diff --git a/internal_filesystem/lib/userlist.py b/internal_filesystem/lib/userlist.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e112354
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal_filesystem/lib/userlist.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# for micropython compatibility
+
+class UserList:
+    def __init__(self, initlist=None):
+        self.data = list(initlist) if initlist is not None else []
+
+    # Support basic list operations
+    def __getitem__(self, index):
+        return self.data[index]
+
+    def __setitem__(self, index, value):
+        self.data[index] = value
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        return len(self.data)
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return iter(self.data)
+
+    def append(self, item):
+        self.data.append(item)
+
+    def extend(self, other):
+        self.data.extend(other)
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return f"{self.__class__.__name__}({self.data!r})"
+
+
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket.py b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket.py
index d5112035..0250a1ab 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket.py
+++ b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket.py
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@ class WebSocketApp:
         while self.running and self.ping_interval:
             self.last_ping_tm = time.time()
             try:
-                await self.ws.send_bytes(self.ping_payload.encode() if isinstance(self.ping_payload, str) else self.ping_payload)
-                _log_debug("Sending ping")
+                
+                #await self.ws.send_bytes(self.ping_payload.encode() if isinstance(self.ping_payload, str) else self.ping_payload)
+                _log_debug("NOT Sending ping because it seems corrupt")
             except Exception as e:
                 _log_debug(f"Failed to send ping: {e}")
             await asyncio.sleep(self.ping_interval)
@@ -219,6 +220,8 @@ class WebSocketApp:
             reconnect = reconnect
 
         while self.running:
+            print("self.running")
+            time.sleep(1)
             try:
                 await self._connect_and_run()
             except Exception as e:
@@ -253,6 +256,7 @@ class WebSocketApp:
             self._start_ping_thread()
 
             async for msg in ws:
+                print(f"received msg: {msg.type} - {msg.data}")
                 if not self.running:
                     break
 
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_nostr_receive.py b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_nostr_receive.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f76109b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_nostr_receive.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import json
+import ssl
+import time
+from nostr.filter import Filter, Filters
+from nostr.event import Event, EventKind
+from nostr.relay_manager import RelayManager
+from nostr.message_type import ClientMessageType
+
+#filters = Filters([Filter(authors=[<a nostr pubkey in hex>], kinds=[EventKind.TEXT_NOTE])])
+#filters = Filters([Filter(authors="04c915daefee38317fa734444acee390a8269fe5810b2241e5e6dd343dfbecc9", kinds=[EventKind.TEXT_NOTE])])
+timestamp = round(time.time()-1000)
+#filters = Filters([Filter(authors="04c915daefee38317fa734444acee390a8269fe5810b2241e5e6dd343dfbecc9", kinds=[9735], since=timestamp)])
+filters = Filters([Filter(kinds=[9735], since=timestamp)])
+
+subscription_id = "ihopethisworks2" + str(time.time())
+request = [ClientMessageType.REQUEST, subscription_id]
+json.dumps(request)
+request.extend(filters.to_json_array())
+message = json.dumps(request)
+# ["REQ", "ihopethisworks3", {"kinds": [1], "authors": "04c915daefee38317fa734444acee390a8269fe5810b2241e5e6dd343dfbecc9"}]
+print(f"sending this: {message}")
+
+
+relay_manager = RelayManager()
+#relay_manager.add_relay("wss://nostr-pub.wellorder.net")
+relay_manager.add_relay("wss://relay.damus.io")
+relay_manager.add_subscription(subscription_id, filters)
+time.sleep(2) # allow the connections to open
+
+print("opening connections")
+relay_manager.open_connections({"cert_reqs": ssl.CERT_NONE}) # NOTE: This disables ssl certificate verification
+time.sleep(2) # allow the connections to open
+
+print("publishing:")
+relay_manager.publish_message(message)
+time.sleep(1) # allow the messages to send
+
+print("printing events:")
+#while relay_manager.message_pool.has_events():
+for _ in range(60):
+    time.sleep(1)
+    print(".")
+    try:
+        event_msg = relay_manager.message_pool.get_event()
+        print(event_msg.event.content)
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"pool.get_event() got error: {e}")
+    
+
+print("closing:")
+relay_manager.close_connections()
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_nostr_test.py b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_nostr_test.py
index 5d72a767..3b473914 100644
--- a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_nostr_test.py
+++ b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_nostr_test.py
@@ -1,16 +1,23 @@
-from websocket import WebSocketApp
+import json 
+import ssl
+import time
+from nostr.event import Event
+from nostr.relay_manager import RelayManager
+from nostr.message_type import ClientMessageType
+from nostr.key import PrivateKey
 
