The birth of the world computer...

[TampaAnimusVortex]

Ethereum is finally going live today. It's a fully decentralized, global, censorship resistant computer for general use by anyone and for any purpose. Given that it's pretty much unstoppable by any government, it will be interesting to see what uses are dreamed up for this new era in computing.

[DetlefK]

1. So, this is basically just cloud-computing, right?

You connect your PC to a network and this network gives you data-storage and computational ressources.
In return you pay for access to the network by contributing your PC's data-storage and computational ressources (as the currency "Ether&quot .

And it is possible to run programs in the virtual machine of this network ("contracts&quot , right?



I have grave security- and stability-concerns.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

3. Not quite

Current cloud computing solutions involve servers on the back end that support the system. There are no back end servers anywhere.

Here is a list of some of the current distributed applications being built.

http://dapps.ethercasts.com/

[Binkie The Clown]

26. No back end servers?

No hardware?

That sounds like nonsense meant to scam investors to me.

Software has to run somewhere. There has to be a host computer with a physical processor running the application. Saying "no back end servers" is like saying "This great new restaurant has no kitchen. The food just magically appears when you order it." Nonsense.

There's no way I would put one dime of money or one byte of data into this vaporware scheme.

[Recursion]

14. No, it's closer to the @home suites, or Tor

I'm curious where this goes.

[Blue_Tires]

2. "pretty much unstoppable by any government"

Sounds a lot like the "unsinkable Titanic"...

So if it's decentralized, who's job is it to keep it secure?

[TampaAnimusVortex]

4. Interesting topic actually.

You might want to read up on the blockchain technology that underlies it.

Also, I wouldn't put much faith in government securing anything. We see the NSA and the President have gotten hacked.

[randome]

5. Oh, God. "Blockchain"? This is another attempt to legitimize BitCoin, isn't it?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[TampaAnimusVortex]

6. The blockchain is just a synchronized database

Not sure why the guttural emotional reaction to what is essentially digitally copying transactions among machines... You do know this happens all the time across the world right? The blockchain is simply one of many methods to do this.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

19. Noooo!

[Blue_Tires]

9. Given the recent actions of Russia and China

I wouldn't put faith in ANYBODY securing ANYTHING

[TampaAnimusVortex]

11. Unless you live like a hermit...

I'm guessing you'll be handing over your computer, your bank account, your drivers license, your healthcare records, and pretty much any other digital data on you? A system doesn't have to be perfect to be useful.

Car's break down, but they get you where your going most the time.

[Blue_Tires]

20. well...

My PC -- Nothing personally important on there

Bank account -- Insured, and I'm FAR from well-off anyway should someone want to snatch my pennies

Driver's license -- Has a lot less personal information than my insurance company, and I assure you my insurance providers have shared my personal/demographic information with god knows how many other entities.

Healthcare records -- Too late, already hacked 5-6 years ago


But laughs aside, I'm just saying to calm down with all this "foolproof" and "unhackable" rhetoric...Ethereum is living in a fool's paradise if they think China can't hack something out of them if they really want to get it. Just because the current systems used to safeguard my information are badly flawed, it doesn't mean I'm eager to jump willy-nilly into something brand new and untested...

[TampaAnimusVortex]

22. Hmm

Well luckily no one asked you to participate in anything. You are not required in any way.

That said, I posted because it was my opinion (and many others) this was a development in technology on the scale of the internet itself. It's always the case that new technology is adopted by a minority of visionaries and only later expands to the masses. The formation of technology adoption curves are well documented. Expecting the average shlub on the internet to be a technological visionary is optimistic indeed.

[Blue_Tires]

23. Oh, so now I'm an "average schlub"?

Last edited Sat Aug 8, 2015, 12:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Good luck winning more converts with that kind of condescension...I can tell you don't work in sales or retail for a living...

So since you're part of the "visionary elite", I trust you're already using this service?

EDIT: Fuck it -- You can hawk your warez to my ignore list from now on... 614 posts on DU about nothing other than pimping bitcoins...

[Binkie The Clown]

27. Early Adopters

[seveneyes]

7. Ready for its invincible defeat

[Orrex]

8. Because the world needs a more efficient porn delivery system.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

10. I'm sure that certainly will be one of the use cases.

But I don't see it listed under the current set of distributed apps under development just yet.

http://dapps.ethercasts.com/

[Orrex]

13. To which I say: Rule 34.

[Blue_Tires]

21. They'd better get started if they want some momentum...

[Recursion]

15. India just blocked all porn. That's 1.2 billion people with no porn

So, yes, the world does need a more efficient porn delivery system.

[Orrex]

16. India blocked porn like the US prohibited alcohol

What could go wrong?

[Recursion]

17. Actually I think they've already backed down

It took about 2 days of 16 year olds attacking the tier 1's here to change that position.

[Orrex]

18. Seriously?!? Wow!

The Will of the People Shall Not Be Denied.

[Warren DeMontague]

29. I suspect there's a broader lesson in there.

Maybe - in addition to censorship fetishists- people like Chris Christie, when they fantasize about arresting all 50 million pot smokers in this country, should pay attention.

[Warren DeMontague]

28. Wow, first Iceland, and now this.

One would think we're NEVER gonna be able to get teh porns off the interwebs!

Some people must be very disappointed. And frustrated.

[Rex]

12. Oh noes...you went and skerd the authoritarians with your wording!

They don't like it when there might be a hint of something they cannot control.

[Blue_Tires]

24. IF you want to direct an accusation my way, I'm right here...

[Warren DeMontague]

25. "censorship resistant"?