A Blockstack member asked in the survey:
“At this early stage (for me): what’s it all about, what are the possibilities, who else is working in the space/effort?”
For users: use Web applications where:
- you own your data, not the application;
- you control where your data is stored;
- you control who can access your data
For developers: build Web applications where:
- you don’t have to deal with passwords;
- you don’t have to host everyone’s data;
- you don’t have to run app-specific servers
Right now, Web application users are “digital serfs” and applications are the “digital landlords.” Users don’t own their data; the app owns it. Users don’t control where data gets stored; they can only store it on the application. Users don’t control access to it; they only advise the application on how to control access (which the application can ignore).
Blockstack applications solve both sets of problems. Users pick and choose highly-available storage providers like Dropbox or BitTorrent to host their data, and applications read it with the user’s consent. Blockstack ensures that all data is signed and verified and (optionally) encrypted end-to-end, so users can treat storage providers like dumb hard drives: if you don’t like yours, you can swap it out with a better one. Users can take their data with them if they leave the application, since it was never the application’s in the first place.
At the same time, developers are no longer on the hook for hosting user data. Since users bring their own storage and use public-key cryptography for authentication, applications don’t have to store anything–there’s nothing to steal when they get hacked. Moreover, many Web applications today can be re-factored so that everything happens client-side, obviating the need for running dedicated application servers.
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I see where you are going. However, i was looking more into monolithic set of p2p protocols (ala bittorrent) backed by blockchain tech for identiy/authentication/public-records. IMHO the moment one uses dropbox it is not the internet I have in mind. We need a p2p file storage, where I can pay with crypto and distributed net of computers do the service with clear/verifiable set of rules. We need p2p computation etc. …
That is, I expected a platform for distributed apps,but it seems Ethereum is closer to what I have in mind, albeit its huge inefficiencies and design problems.
You do solve the DNS problem and also credentials, but what else?
We need a p2p file storage, where I can pay with crypto and distributed net of computers do the service with clear/verifiable set of rules. We need p2p computation etc. …
Yo @pip010 , check out these videos:
"Why does Blockstack take advantage of existing cloud storage systems?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbnMimFSMiw&index=25&list=PLXS8JJHIn4nEv_LcXIaklH_QAZaDEVD8q
"What is the churn problem in peer networks?"
"How was Blockstack build for scalability"
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- You cant have the p2p guarantees with centralized servers under some company control falling under some local jurisdiction. PERIOD such hybrid approaches are good interim solution IMHO. (CENSORSHIP!!!)
2)This as well as (1) !!! Exactly why we need p2p nodes with cypto protocols. Every node puts some tokens on the table and it risk loosing them if it does not behave according to the blockchain governance. When one starts loosing money, it will not have an economic incentive to continue its malicious behavior.
- Someone already put it nicely : blockchain is the least performing DB in the world, but some very interesting properties
BTW bittorrent and other p2p have used reputation system with success, to penalize or give advantage to nodes that stay in the network and behave well. Add to it the option to loose money and we will have a robust p2p iMHO.
Just my 2cents 
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