-def on_message(ws, message):
-    print(f"Received: {message}")
+relay_manager = RelayManager()
+relay_manager.add_relay("wss://nostr-pub.wellorder.net")
+relay_manager.add_relay("wss://relay.damus.io")
+relay_manager.open_connections({"cert_reqs": ssl.CERT_NONE}) # NOTE: This disables ssl certificate verification
+time.sleep(5) # allow the connections to open
 
-def on_open(ws):
-    ws.send_text("Hello, Nostr!")
+private_key = PrivateKey()
 
-ws = WebSocketApp(
-    url="wss://relay.damus.io",
-    on_open=on_open,
-    on_message=on_message,
-    on_error=lambda ws, e: print(f"Error: {e}"),
-    on_close=lambda ws, code, reason: print("Closed")
-)
-ws.run_forever(ping_interval=30, ping_timeout=10)
+event = Event("Hello Nostr")
+private_key.sign_event(event)
+
+relay_manager.publish_event(event)
+time.sleep(1) # allow the messages to send
+
+relay_manager.close_connections()
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..58e5e76c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+
+import websocket
+import _thread
+import time
+
+def on_message(wsapp, message):
+    print(f"got message: {message}")
+
+def on_ping(wsapp, message):
+    print("Got a ping! A pong reply has already been automatically sent.")
+
+def on_pong(wsapp, message):
+    print("Got a pong! No need to respond")
+    
+
+def on_error(wsapp, message):
+    print(f"Got error: {message}")
+    
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://testnet.binance.vision/ws/btcusdt@trade", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://echo.websocket.events", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://relay.damus.io", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://relay.primal.net", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+
+def stress_test_thread():
+    print("before run_forever")
+    #wsapp.run_forever(ping_interval=30, ping_timeout=10)
+    #wsapp.run_forever(ping_interval=300, ping_timeout=10, ping_payload="This is an optional ping payload")
+    wsapp.run_forever()
+    print("after run_forever")
+
+_thread.stack_size(32*1024)
+_thread.start_new_thread(stress_test_thread, ())
+
+time.sleep(5)
+print("sending it")
+# nothing:
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ", "ihopethisworks3", {"kinds": [1], "authors": "04c915daefee38317fa734444acee390a8269fe5810b2241e5e6dd343dfbecc9"}]')
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ", "ihopethisworks3", {"kinds": [1] }]')
+# this worked at some point:
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ","index3",{"kinds":[9735]}]')
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ","index3",{"kinds":[9735], "since": 1745086888}]')
+tosend = '["REQ","index3",{"kinds":[9735], "since": '
+tosend += str(round(time.time()-1000))
+tosend += '}]'
+print(f"sending: {tosend}")
+wsapp.send_text(tosend)
+#1745086888
+#["REQ","index",{"kinds":[9735]}]
+
+
+print("waiting 30 seconds...")
+time.sleep(30)
+#print("sending again")
+#wsapp.send_text('again')
+
+
+time.sleep(25)
+#print("sending more")
+#wsapp.send_text('more')
+
+wsapp.close()
+
+
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py_worked_without_ping_payload b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py_worked_without_ping_payload
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba0f22fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py_worked_without_ping_payload
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+
+import websocket
+import _thread
+import time
+
+def on_message(wsapp, message):
+    print(f"got message: {message}")
+
+def on_ping(wsapp, message):
+    print("Got a ping! A pong reply has already been automatically sent.")
+
+def on_pong(wsapp, message):
+    print("Got a pong! No need to respond")
+    
+
+def on_error(wsapp, message):
+    print(f"Got error: {message}")
+    
