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I always find this introduction (including a "live demonstration") by Anders Brownworth very illustrative: https://anders.com/blockchain/ https://anders.com/blo

by jcfrei 9y ago

I always find this introduction (including a "live demonstration") by Anders Brownworth very illustrative: https://anders.com/blockchain/ https://anders.com/blockchain/

AngelloPozo 9y ago
I keep forgetting this exists. The video is damn good at explaining how blockchain overall. I think the strongest bit, is showing how data manipulation is easily detectable.
jfaucett 9y ago
This is a great video/site. After watching this, it made me think how amazing the blockchain would be if our accounting and trading systems were built on top of it. As a programmer outside the financial services sector, it seems to me something like this has to be the future. But it would be really interesting to see what quants and others in the field think.
- fergazen 9y ago
  Back in 2008 I invented an algorithm for tree structures where the definition of the hash of any node, was "the hash of hashes of all its immediate children". I had invented a way to do 'tree node comparisons' where any time two tree nodes on a tree had the same 'hash' i knew the content (recursively deep into the tree) of those nodes was identical. I never went forward on that algorithm, because i knew it meant each time a tree node was modified, the hash of all it's parents (i.e. path to root), had to be recalculate. But I had explained it to several developers who were all amazed by it. It now realize I had invented blockchain. I am pretty sure i'm not the first one to realize hashing actual hashes (in a recursive or chained way) is a powerful concept. I may add this to my current project SubNode (sbnode.com), and I could pivot that app into a blockchain technology!
  - pacaro 9y ago
    I think Merkle got there first, in about 1979 or so. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree
    - jacquesm 9y ago
      It's a nice strike against software patents though, probably every programmer interested in data structures goes through a whole series of these independent inventions. To award a patent to someone just because they thought of it first is ridiculous.
      - fergazen 9y ago
        I'm no lawyer, but they really need to outlaw patents on 'general purpose' technologies. Adam Carolla famously got sued for owning a podcast company, when someone claimed to have a patent on the entire concept of "downloadable audio". I think there should be a one year jail term for anyone who files a suit about something that ends up being determined "general purpose" technology. Would end the nonsense overnight.
    - fergazen 9y ago
      Very interesting, thanks. I had never heard of Merkle Tree. Since a linked list is merely a special case of a 'tree structure' (i.e. one where there is always only one child), we can consider Merkle to be the true 'inventor' of blockchain. However, really the concept is so simple and obvious that I wouldn't be surprised if Babbage/Lovelace era folks had written papers on it. I'm sure there's at least one arse who'll tell me the DIFFERENCE between a tree and a linked list. lol. Gotta love social media.
      - komaromy 9y ago
        He'd also be the true inventor of Git then. It's a widely useful data structure.
        fergazen 9y ago
fergazen 9y ago
wow. That Anders video is definitely the best description/explanation of blockchain I've ever seen.
bernardlunn 9y ago
I found this very clear and accessible
rorykoehler 9y ago
This is fantastic. Great explainer for both tech and non-tech alike. Thanks for sharing.

by jcfrei 9y ago

I always find this introduction (including a "live demonstration") by Anders Brownworth very illustrative: https://anders.com/blockchain/ https://anders.com/blockchain/

AngelloPozo 9y ago

I keep forgetting this exists. The video is damn good at explaining how blockchain overall. I think the strongest bit, is showing how data manipulation is easily detectable.

jfaucett 9y ago

This is a great video/site. After watching this, it made me think how amazing the blockchain would be if our accounting and trading systems were built on top of it. As a programmer outside the financial services sector, it seems to me something like this has to be the future. But it would be really interesting to see what quants and others in the field think.

fergazen 9y ago
Back in 2008 I invented an algorithm for tree structures where the definition of the hash of any node, was "the hash of hashes of all its immediate children". I had invented a way to do 'tree node comparisons' where any time two tree nodes on a tree had the same 'hash' i knew the content (recursively deep into the tree) of those nodes was identical. I never went forward on that algorithm, because i knew it meant each time a tree node was modified, the hash of all it's parents (i.e. path to root), had to be recalculate. But I had explained it to several developers who were all amazed by it. It now realize I had invented blockchain. I am pretty sure i'm not the first one to realize hashing actual hashes (in a recursive or chained way) is a powerful concept. I may add this to my current project SubNode (sbnode.com), and I could pivot that app into a blockchain technology!
- pacaro 9y ago
  I think Merkle got there first, in about 1979 or so. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree
  - jacquesm 9y ago
    It's a nice strike against software patents though, probably every programmer interested in data structures goes through a whole series of these independent inventions. To award a patent to someone just because they thought of it first is ridiculous.
    - fergazen 9y ago
      I'm no lawyer, but they really need to outlaw patents on 'general purpose' technologies. Adam Carolla famously got sued for owning a podcast company, when someone claimed to have a patent on the entire concept of "downloadable audio". I think there should be a one year jail term for anyone who files a suit about something that ends up being determined "general purpose" technology. Would end the nonsense overnight.
  - fergazen 9y ago
    Very interesting, thanks. I had never heard of Merkle Tree. Since a linked list is merely a special case of a 'tree structure' (i.e. one where there is always only one child), we can consider Merkle to be the true 'inventor' of blockchain. However, really the concept is so simple and obvious that I wouldn't be surprised if Babbage/Lovelace era folks had written papers on it. I'm sure there's at least one arse who'll tell me the DIFFERENCE between a tree and a linked list. lol. Gotta love social media.
    - komaromy 9y ago
      He'd also be the true inventor of Git then. It's a widely useful data structure.
      - fergazen 9y ago

fergazen 9y ago

wow. That Anders video is definitely the best description/explanation of blockchain I've ever seen.

bernardlunn 9y ago

I found this very clear and accessible

rorykoehler 9y ago

This is fantastic. Great explainer for both tech and non-tech alike. Thanks for sharing.