Re: [libreplanet-discuss] appreciation payment protocol

[Thomas Harding]

On 24/08/2012 08:40, Ramana Kumar wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 23, 2012 at 9:27 PM, Robert Martinez <mail@mray.de 
> <mailto:mail@mray.de>> wrote:
>
>
>     On 23/08/12 10:02, Ramana Kumar wrote:
>
>         Does anyone have other ideas?
>
>
>     Supposed bitcoin is an acceptable currency you could write a
>     software that locally buffers, shares and sends fractions out to
>     the recipients in a monthly frequency.
>     That would be imitating flatter locally with bitcoin.
>
>     just an idea.
>
>
> Sure, that might be a good idea to imitate flattr without the fees.
> I'm starting to have serious doubts about bitcoin as an acceptable 
> currency, though.
> If anyone here knows better, let me know. These are the problems I've 
> found:
>
>   * The protocol is not specified. The only specification is the
>     hard-to-read original client's source code.
>   * There are no good command-line only, clean, clients, and it's hard
>     to make one because of the previous point.
>   * It's necessary to download the entire bitcoin transaction history
>     to run a client, and that is quite large (>1GB). Apparently this
>     is not true in theory, but I don't see any good clients that don't
>     do it yet.
>
> Arguably one can avoid the last problem by using a web service like 
> InstaWallet, but that requires one to trust that website, and it's 
> unsatisfying not to be running your own client whose source code you 
> can both read and understand.
[I'm not an English native and this is quite a complex process, please 
add me in CC if clarifications needed]

You could use SMTP or NNTP with a "trust" layer such as an XIMF with 
(xml message), + GPG signature of, possibly by a chain of authorities 
through Secures Headers

NNTP would be perfect to publish transactions (with a convenient Expire 
latch), while SMTP to make one.

 * Messages would be xml (XIMF) (mime multi) parts,
 * gpg signed in another part,
 * possibly "trusted" by (any number of) authorities (newsgroup
   moderation list which any=all --member "trusted" server, see Secure
   Headers Draft RFC-- would "handle" your "bitcoin account", ...)
 * obviously this needs a "binary" group and
 * there are confidentiality issue (your donation is "public" /or/
   message is encrypted with a server's common public GPG key),


While this not address command-line / tui problem, but could be ported 
('think source code is XUL),

Some parts of TrustedBird (an enhanced Thunderbird mail client) would be 
useful:

 * Project Trustebird:
   
<http://adullact.net/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/milimail/index.php/Trustedbird_Project>
 * They already integrated Delivery Status Notification into
   Thunderbird, and there is also a DSN stettings add-on
 * There is a Draft RFC about Secure Headers
   
<https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-cailleux-secure-headers/?include_text=1>
 * Also XIMF add-on for thunderbird
   <http://adullact.net/plugins/mediawiki/wiki/milimail/index.php/Ximfmail>

XIMFMAILis an add-on for Trustedbird.
This add-on can produce forms for sending and receiving depending on 
another definition add-on. The definition add-on in XML is used to define:

 * which headers are optional and mandatory,
 * the headers that need to be displayed,
 * the headers that must be inserted in the signature
 * A definition add-on allow you to describe with internationalised
   labels XIMF headers and their values.
 * [...]

T.Harding