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The standard has grown out of the blockchain space, because they finally offered a way to do decentralized PKI. Most methods are based on blockchain networks.

by k__ 4y ago

The standard has grown out of the blockchain space, because they finally offered a way to do decentralized PKI. Most methods are based on blockchain networks. But there are some that work without blockchains. Like IOTA, IPFS, p2p, web, etc.

oofbey 4y ago
IPFS still looking for something useful it can do.
- cowtools 4y ago
  I think the idea is that it (or some future incarnation of it) eventually replaces most static web hosting, FTP, Bittorrent, and quite a bit of dynamic web hosting. Oh, and maybe messaging stuff like IRC. Sounds like a big piece to chew, but I think the main hurdle is replacing HTTP(S) on the client side.
- ithkuil 4y ago
  Location independent stable identifiers for immutable docker images that allow you to cache them wherever you want (including in airgapped envs) and still don't require users to patch your image names with kustomize/helm/whatever
duskwuff 4y ago
I mean, let's be real here. IOTA is a blockchain in all but name, IPFS is substantially blockchain-adjacent, "p2p" is vague to the point of meaninglessness (and isn't actually a registered method), and "web" is silly (a web site is already identified perfectly well by its URL).
- cowtools 4y ago
  I would classify BitTorrent, GNUtella and other filesharing networks as p2p
  - duskwuff 4y ago
    My point is that P2P isn't a single thing -- it's a whole multitude of things, many of which don't make sense to create a DID for. Gnutella is a perfect example of where it wouldn't make sense: the Gnutella protocol didn't provide any way to create a persistent reference to a file that was being shared, and it'd make even less sense to tie an identity to such a file.
- hinkley 4y ago
  It's a bit like comparing monkeys and apes though. Yes they're all primates but the family tree does matter and you can't just mash them together. IPFS resembles many previous attempts at distributed file storage, which did not use blockchain. They had other ways to encourage fairness, which appears to be the primary use of blockchain in IPFS. The existence of the concept of Merkle trees, named or unnamed, lead to blockchain, not the other way around. And it has other children, like some digital signature specs.

by k__ 4y ago

oofbey 4y ago

IPFS still looking for something useful it can do.

cowtools 4y ago
I think the idea is that it (or some future incarnation of it) eventually replaces most static web hosting, FTP, Bittorrent, and quite a bit of dynamic web hosting. Oh, and maybe messaging stuff like IRC. Sounds like a big piece to chew, but I think the main hurdle is replacing HTTP(S) on the client side.
ithkuil 4y ago
Location independent stable identifiers for immutable docker images that allow you to cache them wherever you want (including in airgapped envs) and still don't require users to patch your image names with kustomize/helm/whatever

duskwuff 4y ago

I mean, let's be real here. IOTA is a blockchain in all but name, IPFS is substantially blockchain-adjacent, "p2p" is vague to the point of meaninglessness (and isn't actually a registered method), and "web" is silly (a web site is already identified perfectly well by its URL).

cowtools 4y ago
I would classify BitTorrent, GNUtella and other filesharing networks as p2p
- duskwuff 4y ago
  My point is that P2P isn't a single thing -- it's a whole multitude of things, many of which don't make sense to create a DID for. Gnutella is a perfect example of where it wouldn't make sense: the Gnutella protocol didn't provide any way to create a persistent reference to a file that was being shared, and it'd make even less sense to tie an identity to such a file.
hinkley 4y ago
It's a bit like comparing monkeys and apes though. Yes they're all primates but the family tree does matter and you can't just mash them together. IPFS resembles many previous attempts at distributed file storage, which did not use blockchain. They had other ways to encourage fairness, which appears to be the primary use of blockchain in IPFS. The existence of the concept of Merkle trees, named or unnamed, lead to blockchain, not the other way around. And it has other children, like some digital signature specs.