4 ms·

Show HN: Bob – A GUI for DNS Record Management and Name Auctions on Handshake

66 points by sdtsui 7y ago

mmanfrin 7y ago
Can someone ELI5 on what this is? What are Name Auctions on Handshake?
- evgen 7y ago
  The ELI5 is that this is more PR astroturfing by the Handshake team, like the four or five other links they have posted to HN over the past two days. After only a few hours the bulk of the comments are by people close to the project telling everyone else how it will solve all problems and provide digital ponies for everyone...
  - sdtsui 7y ago
    I'm not a member of the Handshake team, and I don't have control over what comments get posted. This is a Show HN - I am sharing something I have helped make, that other people can play with. That was my only intention, and I've atttempted to follow the guidelines here: https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html I don't know what other links have been posted beside this thread, which a colleague sent to me: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604 That said, you are probably right. It doesn't surprise me that there is a lot of Handshake-related activity on HN right now. The project was conceived over two years ago, and today marks its second week of existence and the first day that people can actually try it out. Respectfully, is it possible that most of this is genuine interest/excitement in a new project instead of, as you put it, "PR astroturfing"?
- cjbprime 7y ago
  Handshake's a new blockchain based DNS replacement, and auctions are the way people buy domain names (actually domain TLDs) on it.
- ktorvald 7y ago
  A thread from yesterday on Handshake: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604
- troquerre 7y ago
  This faq answers some basic questions https://namebase.io/faq https://namebase.io/faq along with this tutorial https://www.namebase.io/blog/tutorial-1-what-is-handshake-and-hns https://www.namebase.io/blog/tutorial-1-what-is-handshake-an...
cjbprime 7y ago
How cool! Sorry to ask an unrelated question: I saw something about how people shouldn't perform airdrop claims on Handshake mainnet yet because transfers are still disabled, is that still true?
- sdtsui 7y ago
  Yes, this is true, but the transfers are being enabled later today (evening Pacific). Transfers will be enabled on Block 2016, and blocks are ~every 10 minutes - right now ~1960. https://hnscan.com/?page=/blocks https://hnscan.com/?page=/blocks If you are reading this on Feb 15th or afterwards, claims and auctions are working. Non-custodial options are Bob and using cli. Namebase is the only custodial option right now.
- troquerre 7y ago
  Yep! Once transfers are enabled in ~6 hours (https://hnsxplorer.com/ https://hnsxplorer.com/) you'll be able to claim, but not before then. This tool can help you claim your coins easily https://namebase.io/airdrop https://namebase.io/airdrop (currently worth ~$2000 at market price but imo it's better to actually play around with them and hold rather than sell everything immediately).
mdszy 7y ago
So another random coin that isn't actually going to solve anything because it's just being thrown at a problem randomly like blockchain always is. Nice.
- RL_Quine 7y ago
  No no, this one is not an ICO, it's a privately funded currency that was given away for free to anyone who had a popular account on Github!
  - troquerre 7y ago
    In addition, the $10.2mm that was raised was all donated to non-profits and open-source projects. I.e. fsf https://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-receives-1-million-from-handshake https://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-receives-1...
    - RL_Quine 7y ago
      Why?
      - SkyMarshal 7y ago
        Handshake didn’t need the VCs’ money, only their credible early stage project valuation. But Handshake had to accept the investment in order to make the valuation real, but then gave away all the money b/c they didn’t need it. They hope it can serve as a better model for future ICOs, where a big chunk of the money goes to FOSS groups.
- dboreham 7y ago
  Not really. Compared to the average blockchain project handshake.org has some thinking behind it and is attempting to solve a real problem (e.g. recent capitalist take over of .org tld)
  - mdszy 7y ago
Vinceo 7y ago
So what does the VC's get back for gifting the $10.2mill?
- heartbeats 7y ago
  They're doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, of course.
- SkyMarshal 7y ago
  ~7% of the HNS coin supply.
sdtsui 7y ago
It looks to me like a lot of discussion about the viability/usefulness of Handshake itself, which I have no problem with; the post sparked a discussion, and that's cool with me. There are a couple of things about Bob I'd like to state, just so it's here for future readers, as I had hoped to answer questions about the software. 1. Bob is an electron application that also is a Handshake resolver and full node - you can find these projects at: http://github.com/handshake-org http://github.com/handshake-org 2. We're looking for contributors and help of all kinds! Like any other open-source project, bug reports, suggestions, and contributions are very much welcome. Personally, my concerns as an engineer are around the scalability of the UI (electron can be hard to work with) when many (possibly hundreds) of domains are being watched or bid on. This is behaviour I believe is possible to see, from observing early internet domainers. 3. Like many non-custodial 'wallet' projects, it is meant to be a reasonable alternative to exchange custody, but we don't provide any guarantees as the user is responsible for self-custody. We intend to add hardware wallet support in the future. The goal is for the average person to have an easier time working with Handshake and Handshake names, by using Bob instead of a cli. 4. Bob is maintained by Kyokan, and I am the CEO there. It is not maintained by the Handshake team, and there is no Handshake foundation or business that runs the project. Kyokan is a separate software engineering consultancy that is working on multiple projects - we are also not a part of the Handshake team. Our contact info for security disclosures is in the repo. 5. Name Auctions and Airdrop claims on Handshake's mainnet start today (in under 8 hours), so it felt appropriate to share this repo, which we've spent a lot of time and effort working on. One can also find details about this in the repo, but we all hope you have a good time using the software! Again, we're looking for feedback and suggestions. Even in the process of making this post, I found a few bugs, filed them and made minor improvements to the documentation. Thanks for reading!
tssva 7y ago
Bob is already used as the name of a Windows shell enhancement from Microsoft. You should rename to avoid the name conflict and insuing user confusion. /s

