of the most impressive advancements has been the ability to upscale low-resolution images. Gone are the days when blurry or pixelated pictures were doomed to remain forever in their subpar state. 

Thanks to AI-powered algorithms, we now have the means to enhance and upscale the quality of these images, unveiling hidden details and transforming them into visually stunning masterpieces.

Let's take an example with this little picture (source unknown):

In very low quality, google lens cannot even find the source of this photo

And here is new enhanced version of based on this low quality picture

How great is that?

Colorful Feathers Filter

 Still using https://www.seaart.ai/ai-tools/ai-filter

I applied the filter to this mage 

Using 'Colorful Feathers'

Ink Painting Style

Still using https://www.seaart.ai/ai-tools/ai-filter

Ink Painting Style 

GTA Filter

 Still using https://www.seaart.ai/ai-tools/ai-filter

GTA Filter

Simple AI filter

With ai-filter no prompt are required, it just works and return amazing results 

just look at these examples:

Traditional Comics

Furina

Demon Slayer Girl

Anime 2D

2D Pirate

Perl is still relevant in 2024

Perl, is a programming language that holds a special place in the hearts of many IT professionals. 

It has been around for quite some time and has proven its worth in various domains of software development.

In 2024, Perl continues to be a language worth learning for several reasons. Firstly, it offers a rich set of built-in functions and libraries that make it a powerful tool for handling complex tasks. Whether you're working on web development, system administration, or network programming, Perl has got your back.

One of the main reasons why Perl remains relevant is its unmatched ability to manipulate text and perform regular expressions. This makes it a go-to language for tasks like data parsing, text processing, and log file analysis. In fields where dealing with large amounts of unstructured data is common, Perl's flexibility proves to be a game-changer.

Moreover, Perl's community is vibrant and supportive. It has a dedicated group of developers who actively contribute to its growth and provide extensive documentation and resources. This ensures that learning Perl becomes an enjoyable and collaborative journey.

Another good thing: Perl is pre-installed on most Unix-like systems, including Apple's macOS and various Linux distributions. This means that when you work on these operating systems, you can start using Perl right away without the need for additional installations or configurations.

However, when it comes to Windows machines, Perl is not included by default. 

Additionally, many legacy systems and applications still rely on Perl. By acquiring Perl skills, you can maintain and enhance these existing systems, opening up opportunities for job stability and career growth.

Furthermore, Perl's versatility and cross-platform compatibility make it an excellent choice for scripting tasks across different operating systems. Whether you're working on Windows, Linux, or other Unix-like systems, Perl can be your trusted companion.

Perl remains and will remain a language of great importance in the IT industry, even in the year 2024. Its robust capabilities, text processing prowess, and active community make it a language worth learning for aspiring developers. So, don't hesitate to embark on your Perl journey and embrace the opportunities it offers. 

Happy coding!

https://www.perl.org/