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From: Marco Pontello <marcopon@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2015 03:14:44 +0100
Message-ID: <CAE0pACLzGPHs7-KG+fzbYJzbDZ+qxkoko_uPz4Kc-1ov8jdMsA@mail.gmail.com>
To: Bitcoin Dev <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
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Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] RFC - BIP: URI scheme for Blockchain exploration
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Hi!

To anyone that followed the discussion (from some time ago) about the
proposed new URI for Blockchain references / exploration, I just wanted to
point out that I have collected the feedback provided, reworked the text,
put the BIP on GitHub and created a pull request:

https://github.com/MarcoPon/bips/blob/master/bip-MarcoPon-01.mediawiki
https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/pull/202

The need for an URI for this come to mind again in the last days looking at
Eternity Wall, which IMHO provide a use case that we will see more and more
in the (near) future: http://eternitywall.it/
Using that service, when you want to check for the proof that a specific
message was written in the Blockchain, it let you choose from 5 different
explorer.
Mycelium wallet recently added the option to select one of 15 block
explorers.
And there's the crypto_bot on reddit/r/bitcoin that detect reference to
transaction an add a message with links to 7 different explorers.

I think that's clearly something that's needed.

Bye!


On Sat, Aug 29, 2015 at 1:48 PM, Marco Pontello <marcopon@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi!
> My first post here, hope I'm following the right conventions.
> I had this humble idea for a while, so I thought to go ahead and propose
> it.
>
> BIP: XX
> Title: URI scheme for Blockchain exploration
> Author: Marco Pontello
> Status: Draft
> Type: Standards Track
> Created: 29 August 2015
>
> Abstract
> ========
> This BIP propose a simple URI scheme for looking up blocks, transactions,
> addresses on a Blockchain explorer.
>
> Motivation
> ==========
> The purpose of this URI scheme is to enable users to handle all the
> requests for details about blocks, transactions, etc. with their preferred
> tool (being that a web service or a local application).
>
> Currently a Bitcoin client usually point to an arbitrary blockchain
> explorer when the user look for the details of a transaction (es. Bitcoin
> Wallet use BitEasy, Mycelium or Electrum use Blockchain.info, etc.).
> Other times resorting to cut&paste is needed.
> The same happens with posts and messages that reference some particular
> txs or blocks, if they provide links at all.
>
> Specification
> =============
> The URI follow this simple form:
>
> blockchain: <hash/string>
>
> Examples:
>
> blockchain:00000000000000001003e880d500968d51157f210c632e08a652af3576600198
> blockchain:001949
> blockchain:3b95a766d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a
>
> Rationale
> =========
> I thought about using some more complex scheme, or adding qualifiers to
> distinguish blocks from txs, but in the end I think that keeping it simple
> should be practical enough. Blockchain explorers can apply the same
> disambiguation rules they are already using to process the usual search
> box.
>
> From the point of view of a wallet developer (or other tool that need to
> show any kind of Blockchain references), using this scheme mean that he
> can simply make it a blockchain: link and be done with it, without having
> to worry about any specific Blockchain explorer or provide a means for the
> user to select one.
>
> Blockchain explorers in turn will simply offer to handle the blockchain:
> URI, the first time the user visit their website, or launch/install the
> application, or even set themselves if there isn't already one.
>
> Users get the convenience of using always their preferred explorer, which
> can be especially handy on mobile devices, where juggling with cut&paste
> is far from ideal.
>
>
>


