4 ms·
Suppose a client and server were connected with a connection running with speed of light. Even then, there is some finite limit as to how many bits can be trans
by kang 11y ago
Suppose a client and server were connected with a connection running with speed of light. Even then, there is some finite limit as to how many bits can be transferred. How do we handle scalability beyond it then? By abstraction. Rather than sending raw data we only send what is relevant & decode it at either ends.
Now transactions are raw data that flows in the bitcoin network, but there will always remain a practical limit. Throughput of the network is number of transactions per unit of time it can handle, which translates to number of blocks per unit of time.
To increase the value of this equation, 3 things can be done: 1.increase block size 2.Decrease block time 3.Abstraction
The problem is that XT side considers increasing blocksize is the only way. The core side has presented sidechains as one of the methods of abstraction, but since they invented it they formed a company out of it and now it appears as conflict of interest. Anyways, XT side is painting the Core side as anti scaling, which is totally untrue, but since sidechains are not even being heard, they are inviting other proposals to be presented at the workshop in Montreal on 12th Sept.
- ssharp 11y agoWhat I don't get is how quickly the debate started and then dissolved with a potential hard fork as the outcome. What was the urgency to make a change? Yes, Bitcoin couldn't scale as it was, but there wasn't even close to enough demand for Bitcoin transaction for the topic to have escalated so quickly. Are Bitcoin people so delusional about how popular Bitcoin is or will be, that they thought the amount of transactions that could be put into a block was of such dire importance?
- kang 11y agoPeople are what they are, but why blocksize specifically is beyond reason.
- jackgavigan 11y agoYou should read http://gavinandresen.ninja/why-increasing-the-max-block-size-is-urgent http://gavinandresen.ninja/why-increasing-the-max-block-size...
- toomim 11y agoWhat do you mean "quickly"? The debate has gone on for years! How many years do you think we should debate before someone takes action?
- ssharp 11y agoThe debate may be old, fair enough, but the past three or so months, gasoline was poured on the fire and I'm not sure why.
- restalis 11y ago"Suppose a client and server were connected with a connection running with speed of light. Even then, there is some finite limit as to how many bits can be transferred. How do we handle scalability beyond it then? By abstraction." Also by additional (independent) connections and parallel transfer/processing of those bits. Personally I think that abstraction (and especially its levels) should be governed by the law of diminishing returns, not by hard limits. The hard limits must be dealt with through other means.
- kang 11y agoBy stating that, I meant there is some limit to hard limits always. And bitcoin is unlike traditional networking; better network does not directly affect scaling.