Re: Blockchain Technologies Feature Analysis

On 10 October 2016 at 02:24, Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com> wrote:

> On 10/07/2016 10:08 PM, Melvin Carvalho wrote:
> > Are the terms in this attachment a basis for a vocabulary?
>
> Yes, and we've started working on a vocab here:
>
> http://web-payments.github.io/flex-ledger/vocabulary.html


Excellent!  What's the scope, will it include terms like the block header
fields, or limited to protocol/algorithm level fields?


>
>
> This is the vocab that's used for the proof of concept ledger we've
> implemented here:
>
> http://dhs2016ledger.digitalbazaar.com/
>

This is really good, is it open source?


>
> If you open up a JS debug console, you can see what's sent to and from
> the Ledger HTTP API. We'll be documenting the HTTP API over the next
> several weeks. You can see a high-level view of it here:
>
> http://dhs2016ledger.digitalbazaar.com/docs#_ledgers


Also excellent.  What's the thoughts on describing APIs?  One spec per API,
or use something like Hydra?


>
>
> > I'm very reluctant to criticize the work in any way, because I am
> > basically in awe of it.
>
> But there is so much to criticize! :)
>
> It's very rough and early, but we wanted to circulate it to make sure we
> get feedback early... especially if we're wrong about something. We
> cover a lot of ground in the analysis, so plenty of space to have messed
> something up along the way. :P
>
> We're going to be working on furthering this work at Rebooting Web of
> Trust and have submitted a topic paper to dig in deeper there:
>
> https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-
> web-of-trust-fall2016/blob/master/topics-and-advance-
> readings/fit-for-purpose-blockchains.md


Like this alot.

I can confirm the bitmark project will be interested in incorporating these
ideas into our live crypto currency, which hopes to become the leading
crypto currency focused on linked data, the semantic web, decentralized
identity and trust / reputation systems.

I have started a wiki page with the white papers and standards we'd like to
use.

https://github.com/project-bitmark/bitmark/wiki/White-Papers


>
>
> > But I think different users will have different takes on which types
> > of URIs to use, which I think is under the flexibility of the spec,
> > but not always conferred in the examples.
> >
> > e.g. urn:sha256:7fa3b9eaa8d92d2b87abf83d88a92ff23
> >
> > Could this be an ni: URI?
>
> Yes, of course. :) It could potentially be any URI and I think it would
> be a mistake for us to pick just one.
>

OK!  Then better for me to raise an issue with proposal, PR?


>
> > Similarly there seems to be a wide mixing of HTTP document URIs, HTTP
> > data (fragid) URIs (lack thereof!), and content addressable strings.
> > e.g. design choice here will have different levels of protocol
> > coupling, and decentralization features.
>
> Yes, what's in the spec is a rough first cut. Over time we'll try to do
> a better job of explaining that the range of options are far greater
> than what's in the spec right now.
>
> > I think programmers building systems with this spec are going to
> > have to have to do a lot of trial and error (as I have been for a
> > few years) or somehow get some insights into the trade offs on using
> > different URIs in each part of the data structures.
>
> Agreed, which is where we hope this community comes in. We only have so
> many spare cycles. We can document what we do, but we need others to vet
> whether or not these data structures and vocabularies work for them as
> well.
>
> > Hopefully over time this will become more apparent, and feed back
> > into the specs, or complimentary material.
>
> +1
>
> > In any case, amazing work, what's next steps for this?
>
> Over the next month we plan to:
>
> 1. Update the Flex Ledger specification with:
>    * Details around the Ledger HTTP API
>    * Updates to make it reflect the proof of concept we built for DHS
>      http://dhs2016ledger.digitalbazaar.com/
> 2. Further identify areas for standardization at RWoT
>
> https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-
> web-of-trust-fall2016/blob/master/topics-and-advance-
> readings/fit-for-purpose-blockchains.md
> 3. Do some work on Blockchain extensions for Linked Data Signatures:
>
> https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-
> web-of-trust-fall2016/blob/master/topics-and-advance-readings/blockchain-
> extensions-for-linked-data-signatures.md
>
> We'd love your input on any of that, Melvin. Same goes for the other
> smart people in this group. :)
>

Will do, so we use the standard github workflow, with high level discussion
on the Mailing List?


>
> -- manu
>
> --
> Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny, G+: +Manu Sporny)
> Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
> blog: Rebalancing How the Web is Built
> http://manu.sporny.org/2016/rebalancing/
>
>