MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <CAPkFh0tx6BJ2=pCamtawa=niPfci7-a6Vs-wFo3rXXx6oks0Jg@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAPkFh0tx6BJ2=pCamtawa=niPfci7-a6Vs-wFo3rXXx6oks0Jg@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2016 09:39:07 +0100
Message-ID: <CAAt2M197OWV1euFX5x+9A0K=0tTMamrTbXS=2KWX=ZKyPMyXAQ@mail.gmail.com>
From: Natanael <natanael.l@gmail.com>
To: =?UTF-8?Q?Emin_G=C3=BCn_Sirer?= <el33th4x0r@gmail.com>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=001a113c8852adb045052d0cd0ed
Cc: Bitcoin Dev <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Bitcoin Guarantees Strong, not Eventual,
	Consistency.
Precedence: list

--001a113c8852adb045052d0cd0ed
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

To say that Bitcoin is strongly consistent is to say that the memory pool
and the last X blocks aren't part of Bitcoin. If you want to avoid making
that claim, you can at best argue that Bitcoin has both a strongly
consistent component AND an eventually consistent component.

The entire point of the definition of eventually consistency is that your
computer system is running continously and DO NOT have a final state, and
therefore you must be able to describe the behavior when your system either
may give responses to queries across time that are either perfectly
consistent *or not* perfectly consistent.

And Bitcoin by default *does not* ignore the contents of the last X blocks.
A Bitcoin node being queried about the current blockchain state WILL give
inconsistent answers when there's block rearrangements =3D no strong
consistency. Not to mention that your definition ignores the nonzero
probability of a block rearrangement extending beyond your constant omega.

Bitcoin provides a probabilistic, accumulative probability. Not a perfect
one.
Den 2 mar 2016 04:04 skrev "Emin G=C3=BCn Sirer" <
bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>:

>
> There seems to be a perception out there that Bitcoin is eventually
> consistent. I wrote this post to describe why this perception is complete=
ly
> false.
>
> Bitcoin Guarantees Strong, not Eventual, Consistency
>
> http://hackingdistributed.com/2016/03/01/bitcoin-guarantees-strong-not-ev=
entual-consistency/
>
> I hope we can lay this bad meme to rest. Bitcoin provides a strong
> guarantee.
> - egs
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> bitcoin-dev mailing list
> bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org
> https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev
>
>

--001a113c8852adb045052d0cd0ed
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<p dir=3D"ltr">To say that Bitcoin is strongly consistent is to say that th=
e memory pool and the last X blocks aren&#39;t part of Bitcoin. If you want=
 to avoid making that claim, you can at best argue that Bitcoin has both a =
strongly consistent component AND an eventually consistent component. </p>
<p dir=3D"ltr">The entire point of the definition of eventually consistency=
 is that your computer system is running continously and DO NOT have a fina=
l state, and therefore you must be able to describe the behavior when your =
system either may give responses to queries across time that are either per=
fectly consistent *or not* perfectly consistent.</p>
<p dir=3D"ltr">And Bitcoin by default *does not* ignore the contents of the=
 last X blocks. A Bitcoin node being queried about the current blockchain s=
tate WILL give inconsistent answers when there&#39;s block rearrangements =
=3D no strong consistency. Not to mention that your definition ignores the =
nonzero probability of a block rearrangement extending beyond your constant=
 omega. </p>
<p dir=3D"ltr">Bitcoin provides a probabilistic, accumulative probability. =
Not a perfect one. </p>
<div class=3D"gmail_quote">Den 2 mar 2016 04:04 skrev &quot;Emin G=C3=BCn S=
irer&quot; &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org">bit=
coin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org</a>&gt;:<br type=3D"attribution"><blockq=
uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc =
solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><div>There seems to be a perce=
ption out there that Bitcoin is eventually consistent. I wrote this post to=
 describe why this perception is completely false.=C2=A0</div><div><br></di=
v><div><div>Bitcoin Guarantees Strong, not Eventual, Consistency</div></div=
><div><a href=3D"http://hackingdistributed.com/2016/03/01/bitcoin-guarantee=
s-strong-not-eventual-consistency/" target=3D"_blank">http://hackingdistrib=
uted.com/2016/03/01/bitcoin-guarantees-strong-not-eventual-consistency/</a>=
<br></div><div><br></div><div>I hope we can lay this bad meme to rest. Bitc=
oin provides a strong guarantee.</div><div>- egs</div><div><br></div></div>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
bitcoin-dev mailing list<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org">bitcoin-dev@lists.=
linuxfoundation.org</a><br>
<a href=3D"https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/bitcoin-dev" =
rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/mail=
man/listinfo/bitcoin-dev</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div>

--001a113c8852adb045052d0cd0ed--