Researchers from several institutes worldwide recently developed Quarks, a new, decentralized messaging network based on blockchain technology. Their proposed system could overcome the limitations of most commonly used messaging platforms, allowing users to retain control over their personal data and other information they share online.
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That doesn’t solve the problem. If you don’t get a read receipt, then you can’t prove you sent the message. And if the recipient doesn’t want you to be able to prove you sent a message, they can disable sending read receipts.
This sort of system is not meant for your use case. It is not meant for memes or other things nobody cares about. It is meant for people who need an auditable permanent copy of their communication.
For example, businesses sending orders, contracts, etc to each other. Or lawyers sending documents to each other. They need systems that are private, not susceptible to central server failure, yet nevertheless auditable in case of an untrustworthy recipient.
If a lawyer sends a time-sensitive letter to opposing counsel, the recipient must not be able to claim, “You did not send it to me on time”. Blockchain is a good solution for such needs.
Did you read the paper? This isn’t Bitcoin. The metadata is not available to the public.
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I just gave you one example of a use case. It’s hardly unique. There are plenty of time-sensitive messages sent in business settings, and plenty of people who don’t necessarily want to acknowledge receiving them.
More examples, off the top of my head:
Manager tells worker they need to cover an emergency on the weekend, worker claims they never received the message.
Business wants to cancel a work order, contractor shows up and says they weren’t properly notified of the cancellation.
Supervisor sends disciplinary note to employee before dismissal, employee says it was never sent and then claims wrongful termination.
And of course, this has nothing to do with email. So if you set up a “spam filter” that deletes your boss’s messages, that’s on you. They know they sent you the message, even if you delete it or otherwise pretend they didn’t.
This is about an independent audit trail, not “keeping logs”. Your personal email server doesn’t count, because you can alter the log to show whatever you want. Nobody is going to take your word for it.
Finally, it’s pretty clear you have no idea how this system is supposed to work, because you keep claiming that documents are “accessible by any third party”. You do understand that not every blockchain system is public, right?
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Lol what? I knew what they were, I just thought it was stupid to bring them up because they solve nothing.
Oh, then there is no need to worry about it, I guess.
“Respond to what??”
Then the worker pulls out their phone and says, “see, it’s not on my phone”
Unless, of course, the sender/manager actually didn’t properly notify the contractor/employee, and now they are lying to cover their ass.
Like many disputes, it amounts to he-said-she-said. When it goes to court, the jury will flip a coin. There is a better way.