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A decentralized, blockchain-based messaging network for safer communications (techxplore.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/technology@beehaw.org
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Researchers from several institutes worldwide recently developed Quarks, a new, decentralized messaging network based on blockchain technology. Their proposed system could overcome the limitations of most commonly used messaging platforms, allowing users to retain control over their personal data and other information they share online.

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[–] 2 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

Do you know what a read receipt is?

That doesn't solve the problem. If you don't get a read receipt, then you can't prove you sent the message. And if the recipient doesn't want you to be able to prove you sent a message, they can disable sending read receipts.

This sort of system is not meant for your use case. It is not meant for memes or other things nobody cares about. It is meant for people who need an auditable permanent copy of their communication.

For example, businesses sending orders, contracts, etc to each other. Or lawyers sending documents to each other. They need systems that are private, not susceptible to central server failure, yet nevertheless auditable in case of an untrustworthy recipient.

If a lawyer sends a time-sensitive letter to opposing counsel, the recipient must not be able to claim, "You did not send it to me on time". Blockchain is a good solution for such needs.

I don't want to leave my data publicly available with all the metadata

Did you read the paper? This isn't Bitcoin. The metadata is not available to the public.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    This is such an obscure situation that doesn't even need to be solved with blockchain. Look at the article being posted. "Messaging network for safer communications", which now apparently turns to just a single situation where a lawyer needs to send a time sensitive email and needs to prove it was sent? Which again, doesn't actually even solve the problem. In this case, your blockchain ponzi scheme email can easily get caught by a spam filter. You've now turned the use case to some global read receipt system, which is dumb as hell and something nobody needs.

    This use case literally does not exist. It can also be solved by a simple email server. A business that wants to keep logs of all their messages being sent out or received can store everything on their server with inbound or outbound emails. If in the super extreme scenario where a lawyer sends an email and the counsel ignores it, they can get in a lot of legal trouble for lying and would just get delayed. They lawyer can also prove they sent an outbound copy on their email server. What do you think needs to be "auditable" in communication? A business sending a damn receipt does not need this solution, that's the end user for their email being valid. A lawyer sending private documents to each other want the literal last thing to be on a fucking public cloud server that is invisibly accessible by any fucking third party. Do you hear yourself? Are you a real person??

    Literally none of these obscure scenarios you're trying to come up with even need a blockchain solution. You should recognize how hard you're trying to justify this as it being a dumb fuck solution. Despite all these issues you're apparently inventing, we use our existing technology every day and none of these are issues. You're coming off more like ChatGPT then a normal person.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    I just gave you one example of a use case. It's hardly unique. There are plenty of time-sensitive messages sent in business settings, and plenty of people who don't necessarily want to acknowledge receiving them.

    More examples, off the top of my head:

    • Manager tells worker they need to cover an emergency on the weekend, worker claims they never received the message.

    • Business wants to cancel a work order, contractor shows up and says they weren't properly notified of the cancellation.

    • Supervisor sends disciplinary note to employee before dismissal, employee says it was never sent and then claims wrongful termination.

    And of course, this has nothing to do with email. So if you set up a "spam filter" that deletes your boss's messages, that's on you. They know they sent you the message, even if you delete it or otherwise pretend they didn't.

    This is about an independent audit trail, not "keeping logs". Your personal email server doesn't count, because you can alter the log to show whatever you want. Nobody is going to take your word for it.

    Finally, it's pretty clear you have no idea how this system is supposed to work, because you keep claiming that documents are "accessible by any third party". You do understand that not every blockchain system is public, right?

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    You didn't even know what a pgp key was before this convo or read receipts, you have no idea what you're talking about. This is not a real problem and is already solved with outbox emails.

    Your personal email server doesn’t count, because you can alter the log to show whatever you want. Nobody is going to take your word for it.

    Falsifying evidence is a crime.

    Manager tells worker they need to cover an emergency on the weekend, worker claims they never received the message.

    Lol then the manager will say "why did you not respond", it's on the worker. They're not going to pull up a fucking blockchain, they're going to pull out their phone and say "see, I sent you this".

    Business wants to cancel a work order, contractor shows up and says they weren’t properly notified of the cancellation.

    That's the contractors fault. Blockchain is irrelevant. If they didn't check their email, they're sure as hell not going to check a dumb ass blockchain.

    They know they sent you the message, even if you delete it or otherwise pretend they didn’t.

    Crazy, I wonder how they know that? Maybe because they know they pressed the "send" button, and it's the other party's responsibility to accept.

    Again, none of these situations need a dumb fucking blockchain.

    You do understand that not every blockchain system is public, right?

    https://www.blockchain.com/explorer

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    You didn't even know what a pgp key was before this convo or read receipts

    Lol what? I knew what they were, I just thought it was stupid to bring them up because they solve nothing.

    Falsifying evidence is a crime.

    Oh, then there is no need to worry about it, I guess.

    "why did you not respond",

    "Respond to what??"

    they're going to pull out their phone and say "see, I sent you this".

    Then the worker pulls out their phone and says, "see, it's not on my phone"

    That's the contractors fault. Blockchain is irrelevant. If they didn't check their email, they're sure as hell not going to check a dumb ass blockchain.

    Unless, of course, the sender/manager actually didn't properly notify the contractor/employee, and now they are lying to cover their ass.

    Like many disputes, it amounts to he-said-she-said. When it goes to court, the jury will flip a coin. There is a better way.

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