The Blockchain is a poor means of storage. Is there a desire to store a file forever on the blockchain? With OP_Return you have a timestamp of the file so as to prove that it existed.
Under that argument, memo probably shouldn't be on the blockchain either.
To take the data down you have to take the entire currency down. This is extremely powerful.
Words can be more powerful than even large sums of money. Worth of Martin Luther King Jr's speech? Worth of whistleblowers' data? Worth of censorship exposure?
I view Memo as a nice proof-of-concept, but long form / high volume storage will be better served by other blockchains or solutions long term, and then this tech will fade out. My 2c.
Perhaps multiple blockchains is the way things will go, but to me a single chain seems more likely.
Would be very cool if we could have one chain for all. Though I think it's very unlikely/impossible,
Judging from similar structures in nature, we're looking at pairs of coins.
I actually tried the "multiple blockchains" strategy with data in mind. It introduces more attack vectors than just IPFS. It might work in some cases tho.
did you write up your findings anywhere? interested to learn more about how data could be stored on/with blockchain.
Maybe we need a way to incentive archival nodes. If eventually there's a lot of data, we could develop something like swarm nodes: parts of the blockchain stored in multiple nodes.
it isn't a question of "right and wrong" it's a question of planning now so that in five years you're still relevant
not all data must be stored on one single blockchain. "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." Why not long form hi def video content? because it'll get priced out one day.
I think there's a good chance it's the other way around. Right now it's not cost effective to store hi def video on-chain, but eventually it might be.
however it also appears to me that a competitor with a more efficient storage mechanism will also make you regret this decision one day, too :)
I respect your right to use the permissionless peer-to-peer electronic cash blockchain as a means to store short messages as well
Memo on blockchain provides good foundation. Social networking is incomplete without rich media, and it’s clearly impossible to support it onchain.
Why memo (the protocol) is important is not due to storage but due to uncensorable communication and identity ownership. All OP_RETURN data can be pruned.
It's uncensorable because it is stored on the blockchain. If IPFS suffices for storage then why would you need to use the blockchain at all?
Because there isn't ownership in IPFS. The blockchain allows identity ownership. Also, all transactions are viewed the same as long as you pay, so communications (txs) aren't censored
I would love to have a service to upload small files (other than images/video) and send direct download links, but I realize that I am one of very few people that would do that.
We are sort of storing our comments (data) on the block chain forever now, so we are sort of making the case for storing stuff on the chain, see no reason we could not send small files
This can all be pruned (and will be by most nodes except for archival ones)
Just about there with un-prunable data storage on chain.
That is the opposite of what you want
I think you may miss-assume my implementation. It is exactly what I (and others) want.
Doing so puts strain on other nodes (interfering with the cash aspect of BCH). You would force nodes to store arbitrary data forever with no remuneration.
Persistent does not mean irrevocable. I have taken care to ensure that the mining incentives are not effected.
Involves no changes to the protocol.
So confused...would like to know more
Scope keeps shifting upstream...tokens >> storage >> unprunable storage. Token proof of concept done ~ a week ago, data storage proof coming soon with generic whitepaper.
File hashes works great to create proof of existence/notarization, example
https://notary.bitcoin.com/ but most of the stuff done on the chain is because of censorship resistance.
There are people that want to store small files on the block chain, but mostly to make absolutely sure that the file stays up forever, but yeah it is a fringe sort of use case.