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://testnet.binance.vision/ws/btcusdt@trade", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://echo.websocket.events", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://relay.damus.io", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://relay.primal.net", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+
+def stress_test_thread():
+    print("before run_forever")
+    #wsapp.run_forever(ping_interval=30, ping_timeout=10)
+    wsapp.run_forever(ping_interval=30, ping_timeout=10, ping_payload="This is an optional ping payload")
+    print("after run_forever")
+
+_thread.stack_size(32*1024)
+_thread.start_new_thread(stress_test_thread, ())
+
+time.sleep(5)
+print("sending it")
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ", "ihopethisworks3", {"kinds": [1], "authors": "04c915daefee38317fa734444acee390a8269fe5810b2241e5e6dd343dfbecc9"}]')
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ", "ihopethisworks3", {"kinds": [1] }]')
+wsapp.send_text('["REQ","index2",{"kinds":[9735]}]')
+#["REQ","index",{"kinds":[9735]}]
+
+
+time.sleep(15)
+print("sending again")
+wsapp.send_text('again')
+
+
+time.sleep(25)
+print("sending more")
+wsapp.send_text('more')
+
+wsapp.close()
+
+
diff --git a/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py_worked_without_ping_payload_still_works b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py_worked_without_ping_payload_still_works
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..58e5e76c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal_filesystem/lib/websocket_raw_nostr_test.py_worked_without_ping_payload_still_works
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+
+import websocket
+import _thread
+import time
+
+def on_message(wsapp, message):
+    print(f"got message: {message}")
+
+def on_ping(wsapp, message):
+    print("Got a ping! A pong reply has already been automatically sent.")
+
+def on_pong(wsapp, message):
+    print("Got a pong! No need to respond")
+    
+
+def on_error(wsapp, message):
+    print(f"Got error: {message}")
+    
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://testnet.binance.vision/ws/btcusdt@trade", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://echo.websocket.events", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://relay.damus.io", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+#wsapp = websocket.WebSocketApp("wss://relay.primal.net", on_message=on_message, on_ping=on_ping, on_pong=on_pong, on_error=on_error)
+
+
+def stress_test_thread():
+    print("before run_forever")
+    #wsapp.run_forever(ping_interval=30, ping_timeout=10)
+    #wsapp.run_forever(ping_interval=300, ping_timeout=10, ping_payload="This is an optional ping payload")
+    wsapp.run_forever()
+    print("after run_forever")
+
+_thread.stack_size(32*1024)
+_thread.start_new_thread(stress_test_thread, ())
+
+time.sleep(5)
+print("sending it")
+# nothing:
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ", "ihopethisworks3", {"kinds": [1], "authors": "04c915daefee38317fa734444acee390a8269fe5810b2241e5e6dd343dfbecc9"}]')
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ", "ihopethisworks3", {"kinds": [1] }]')
+# this worked at some point:
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ","index3",{"kinds":[9735]}]')
+#wsapp.send_text('["REQ","index3",{"kinds":[9735], "since": 1745086888}]')
+tosend = '["REQ","index3",{"kinds":[9735], "since": '
+tosend += str(round(time.time()-1000))
+tosend += '}]'
+print(f"sending: {tosend}")
+wsapp.send_text(tosend)
+#1745086888
+#["REQ","index",{"kinds":[9735]}]
+
+
+print("waiting 30 seconds...")
+time.sleep(30)
+#print("sending again")
+#wsapp.send_text('again')
+
+
+time.sleep(25)
+#print("sending more")
+#wsapp.send_text('more')
+
+wsapp.close()
+
+