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>I had proposed charging a nominal amount for comment account creation, but I got a hard no. Too bad. It certainly would have thwarted the worst offenders, who

>I had proposed charging a nominal amount for comment account creation, but I got a hard no. Too bad. It certainly would have thwarted the worst offenders, who were creating dozens of accounts a day. Urbit ID solves this problem, too.

smt88 6y ago
Just read their FAQ[1] and was optimistic until reading that it runs on the Ethereum blockchain. This is not a problem that requires blockchain to solve, and it makes me wonder what other issues are built into the project. 1. https://urbit.org/faq/ https://urbit.org/faq/
- garbagetime 6y ago
  It seems to me one of the few real projects using blockchain technologies in a sensible way. Honestly not sure why it wouldn't use blockchain technologies. Urbit has been using blockchain tech since before bitcoin or Ethereum existed.
  - 3np 6y ago
    Bitcoin precedes Urbit by several years.
    - garbagetime 6y ago
      "The Urbit platform was conceived and first developed in 2002"[1] "Bitcoin (₿) is a cryptocurrency invented in 2008"[2] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbit [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin
      - zo1 6y ago
        Here is from the original article quoted on the Wikipedia page: "Since 2002, Yarvin had been working on an algorithm — the backbone of Urbit, a product that would restructure how people use the internet. In 2013, he launched the San Francisco-based company Tlon, which oversees Urbit." Can't really find any info about when they officially "created" this thing, but color me skeptical when someone says they "worked on blockchain" before blockchain was even invented.
        garbagetime 6y ago
        I think I was probably just wrong to describe it as a blockchain (sorry about that). It was a different kind of consensus ledger. Here's an article about it: https://urbit.org/blog/why-urbit-probably-does-not-need-a-blockchain/ https://urbit.org/blog/why-urbit-probably-does-not-need-a-bl... I'll revise my position to simply being that of course Urbit needs a consensus ledger, and that blockchain technology is a good solution for that.
        smt88 6y ago
        Glad that Urbit agrees that they don't need a blockchain. Disappointed that they chose to use one. There are real downsides to using one (currently one of those is speed and another is wasted electricity) and no unique benefits.
- garbagetime 6y ago
  This article goes into why they chose to move to Ethereum: https://urbit.org/blog/urbit-and-the-blockchain/ https://urbit.org/blog/urbit-and-the-blockchain/
- Nursie 6y ago
  The project comes up on HN quite frequently, and there are many, many issues built into the project. For a start they redefine a lot of words and concepts to their own meanings, rather than commonly accepted ones, in a way that's reminiscent of cult-y organisations. These then feed into their own obscure programming language. This serves as a barrier to entry and an in-group language. Secondly, well it was started by Curtis Yarvin, whose (unpalatable) ideas about neo-feudalism are baked in. But yeah, look up prior HN discussions if you want more info. Urbit is an oddity, and not necessarily a good one.
duskwuff 6y ago
By ensuring that nobody will bother using your service? Sure, I guess. Besides, what you're proposing is essentially the same as "charging for account creation", but with extra steps.
- garbagetime 6y ago
  >By ensuring that nobody will bother using your service? Sure, I guess. You're begging the question (i.e. whether or not Urbit ID would succeed). Besides, Urbit ID needn't be forced on users, it could be offered side-by-side other options. >Besides, what you're proposing is essentially the same as "charging for account creation", but with extra steps. There are several major differences, the most obvious of which is that an Urbit ID user would not have to pay to create an account. This is because the Urbit ID could be tied to many different accounts across the internets. In other words, a person could pay for one Urbit ID, and then be able to comment on many on-line internet journals using that single Urbit ID.

smt88 6y ago

Just read their FAQ[1] and was optimistic until reading that it runs on the Ethereum blockchain. This is not a problem that requires blockchain to solve, and it makes me wonder what other issues are built into the project. 1. https://urbit.org/faq/ https://urbit.org/faq/

garbagetime 6y ago
It seems to me one of the few real projects using blockchain technologies in a sensible way. Honestly not sure why it wouldn't use blockchain technologies. Urbit has been using blockchain tech since before bitcoin or Ethereum existed.
- 3np 6y ago
  Bitcoin precedes Urbit by several years.
  - garbagetime 6y ago
    "The Urbit platform was conceived and first developed in 2002"[1] "Bitcoin (₿) is a cryptocurrency invented in 2008"[2] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbit [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin
    - zo1 6y ago
      Here is from the original article quoted on the Wikipedia page: "Since 2002, Yarvin had been working on an algorithm — the backbone of Urbit, a product that would restructure how people use the internet. In 2013, he launched the San Francisco-based company Tlon, which oversees Urbit." Can't really find any info about when they officially "created" this thing, but color me skeptical when someone says they "worked on blockchain" before blockchain was even invented.
      - garbagetime 6y ago
        I think I was probably just wrong to describe it as a blockchain (sorry about that). It was a different kind of consensus ledger. Here's an article about it: https://urbit.org/blog/why-urbit-probably-does-not-need-a-blockchain/ https://urbit.org/blog/why-urbit-probably-does-not-need-a-bl... I'll revise my position to simply being that of course Urbit needs a consensus ledger, and that blockchain technology is a good solution for that.
        smt88 6y ago
        Glad that Urbit agrees that they don't need a blockchain. Disappointed that they chose to use one. There are real downsides to using one (currently one of those is speed and another is wasted electricity) and no unique benefits.
garbagetime 6y ago
This article goes into why they chose to move to Ethereum: https://urbit.org/blog/urbit-and-the-blockchain/ https://urbit.org/blog/urbit-and-the-blockchain/
Nursie 6y ago
The project comes up on HN quite frequently, and there are many, many issues built into the project. For a start they redefine a lot of words and concepts to their own meanings, rather than commonly accepted ones, in a way that's reminiscent of cult-y organisations. These then feed into their own obscure programming language. This serves as a barrier to entry and an in-group language. Secondly, well it was started by Curtis Yarvin, whose (unpalatable) ideas about neo-feudalism are baked in. But yeah, look up prior HN discussions if you want more info. Urbit is an oddity, and not necessarily a good one.

duskwuff 6y ago

By ensuring that nobody will bother using your service? Sure, I guess. Besides, what you're proposing is essentially the same as "charging for account creation", but with extra steps.

garbagetime 6y ago
>By ensuring that nobody will bother using your service? Sure, I guess. You're begging the question (i.e. whether or not Urbit ID would succeed). Besides, Urbit ID needn't be forced on users, it could be offered side-by-side other options. >Besides, what you're proposing is essentially the same as "charging for account creation", but with extra steps. There are several major differences, the most obvious of which is that an Urbit ID user would not have to pay to create an account. This is because the Urbit ID could be tied to many different accounts across the internets. In other words, a person could pay for one Urbit ID, and then be able to comment on many on-line internet journals using that single Urbit ID.