Re: High Level Question

Hi Michael, Thanks for your question, and diagram.  You can also look at the terminology database I referenced in my last message for definitions/senses of the terms:  http://arstweb.clayton.edu/interlex2/en/blockchain.php .

In general, I am finding that definitions are aligned with epistemic communities and in some cases “philosophies” so that public blockchains are associated with groups that support a more radically social transformative agenda with respect to the blockchain, as well as those whose business model is based on mining bitcoin, and DLTs is a term more commonly used by stakeholders that play a more traditional role of “intermediary” within existing social, political and financial systems.

I make this observation as an academic, observing what is being discussed globally, not to advance a particular agenda.

Best wishes,
Vicki.
On Mar 29, 2017, at 11:05 AM, Michael D. Palage <michael@palage.com<mailto:michael@palage.com>> wrote:

Hello All,

During today’s call I proposed the following question to those in attendance.

In connection with some research I was undertaking I noticed a growing number of governmental regulators and FinTech players that were making increased use of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and avoiding the use of the term “blockchain” (i.e. potentially because of the previous stigma/reservation regarding BitCoin).   While I personally have historically used the terms interchangeably, I think it is important to perhaps step back and ask whether we might want to make a distinction, or explain how the terms are interrelated.

The Venn diagram below is my current best thinking on how describe the DLT/blockchain landscape.

[cid:image002.jpg@01D2A895.7B655E40]


As I explained to those individuals on the call today, I would like to propose editing the opening section of the paper to help explain these delineations in more detail. I believe one of the objectives in our use case document is to make it a learning/instructive document. This is why I am proposing to include this description here.

Nick I think you had mentioned on the call today some previous work this group might have done previously regarding “characteristics/qualities” of blockchain.  If you could share that info and prevent the re-invention of the wheel I would greatly appreciated.

However, before I begin editing the document, I wanted to run this concept by the entire mailing list and solicit any additional input people might have.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,

Michael