How to Register (Create an Account) on DEG Mods

DEG Mods uses Nostr, a censorship-resistant communication protocol, instead of traditional accounts based on usernames, email addresses, and passwords.

This means creating a DEG Mods account is a little different from what you may be used to. The good news is that you only need to do it once. After you've created your Nostr account, you can use it not only on DEG Mods, but on any website or application built on Nostr.

This guide walks you through the entire process, from creating your account to signing in for the first time.

How to create an account on DEG Mods

Creating a DEG Mods account is the same as creating a Nostr account. There are multiple ways to do this, including using a browser extension, a mobile app, or generating one directly through a website that supports it.

For the purposes of this guide, we'll be using a browser extension, as it's currently the easiest and most convenient method. When you click the Register button on DEG Mods, you'll see several recommended browser extensions below the introduction video. You're free to choose whichever one you prefer.

Unlike traditional websites, DEG Mods never creates or stores your account. Instead, your account belongs entirely to you. The browser extension securely stores your private key and lets you sign into websites without ever revealing that private key to them.

After installing your preferred extension, pin it to your browser for easy access. On browsers such as Chrome or Brave, you can do this by clicking the puzzle piece icon in the toolbar, then clicking the pin icon next to your Nostr extension.

Once the extension is pinned, click its icon and then click the gear/settings icon to begin the account creation process.

Click Generate, then Save.

The extension will generate two keys:

• Private key (nsec...): Think of this as something similar to your password. It proves ownership of your account. Store it somewhere safe, preferably in a password manager or another secure location. If you lose it, nobody can recover your account. If someone else gets it, they'll have full access to your account. DEG Mods cannot recover, reset, or replace your private key.
• Public key (npub...): Think of this as your permanent account ID. This is the public identity that other people and applications see.

Once you've saved your private key, your account has been created.

How to sign into DEG Mods

Open the DEG Mods website and click Login in the top-right corner.

Select the option to sign in with your browser extension. Your Nostr extension will open a confirmation popup asking whether you'd like to authorize DEG Mods.

If you'd like, you can enable the option to remember this decision so you won't be asked every time you sign in.

Click Authorize.

You're done. You've successfully created your account and signed into DEG Mods. You can now publish mods, leave comments, react to posts, and use every other feature on the site.

Video guide

If you'd rather watch the process than read it, you can follow along with this video guide:

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Questions and Answers

Is this safe?

The browser extensions and mobile apps recommended by DEG Mods were not developed by us, so we can't personally guarantee their security. However, to the best of our knowledge, the ones we recommend are trustworthy and open source.

If you're technically inclined, you're welcome to inspect their source code yourself before using them.

Why do you have such a complicated way to make an account?

It probably looks more complicated than it actually is because it's different from what you're used to.

In reality, the process is simply:

1. Install a Nostr extension.
2. Generate your account.
3. Click Login.

That's it.

The only additional responsibility is safely backing up your private key. In exchange, you truly own your account. No website, including DEG Mods, can reset it, take it away from you, or lock you out.

You also only need to do this once. The same Nostr account can be used across any website or application built on Nostr.

Why don't you have a normal registration system with an email and password?

We could, but doing so would go against the core principles that DEG Mods is built on.

A traditional account system means the platform owns your identity. Whether you sign in with an email and password or through Google, Steam, Discord, or another provider, the platform ultimately controls your account.

If DEG Mods worked that way, we could delete your account, prevent you from logging in, revoke your identity on the platform, and directly censor your ability to participate.

Instead, DEG Mods uses Nostr identities. Your account belongs to you, not to us. We don't create it, we don't own it, and we can't take it away from you.

Of course, that freedom comes with a small amount of inconvenience and a bit of learning. We believe that's a worthwhile tradeoff for giving you true ownership of your account and content, and we'll continue doing everything we can to make the experience as simple and seamless as possible without compromising those principles.

What do you mean you can't help me restore my account or reset my password?

Your account is created on your own device, not on a server controlled by DEG Mods.

We never receive or store your private key, and we shouldn't. Because of that, we have no way to recover your account if you lose it, nor can we reset your private key to a new one.

This is an intentional property of Nostr, not a limitation unique to DEG Mods.