Okay, I think this will be my last post on this thread. A lovely as it is to discuss these things with all you thoughtful folk, it takes a surprising amount of time away from the task at hand (which is getting this thing ready for launch ).
But @TylerAbeoJordan, seeing as you’ve asked me some direct questions it would be rude to just let them hang, so briefly, here goes:
I’d say, for a Minimum Viable Experience, yes, we do need NRS. Having a human readable way to address the underlying XOR urls, is vital.
This is different from what you might argue is a traditional definition of an MVP… we don’t need NRS for the network to technically function, in the same way we don’t need any graphical user interfaces for that either, nor a browser etc.
But in order to have a successful network, one that has human utility, and can be adopted and used by a tipping point size base to make it resilient, and do the things we are designing it to do, such as provide secure communications, and free global access to any data, then we need a bit more: it needs to be functional, and it needs to provide tools that are useful and usable by people.
So if we throw out NRS for this Minimum Experience we throw out some basic, and really useful things like SafeIDs. Want to send me a message? Or transfer me some safecoins? You’ll need some way of understanding, handling, and recognising a XOR url, and relating that to a human in some way. We’ve just thrown out a network wide username system, with the beauty of linked data behind it.
I mean we use these things all the time like right now >>> @TylerAbeoJordan <<<. Try replacing that with something like safe://c4cc596d7321a3054d39724ff82fe64f49c3896a07a349d31f29574ac9f56965
and see how it feels.
Which brings me on to communicability…
It’s how easily I can transmit an address or identity to another person, and have it recognised and retained, in various mediums and in channels we know people already communicate such data: verbally, visually in written form, digitally in written form; and then the transcription an address between these forms,
For example, Imagine trying to communicate over the phone, and telling someone your address, or a way they can send you a message. And then imagine receiving such and string, and then typing it in, or finding a way repeating it. What would be actually usable in this situation, @TylerAbeoJordan73
or safe://c4cc596d7321a3054d39724ff82fe64f49c3896a07a349d31f29574ac9f56965
?
Note, this is different from findability, or verifiability, which are addressed by search, and metadata which are layers we can apply alongside NRS.
But given that NRS is already a thing (and SafeIDs and RDF etc) and it is unlikely we will have things like search for launch, doesn’t it make sense to roll with it?
Yes, you certainly could use QR codes to enable the use of XOR urls, where it’s appropriate. We’re already designing with them for certain usecases to do with onboarding and in-person payments etc. But they only useful in certain circumstance, and are not a replacement for something like NRS.
They don’t deal with verbal communication for example, and I also have to have a device with a camera, and specific capabilities to hand.
They also don’t help with things like authoring a web page with XOR links, and they are not visually recognisable and distinct: I can scan list of NRS urls and see they are distinct, or relate, or guess where they might lead, but not so with QR codes, or XOR urls.
There are about 1.3 Billion people with some form of visual impairment BTW. That’s a lot of folk. It’s tough using the internet no doubt, but also useful and freeing too I’d imagine. NRS won’t solve all problems, but at least it won’t introduce another one: just try using a screen reader on a page with even a couple of XOR urls on it!