3 ms·
Sometimes human-meaningful is the point. You would have us use IP addresses instead of domain names? More precisely, the semantic buck has to stop somewhere. L
by dTal 6y ago
Sometimes human-meaningful is the point. You would have us use IP addresses instead of domain names?
More precisely, the semantic buck has to stop somewhere. Let's say I want to visit the offical website of the Smithsonian museum. There needs to be a system I can type "smithsonian" into and reliably find the right page.
- munificent 6y ago> You would have us use IP addresses instead of domain names? I mean... that's essentially what phone numbers are, and even non-technical people get by surprisingly fine with those.
- capableweb 6y agoSurprisingly fine compared to what? I probably only remember my own phone number at this point, people around me maybe 2-3 numbers that they most commonly use. Imagine having to remember everyone's number in order to write to them on whatsapp, I'd forget about 99% of my friends then. Compared to the number of names I can remember, numbers basically enter and exit my brain while people names and domain names can stay in my head what feels like forever.
- koolba 6y agoGet a desk phone and dial numbers by hand rather than just tapping the name on your cell. In a few weeks you’ll have your most common numbers memorized.
- dTal 6y agoHah, I deleted a whole extra paragraph of reply about how it "used to be phone books", and before that it was the operator at the local telephone exchange. How exactly would you go about telephoning the Smithsonian, then? You'd remember the number? Or you'd use some centralized facility?
- saurik 6y agoNo one remembers domain names either for a number of reasons: people use Google (aka, the telephone operator). If tomorrow all hostname were replaced by IP addresses, most people wouldn't even notice.
- dTal 6y agoBut... that's the point. Now Google is the operator. You still need the service somewhere in the chain! You can never obsolete the need to map the word "smithsonian" to some number or address - you can only move it around.
- cuu508 6y agoYou would ask a friend: "do you know the number of the Smithsonian?" Or you would visit the Smithsonian in person and ask them. Once you have the number, you would store it in your personal contacts list, you don't need to remember it.
- dTal 6y agoFriend: "No, of course I don't know the phone number of the Smithsonian by heart, what am I, psychic?" Visit the Smithsonian? Setting aside the impracticality... how do you look up the address?
- TylerE 6y ago> I mean... that's essentially what phone numbers are, and even non-technical people get by surprisingly fine with those. That's why every person saves every number they ever call in their phone...under a name.
- mcculley 6y agoAnd an ancestor comment said: >your friends can assign to you their own nickname for you
- olah_1 6y ago> There needs to be a system I can type "smithsonian" into and reliably find the right page. You should look into what Iris is doing with web of trust[1]. To me, this is the future. But like I said, Status has a good mix of multiple solutions that includes ENS names. [1]: https://www.hackernoon.com/what-is-wrong-with-the-internet-and-how-to-fix-it-c67w32no https://www.hackernoon.com/what-is-wrong-with-the-internet-a...