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> A blockchain is a chain of blocks. Tautological, but the words mean something; it isn't just a name. No, it doesn't work like that. "Blockchain" is understoo
by losvedir 8y ago
> A blockchain is a chain of blocks. Tautological, but the words mean something; it isn't just a name.
No, it doesn't work like that. "Blockchain" is understood to mean something and you can't decompose the compound word and say "well, here's a block. Oh, and here's a chain. I guess this is a block chain." Your description, e.g., applies to a Merkle tree [0], which git uses, and was published in 1979. But no one has ever or will ever call it a blockchain.
Is a Ford F-150 that's been lit on fire a firetruck? How much straw is in a strawberry?
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle_tree
- FabHK 8y agoYou're on the right side of the linguistic prescriptivism vs descriptivism debate, but I think the meaning of that word might not have settled enough yet. Personally, I think it makes sense to restrict "blockchain" to a chain (or DAG) of blocks with hashes, and refer to Bitcoin etc. technology as blockchain + POW (rather than having "blockchain" subsume the POW). That might be a losing battle, but not sure the battle is over yet...
- scott_s 8y agoMy go-to example for this is "putting a Hershey's bar in the microwave is not hot chocolate."