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First come first serve right now. Identity is based on keys generated on device and the usernames are based on a network service which I expect we will decentra
by rcarback 5y ago
First come first serve right now. Identity is based on keys generated on device and the usernames are based on a network service which I expect we will decentralize (i.e., set up your own like e-mail).
- godelski 5y agoI also don't see usernames as really being that anonymous. Like even if I make a username there that's "notgodelski" if I share that username here on HN then I haven't done anything to keep myself anonymous. All it does is trades one PII for another (phone number for username). I'm also curious about scaling and collisions. Not only do you have a birthday problem with normal usernames, but what about special classes? Why do I not take all "nyt" and similar usernames to honeypot the actual NYT's contact?
- rcarback 5y agoAgreed that usernames aren't exactly anonymous, which is why the platform doesn't require one to use and you can share your QR Code directly instead. I think the mobile apps might force registration with user discovery (this is an active argument i've been having...) but it's not designed to be required. It's not fully baked, but my expectation is that it will work similarly to how the .eth, namecoin, and other systems work, where you'll be able to register a user discovery service on a blockchain which the clients will recognize and use for searching. In this model, NYT registers "nyt.xx" and "rcarback" pops up in the interface as "rcarback@nyt.xx". As it stands, we've rolled out a basic version with a single central user discovery point for now.