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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<div dir=3D"ltr">Hi!<div><br></div><div>To anyone that followed the discuss=
ion (from some time ago) about the proposed new URI for Blockchain referenc=
es / exploration, I just wanted to point out that I have collected the feed=
back provided, reworked the text, put the BIP on GitHub and created a pull =
request:</div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://github.com/MarcoPon/bi=
ps/blob/master/bip-MarcoPon-01.mediawiki">https://github.com/MarcoPon/bips/=
blob/master/bip-MarcoPon-01.mediawiki</a><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://=
github.com/bitcoin/bips/pull/202">https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/pull/202<=
/a><br></div><div><br></div><div>The need for an URI for this come to mind =
again in the last days looking at Eternity Wall, which IMHO provide a use c=
ase that we will see more and more in the (near) future:=C2=A0<a href=3D"ht=
tp://eternitywall.it/">http://eternitywall.it/</a></div><div>Using that ser=
vice, when you want to check for the proof that a specific message was writ=
ten in the Blockchain, it let you choose from 5 different explorer.<br></di=
v><div>Mycelium wallet recently added the option to select one of 15 block =
explorers.<br></div><div>And there&#39;s the crypto_bot on reddit/r/bitcoin=
 that detect reference to transaction an add a message with links to 7 diff=
erent explorers.</div><div><br></div><div>I think that&#39;s clearly someth=
ing that&#39;s needed.</div><div><br></div><div>Bye!</div><div><br></div></=
div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Sat, Aug 2=
9, 2015 at 1:48 PM, Marco Pontello <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:=
marcopon@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">marcopon@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wro=
te:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-=
left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Hi!</div><div>M=
y first post here, hope I&#39;m following the right conventions.</div><div>=
I had this humble idea for a while, so I thought to go ahead and propose</d=
iv><div>it.</div><div><br></div><div><div>BIP: XX</div><div>Title: URI sche=
me for Blockchain exploration</div><div>Author: Marco Pontello</div><div>St=
atus: Draft</div><div>Type: Standards Track</div><div>Created: 29 August 20=
15</div><div><br></div><div>Abstract</div><div>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D</di=
v><div>This BIP propose a simple URI scheme for looking up blocks, transact=
ions,</div><div>addresses on a Blockchain explorer.</div><div><br></div><di=
v>Motivation</div><div>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D</div><div>The purpose=
 of this URI scheme is to enable users to handle all the</div><div>requests=
 for details about blocks, transactions, etc. with their preferred</div><di=
v>tool (being that a web service or a local application).</div><div><br></d=
iv><div>Currently a Bitcoin client usually point to an arbitrary blockchain=
</div><div>explorer when the user look for the details of a transaction (es=
. Bitcoin</div><div>Wallet use BitEasy, Mycelium or Electrum use Blockchain=
.info, etc.).</div><div>Other times resorting to cut&amp;paste is needed.</=
div><div>The same happens with posts and messages that reference some parti=
cular</div><div>txs or blocks, if they provide links at all.</div><div><br>=
</div><div>Specification</div><div>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<=
/div><div>The URI follow this simple form:</div><div><br></div><div>blockch=
ain: &lt;hash/string&gt; =C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Examples:</div><di=
v><br></div><div>blockchain:00000000000000001003e880d500968d51157f210c632e0=
8a652af3576600198</div><div>blockchain:001949</div><div>blockchain:3b95a766=
d7a99b87188d6875c8484cb2b310b78459b7816d4dfc3f0f7e04281a</div><div><br></di=
v><div>Rationale</div><div>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D</div><div>I thought =
about using some more complex scheme, or adding qualifiers to</div><div>dis=
tinguish blocks from txs, but in the end I think that keeping it simple</di=
v><div>should be practical enough. Blockchain explorers can apply the same<=
/div><div>disambiguation rules they are already using to process the usual =
search</div><div>box.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>From the point of view=
 of a wallet developer (or other tool that need to</div><div>show any kind =
of Blockchain references), using this scheme mean that he</div><div>can sim=
ply make it a blockchain: link and be done with it, without having</div><di=
v>to worry about any specific Blockchain explorer or provide a means for th=
e</div><div>user to select one.</div><div><br></div><div>Blockchain explore=
rs in turn will simply offer to handle the blockchain:</div><div>URI, the f=
irst time the user visit their website, or launch/install the</div><div>app=
lication, or even set themselves if there isn&#39;t already one.</div><div>=
<br></div><div>Users get the convenience of using always their preferred ex=
plorer, which</div><div>can be especially handy on mobile devices, where ju=
ggling with cut&amp;paste</div><div>is far from ideal.</div><div><br></div>=
</div><div><br></div>
</div>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class=
=3D"gmail_signature">Try the Online TrID File Identifier<br><a href=3D"http=
://mark0.net/onlinetrid.aspx" target=3D"_blank">http://mark0.net/onlinetrid=
.aspx</a></div>
</div>

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