Bitcoin Forum

At blockchain.info one of the things you can search for is the firstbits of a BTC address.
I guess the address needs to be registered first at firstbits.com before it will appear in the results at blockchain.info.
(Is this assumption correct?)
I can't do that because for the past 3 days (probably longer) firstbits.com has been down.

I do understand each firstbits address needs to have at least one transaction first, which the ones I'm trying to register their firstbits, do have.

They are a couple of Casascius physical bitcoins which on the outside only have the first 8 digits of the public address printed.  So if I were to sell these coins I'd have to also provide the full public addresses so the buyer can look it up on blockchain to be sure the coins are funded.  Or find out how to submit firstbits.

Edit: Even though blockchain.info doesn't find the firstbits (first 8 characters), blockexplorer.com does find it.  Still wondering how to add it to blockchain.info; maybe they are discontinuing firstbits?

As far as I understand, there is no need (or possibility) to register at firstbits.  All you do is use the address in a transaction that makes it into the blockchain.  That's it.  If you're the first one to use a certain prefix, it's yours.  I am not sure the algorithm they use to decide what the important part of the prefix is exactly.

still down

yeah I may edit my profile ....

its been gone for weeks bro

The current site owner no longer has interest in maintaining the site.  I am talking to him about taking it over and getting it back up and running!

That will be nice if you could get the site back up.

How so?

Well the way a first bit is calculated is by it's place in the blockchain, so if an address isn't in the blockchain no firstbits can be correctly calculated.

So lets say for very example purposes I had 1gh356 and you had 1gh354 if you gets coins to your address before me, then you would have 1gh35, and I would get 1gh356, even if my address was created before yours. That is why it is a verifiable system.

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Firstbits

not very reliable site.

blockchain.info has same functionality!

I guess I don't see how this leads to any large amount of blockchain spam.

It may not but it is extra spam we don't need...

Firstbits are quite useful, actually...  I'll steal from my website's FAQ as to why:

●  Consolidating wallets between different computers.  A quick firstbits lookup will show the full address to send Bitcoins to, rather than having to email a full Bitcoin address to myself or attempting to manually copy it down.
●  Relative needs to pay me back for dinner?  A friend bought a piece of computer hardware from me?  If they need to pay me, I simply tell them what firstbits address to send it to, rather than having to remember to carry a QR code with me or emailing them a full Bitcoin address.
●  Shortening the address for space-sensitive online postings, such as forum signatures, forum avatar text, email signatures, or tweets.
●  Tipping!  In the future, artists might sign their artwork with their firstbits addresses, in an effort to gain tips for as long as the image circulates.  Writing in a full Bitcoin address wouldn't be practical, and relying on a centralized address shortener wouldn't ensure longevity of their tips.
●  Memorizing the Bitcoin addresses of other people.  For example, I might know that my own firstbits address is 1justin, which can prove handy, but because they are so short, I might also remember a friend's firstbits address is 1jones, and a relative's firstbits address is 1jerry.  In this way, I can pay them for any reason at any time without having to ask them for an address first.

I could go thru many of these points and argue, saying there are other ways to solve these issues. But if you want to really kill off first bits, create an alt coin like namecoin that all they do is store shortener ID and the bitcoin address it points to. First bits is at the basic an encourage of spam and we can't have that right now.

yikes

I'm sorry, I completely disagree.  Firstbits do not create spam any more than any other transaction creates spam.  They solve real problems in a simple and better way than any other address shortener ever has.

Well all it solves is a easily verifiable database, that makes other people to verify it for you technically. I mean there are other ways to solve it, that don't spam the blockchain.

Like centralized, unverifiable databases?

You could make an alt coin, you could do crypto-functions and use data, to store the data in a centralized location and still make it verifiable without the database being released. I mean there are other ways. Sadly popular shorteners like payb.tc aren't any of those and it is popular so yeah.

How would an alt coin just for shortening addresses be a good thing?  Sounds like something no one would ever use, considering firstbits is built right in to Bitcoin - no need to have yet another blockchain taking up space and CPU cycles on your computer.  I'll agree with you that it is sad that a shortener like payb.tc is popular though!

Man there's no spamming. But trust is gone and no one will use this again.

 On another note, does anyone know how to label addresses publicly at blockchain?

Cause just like first bits you would have multiple sites with the blockchain and for the paranoid they would have the blockchain. Not everyone would have the blockchain for this.


It does encourages spamming, read on firstbits works and you will see why. There was no trust in the beginning cause it is based off a decentralized database, we don't need to trust it.

Spam is the wrong word, it made people make transactions. And it took only one.

It is an unnecessary transaction thou? so I would classified that as spam.

I see it as a intro to Bitcoin. Getting people to test the waters. Is it spam when emailing a friend asking them, did you get this? To test your new email account.

wow!