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Early blockchains like bitcoins might have this thin/fat protocol aspect, but this is much less true of newer blockchains like ethereum. Granted, with programmi

Early blockchains like bitcoins might have this thin/fat protocol aspect, but this is much less true of newer blockchains like ethereum. Granted, with programming languages like Solidity we are still quite limited but there are some interesting developments ongoing, like possibly integrating the webassembly tech with some blockchains, to allow more flexibility on the application layer (see ewasm for ethereum). But generally speaking, this protocol issue is of little interest for end users. What is of interest to them is the fact that their data can become decentralized with the blockchain, and the power balance can be shifted back to them. With all the tech majors becoming so powerful thats a really big deal.

Shoothe 9y ago
> But generally speaking, this protocol issue is of little interest for end users. > What is of interest to them is the fact that their data can become decentralized with the blockchain I'm not really interested in putting my emails in a blockchain, or did you mean some kind of... different data?
- zaptheimpaler 9y ago
  Bank data is one example. We don't even own our own transaction history/data - no bank provides free APIs to access this for consumers, the only option is to download manually/scrape through their websites. And as banks own this data, they could stop or handicap exports even further anytime they choose. I know if my bank gave me simple API access to my own data I would not have any use for apps like Quicken/Mint. Credit agencies like Equifax also own our credit history data, and generously sell it back to us - 1 free report a year, rest you pay for. While also selling it to other companies without our permission. Which employers can get their hands on via background checks, again without our consent. Not to mention one of them recently got hacked and leaked everyone's SSNs. Their entire model is capturing our data and selling it to others. We should own this data, and choose if and when we would like to provide it to a bank to get a loan etc. Ad tracking/browsing data is another. The current model is the people making the trackers own all your data. A model where WE own our web activity data and selectively choose what to expose to websites/advertisers would be much better for consumers.
  - Shoothe 9y ago
    > no bank provides free APIs to access this for consumers, the only option is to download manually/scrape through their websites. In Europe they will have to provide the API thanks to PSD2: https://softjourn.com/blog/open-banking-api/ https://softjourn.com/blog/open-banking-api/ > Ad tracking/browsing data is another. The current model is the people making the trackers own all your data. A model where WE own our web activity data and selectively choose what to expose to websites/advertisers would be much better for consumers. I don't know how this relates to blockchain at all. Blockchain by design is public and replicated to anyone. How would you withdraw your data from there?
    - mgeuirx 9y ago
      It's not public, it's just massively replicated. Your data on the blockchain is encrypted. Only you with your private keys can decrypt it and decide with whom to share it with.
      - Shoothe 9y ago
        Could you clarify which blockchain you are talking about? In Bitcoin nothing is encrypted and keys are used only to sign transactions.
krrrh 9y ago
> What is of interest to them is the fact that their data can become decentralized with the blockchain… I honestly feel like the terms decentralized and distributed are often used as synonyms when people talk about blockchain, even though they mean very different things. I get that a blockchain is distributed, but how is it decentralized? Aren’t you just replacing a big database in a data center with a big database replicated to many computers?

Shoothe 9y ago

> But generally speaking, this protocol issue is of little interest for end users. > What is of interest to them is the fact that their data can become decentralized with the blockchain I'm not really interested in putting my emails in a blockchain, or did you mean some kind of... different data?

zaptheimpaler 9y ago
Bank data is one example. We don't even own our own transaction history/data - no bank provides free APIs to access this for consumers, the only option is to download manually/scrape through their websites. And as banks own this data, they could stop or handicap exports even further anytime they choose. I know if my bank gave me simple API access to my own data I would not have any use for apps like Quicken/Mint. Credit agencies like Equifax also own our credit history data, and generously sell it back to us - 1 free report a year, rest you pay for. While also selling it to other companies without our permission. Which employers can get their hands on via background checks, again without our consent. Not to mention one of them recently got hacked and leaked everyone's SSNs. Their entire model is capturing our data and selling it to others. We should own this data, and choose if and when we would like to provide it to a bank to get a loan etc. Ad tracking/browsing data is another. The current model is the people making the trackers own all your data. A model where WE own our web activity data and selectively choose what to expose to websites/advertisers would be much better for consumers.
- Shoothe 9y ago
  > no bank provides free APIs to access this for consumers, the only option is to download manually/scrape through their websites. In Europe they will have to provide the API thanks to PSD2: https://softjourn.com/blog/open-banking-api/ https://softjourn.com/blog/open-banking-api/ > Ad tracking/browsing data is another. The current model is the people making the trackers own all your data. A model where WE own our web activity data and selectively choose what to expose to websites/advertisers would be much better for consumers. I don't know how this relates to blockchain at all. Blockchain by design is public and replicated to anyone. How would you withdraw your data from there?
  - mgeuirx 9y ago
    It's not public, it's just massively replicated. Your data on the blockchain is encrypted. Only you with your private keys can decrypt it and decide with whom to share it with.
    - Shoothe 9y ago
      Could you clarify which blockchain you are talking about? In Bitcoin nothing is encrypted and keys are used only to sign transactions.

krrrh 9y ago

> What is of interest to them is the fact that their data can become decentralized with the blockchain… I honestly feel like the terms decentralized and distributed are often used as synonyms when people talk about blockchain, even though they mean very different things. I get that a blockchain is distributed, but how is it decentralized? Aren’t you just replacing a big database in a data center with a big database replicated to many computers?