[Cryptography] Standards Trolls: Re: Bitcoin is a disaster.

Peter Fairbrother peter at tsto.co.uk
Mon Jan 11 18:21:29 EST 2021


On 11/01/2021 09:57, Ben Laurie wrote:

> I'm not sure how I can be more clear - if a system has no central 
> control (distributed, federated or otherwise), then there is nothing 
> that can stop it from having two or more partitions that stay 
> partitioned forever. A partitioned system cannot successfully process 
> all authorized messages - assuming that "success" includes, for example, 
> prevention of double spend.

True in theory, but a bit nitpicky - in practice things can be arranged 
so that if part of the system is separated then eg it can't do 
transactions with the rest of the system, which can be quickly spotted.

Parts of the system connected with other parts can share lists of 
connected parts, and authorise them - if you don't get an authorisation 
including xyz then you know the system has been partitioned.

If the system is densely connected then it can be impossible to 
partition part of the system and not have a part of it say "hey the 
system was 200 nodes big yesterday, how come it's only 10 nodes today?"

Of course then the system has to do something about that, which may be 
control...


Peter Fairbrother




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