66 points by sdtsui 7y ago

mmanfrin 7y ago

Can someone ELI5 on what this is? What are Name Auctions on Handshake?

evgen 7y ago
The ELI5 is that this is more PR astroturfing by the Handshake team, like the four or five other links they have posted to HN over the past two days. After only a few hours the bulk of the comments are by people close to the project telling everyone else how it will solve all problems and provide digital ponies for everyone...
- sdtsui 7y ago
  I'm not a member of the Handshake team, and I don't have control over what comments get posted. This is a Show HN - I am sharing something I have helped make, that other people can play with. That was my only intention, and I've atttempted to follow the guidelines here: https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html https://news.ycombinator.com/showhn.html I don't know what other links have been posted beside this thread, which a colleague sent to me: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604 That said, you are probably right. It doesn't surprise me that there is a lot of Handshake-related activity on HN right now. The project was conceived over two years ago, and today marks its second week of existence and the first day that people can actually try it out. Respectfully, is it possible that most of this is genuine interest/excitement in a new project instead of, as you put it, "PR astroturfing"?
cjbprime 7y ago
Handshake's a new blockchain based DNS replacement, and auctions are the way people buy domain names (actually domain TLDs) on it.
ktorvald 7y ago
A thread from yesterday on Handshake: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22310604
troquerre 7y ago
This faq answers some basic questions https://namebase.io/faq https://namebase.io/faq along with this tutorial https://www.namebase.io/blog/tutorial-1-what-is-handshake-and-hns https://www.namebase.io/blog/tutorial-1-what-is-handshake-an...

cjbprime 7y ago

How cool! Sorry to ask an unrelated question: I saw something about how people shouldn't perform airdrop claims on Handshake mainnet yet because transfers are still disabled, is that still true?

sdtsui 7y ago
Yes, this is true, but the transfers are being enabled later today (evening Pacific). Transfers will be enabled on Block 2016, and blocks are ~every 10 minutes - right now ~1960. https://hnscan.com/?page=/blocks https://hnscan.com/?page=/blocks If you are reading this on Feb 15th or afterwards, claims and auctions are working. Non-custodial options are Bob and using cli. Namebase is the only custodial option right now.
troquerre 7y ago
Yep! Once transfers are enabled in ~6 hours (https://hnsxplorer.com/ https://hnsxplorer.com/) you'll be able to claim, but not before then. This tool can help you claim your coins easily https://namebase.io/airdrop https://namebase.io/airdrop (currently worth ~$2000 at market price but imo it's better to actually play around with them and hold rather than sell everything immediately).

mdszy 7y ago

So another random coin that isn't actually going to solve anything because it's just being thrown at a problem randomly like blockchain always is. Nice.

RL_Quine 7y ago
No no, this one is not an ICO, it's a privately funded currency that was given away for free to anyone who had a popular account on Github!
- troquerre 7y ago
  In addition, the $10.2mm that was raised was all donated to non-profits and open-source projects. I.e. fsf https://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-receives-1-million-from-handshake https://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-receives-1...
  - RL_Quine 7y ago
    Why?
    - SkyMarshal 7y ago
      Handshake didn’t need the VCs’ money, only their credible early stage project valuation. But Handshake had to accept the investment in order to make the valuation real, but then gave away all the money b/c they didn’t need it. They hope it can serve as a better model for future ICOs, where a big chunk of the money goes to FOSS groups.
dboreham 7y ago
Not really. Compared to the average blockchain project handshake.org has some thinking behind it and is attempting to solve a real problem (e.g. recent capitalist take over of .org tld)
- mdszy 7y ago

Vinceo 7y ago

So what does the VC's get back for gifting the $10.2mill?

heartbeats 7y ago
They're doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, of course.
SkyMarshal 7y ago
~7% of the HNS coin supply.

sdtsui 7y ago

It looks to me like a lot of discussion about the viability/usefulness of Handshake itself, which I have no problem with; the post sparked a discussion, and that's cool with me. There are a couple of things about Bob I'd like to state, just so it's here for future readers, as I had hoped to answer questions about the software. 1. Bob is an electron application that also is a Handshake resolver and full node - you can find these projects at: http://github.com/handshake-org http://github.com/handshake-org 2. We're looking for contributors and help of all kinds! Like any other open-source project, bug reports, suggestions, and contributions are very much welcome. Personally, my concerns as an engineer are around the scalability of the UI (electron can be hard to work with) when many (possibly hundreds) of domains are being watched or bid on. This is behaviour I believe is possible to see, from observing early internet domainers. 3. Like many non-custodial 'wallet' projects, it is meant to be a reasonable alternative to exchange custody, but we don't provide any guarantees as the user is responsible for self-custody. We intend to add hardware wallet support in the future. The goal is for the average person to have an easier time working with Handshake and Handshake names, by using Bob instead of a cli. 4. Bob is maintained by Kyokan, and I am the CEO there. It is not maintained by the Handshake team, and there is no Handshake foundation or business that runs the project. Kyokan is a separate software engineering consultancy that is working on multiple projects - we are also not a part of the Handshake team. Our contact info for security disclosures is in the repo. 5. Name Auctions and Airdrop claims on Handshake's mainnet start today (in under 8 hours), so it felt appropriate to share this repo, which we've spent a lot of time and effort working on. One can also find details about this in the repo, but we all hope you have a good time using the software! Again, we're looking for feedback and suggestions. Even in the process of making this post, I found a few bugs, filed them and made minor improvements to the documentation. Thanks for reading!

tssva 7y ago

Bob is already used as the name of a Windows shell enhancement from Microsoft. You should rename to avoid the name conflict and insuing user confusion. /s