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Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

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Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#51
post #2

Hi all, I'm the author of the post, and also the creator of the website. I'm writing this series of posts to demonstrate the site. Do you guys get what the site's trying to do? Hope you enjoy the post. If you have any constructive criticism you'd like to give regarding either the post or the website, let me know!

I really enjoyed your post and look forward to reading the series. I would suggest you try out Steemit.com as this is their business model as well, they already have a large community, and this type of post/series would be like catnip over there.

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#52

Though I meet the criteria as stated (knowledge level wise - I'm a retired IT Exec/long time geek), yet this still is a bit too esoteric for me. As one of the 'killer apps' for ethereum is smart contracts, I'd like to see this explained in a 'for dummies' high level way, then decomposed into the finer technical chunks needed to make it happen.

you and everyone else is going to love this but if you want a "smart contracts for dummies" look towards the law: thats right the very thing smart contracts are marketed to replace not only controls but defines smart contracts themselves.

So far a few states (US) have passed laws regarding "blockchains", "smart contracts" and the like. For example, seeking to avoid any legal uncertainty surrounding blockchain transactions and smart contracts relating to certain digital assets, Arizona passed HB 2417, the following on point:

- A very specific definition of “blockchain technology” as a “distributed, decentralized, shared and replicated ledger, which may be public or private, permissioned or permissionless, or driven by tokenized crypto economics or tokenless” and provides that the “data on the ledger is protected with cryptography, is immutable and auditable and provides an uncensored truth.”

-A definition of “smart contracts” as an “event driven program, with state, that runs on a distributed, decentralized, shared and replicated ledger that can take custody over and instruct transfer of assets on that ledger.”

Other states in various stages of legislation on point include: Maine, Illinois, Nevada, Delaware and Vermont.

interesting notes: Arizona also passed a seperate law restricting the use of blockchain as "fire arm tracking technology", likely a pro gun rights lobbying effort. Delaware will likely be codifying by statute the right to issue stock on blockchains. Courts have begun accepting blockchain entries as business records under the rules of evidence.

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#53
post #26

Though I meet the criteria as stated (knowledge level wise - I'm a retired IT Exec/long time geek), yet this still is a bit too esoteric for me. As one of the 'killer apps' for ethereum is smart contracts, I'd like to see this explained in a 'for dummies' high level way, then decomposed into the finer technical chunks needed to make it happen.

professional etherem devs haven't even gotten to the point where they can write correct contracts themselves. but the concept is pretty simple. a "smart contract" is a script that runs on a blockchain to execute terms and manage funds. the problem is that the tools that you use to make these are basically garbage. you don't write fin-tech in what amounts to javascript y'know?

What would be an example of a "smart contract"?

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#54
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know, and I am very excited for those languages to exist and be usable, and thereby have been tracking a couple such efforts; until then, this is about as useful as pointing out that website development is theoretically possible using a computer. The person did not state that it would always be the case that smart contracts are hard: only that right now, on Ethereum, they are hard, and the comment even used "gotten…

I'm like a goalie. Defense is my game. Actually, I didn't mean to come across as defensive. I just like to nerd out about tech. Once you accept the inherent craziness of the proposal, and go "Ok, this is crazy. What now?" you end up concluding that the future is going to be very interesting. It'd be worth investing some amount (that you can afford to lose!) in ETH on the off-chance that it doesn't suffer a major disa…

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Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#55
post #2

Hi all, I'm the author of the post, and also the creator of the website. I'm writing this series of posts to demonstrate the site. Do you guys get what the site's trying to do? Hope you enjoy the post. If you have any constructive criticism you'd like to give regarding either the post or the website, let me know!

Hi, I'm the author of RLPx. Great post and thank you for sharing! Looking forward to more.

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ethereum allows you to write a program that executes on the blockchain. State variables are synchronized the same way that a Bitcoin blockchain synchronizes sums. (This means it's impossible to have private state that's also synchronized via a blockchain, but in many applications private state isn't needed.)

What does the code have access to other than the blockchain? Can it access the internet? The node's computer?

You cannot access internet information from the evm. All data must be in the blockchain. Any transaction, ie smart contract execution, must be on immutable data inside the chain.

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#57
post #26

Though I meet the criteria as stated (knowledge level wise - I'm a retired IT Exec/long time geek), yet this still is a bit too esoteric for me. As one of the 'killer apps' for ethereum is smart contracts, I'd like to see this explained in a 'for dummies' high level way, then decomposed into the finer technical chunks needed to make it happen.

professional etherem devs haven't even gotten to the point where they can write correct contracts themselves. but the concept is pretty simple. a "smart contract" is a script that runs on a blockchain to execute terms and manage funds. the problem is that the tools that you use to make these are basically garbage. you don't write fin-tech in what amounts to javascript y'know?

Normally, if you deal with money, then you try to be extremely careful, right? You have to care much about security, verify that your app is not vulnerable, make an audit etc.

And I think that even beginners know that you can't trust users' input - you have to sanitize it. And under no circumstances you want to execute it!

But here it is the opposite, isn't it? You basically give users ability to run any code within your application (blockchain). And you give them very insecure, confusing and badly designed language.

To me it is an epitome of insecurity. It is like giving a shotgun to a child!

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#58
post #53
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

professional etherem devs haven't even gotten to the point where they can write correct contracts themselves. but the concept is pretty simple. a "smart contract" is a script that runs on a blockchain to execute terms and manage funds. the problem is that the tools that you use to make these are basically garbage. you don't write fin-tech in what amounts to javascript y'know?

What would be an example of a "smart contract"?

Basic smart contract found here:

https://blockgeeks.com/guides/smart-contracts/

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#59
post #26

Though I meet the criteria as stated (knowledge level wise - I'm a retired IT Exec/long time geek), yet this still is a bit too esoteric for me. As one of the 'killer apps' for ethereum is smart contracts, I'd like to see this explained in a 'for dummies' high level way, then decomposed into the finer technical chunks needed to make it happen.

professional etherem devs haven't even gotten to the point where they can write correct contracts themselves. but the concept is pretty simple. a "smart contract" is a script that runs on a blockchain to execute terms and manage funds. the problem is that the tools that you use to make these are basically garbage. you don't write fin-tech in what amounts to javascript y'know?

A law can only can be as bug free as software?

100% bug free software is impossible! As long as they are written by humans? Their will always be bugs. Matter who is writting them.

Re: Ethereum from scratch – Part 1: Ping

#60
post #53
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

professional etherem devs haven't even gotten to the point where they can write correct contracts themselves. but the concept is pretty simple. a "smart contract" is a script that runs on a blockchain to execute terms and manage funds. the problem is that the tools that you use to make these are basically garbage. you don't write fin-tech in what amounts to javascript y'know?

What would be an example of a "smart contract"?

A kickstarter clone, that could be implemented in a few lines of code on top of Ethereum..

If there is > 1,000 Ether in this contract address before timestamp x then send the Ether to the project lead, else refund all the users.

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