Why Bitcoin Addresses Need to Go

[franky1]

summary of whole topic.

some dude wants to become the come to service for address identification. basically the online addressbook.. while 99% of people know QR codes solves the non-problem this dude is trying to voice.

1. bitcoin principles - decentralisation. = WE DONT NEED to have a centralised addressbook, especially removing the decentralised nature of public keys

2. the addressbook is a reduction of anonymity

3. the addressbook needs to be flawlessly able to function for atleast 100 years without needing trust the addressbook service wont switch off, if it ever has a chance to be used as an optional feature

[Kiloday]

summary of whole topic.

some dude wants to become the come to service for address identification. basically the online addressbook.. while 99% of people know QR codes solves the non-problem this dude is trying to voice.

1. bitcoin principles - decentralisation. = WE DONT NEED to have a centralised addressbook, especially removing the decentralised nature of public keys

2. the addressbook is a reduction of anonymity

3. the addressbook needs to be flawlessly able to function for atleast 100 years without needing trust the addressbook service wont switch off, if it ever has a chance to be used as an optional feature

I thought the address book itself was also decentralized, since it uses the Namecoin blockchain and protocol to store entries:

OneName is a decentralized identity system (DIS) with a user directory made of entries in a decentralized key-value store (the Namecoin blockchain).

Nobody owns or controls OneName and users are in complete control of their data. OneName is open source, has a public design, and is for all to take part.

I probably won't be using this service because I'm quite comfortable with using addresses and QR codes, like most people here. But I still think it's a pretty nifty idea overall.

[alani123]

Why Bitcoin Addresses Need to Go

Right now, Bitcoin is simply too difficult for the average person to use.

Paving the way for mainstream adoption, it seems, requires that we simplify and obfuscate away the confusing parts.

http://blog.onename.io/



what do you think? i like the idea.

Seriously? What would be hard to understand might be the technical side. But you don't need to have an idea of how it works in detail in order to use it. Maybe acquiring bitcoins could be time consuming at some cases but not hard. Bitcoin transactions on the other hand are the easiest thing ever. What would you do if you wanted to tranfer money otherwise? Go to a bank (or other money transfer service), waste your time waiting, give out your details and expect someone to handle it for you. Is that easier than copy-pasting a string of text and pressing a button? I don't think so.

[Este Nuno]

One huge issue that pops up with name based systems is phishing. Where as phishing with bitcoin addresses is much more difficult. I guess someone could try create a vanity gen address that copies the first few letters of an address or something. But I haven't heard of that happening yet.

[franky1]

I thought the address book itself was also decentralized, since it uses the Namecoin blockchain and protocol to store entries:

OneName is a decentralized identity system (DIS) with a user directory made of entries in a decentralized key-value store (the Namecoin blockchain).

Nobody owns or controls OneName and users are in complete control of their data. OneName is open source, has a public design, and is for all to take part.

I probably won't be using this service because I'm quite comfortable with using addresses and QR codes, like most people here. But I still think it's a pretty nifty idea overall.

well yea onename blockchain (an alt of namecoin) great idea as long as we dont need to use a website to manage the registration. due to the fact that its an altcoin, i say this because in practical terms: would people really want 2 clients running just to send bitcoin.. imagine wallet apps. thy would ned to talk to the onename blockchain to find a username. and im pretty sure that a whole onename blockchain wouldnt go onto a smartphone and be syncing all day long. hense the requirement of third party services to 'manage' it.

very soon all smartphone wallets will be just self contained raw transaction makers. no registering or being part of webwallet services. but forming the transaction right on the phone. and simply pushing out a signed TX to known PUSHtx portals/ relays / nodes. thus making the smartphone also decentralised. so my thinking on the QR codes as oppose to username is based on future proofing decentralisaion. which is harder to achive if a smart phone needs to store large blockchain of onename independently (not practical) or rly on a certain web service to manage (requiring trust of service)

[AliceWonder]

If you use OneName then do yourself a favor and register your u/username yourself within namecoin.

YOU want to be in control of the private key associated with u/username on the namecoin blockchain.

If you start using OneName and they have a vulnerability that allows their private keys to be compromised, someone can replace your bitcoin addresses with their own.

Also remember that there was a namecoin vulnerability (now fixed) that allowed anyone to take control of any namecoin namespace/key

I think it is better from a security perspective to not have your bitcoin address served from a third party where it is open to being altered by a man in the middle attack to someone else receives coins intended for you. And you may not even notice for some time because bitcoin addresses are funky looking.

[ajareselde]

Why Bitcoin Addresses Need to Go

Right now, Bitcoin is simply too difficult for the average person to use.

Paving the way for mainstream adoption, it seems, requires that we simplify and obfuscate away the confusing parts.

http://blog.onename.io/



what do you think? i like the idea.

Alltho idea shows some interesting things, i disagree, and dont realy see the point.
If addresses are so complicated, one shouldnt even try to understand bitcoin.
I realy dont understand what is average persons IQ if they find anything here difficult.