So they can use the OpenBazaar backend but still have the local focus they want by making a new front end.
We've been working on decentralized ecommerce for a long time and I would love for a fresh group of developers to take a look at it and give us their thoughts. It's all MIT licensed open source.
It seems like it could just be generalized and tied into the reputation system[0]. Basically just let users claim they've paid and let buyers claim they've received payment through whatever outside-platform method.
[0]: https://www.openbazaar.org/blog/decentralized-reputation-in-...
The idea of a open, distributed market, is great. But the reality of scammers, cheaters, etc. is a big hurdle to over come. One of the great things about Amazon is the customer service, I don't really worry about not getting a product, or if I need to return an item to Amazon I am also confident that it won't be an issue. This seems really hard to accomplish in a distributed system with lots of small "shops".
Direct is when buyers completely trust vendors. There's no escrow and no safety net at all.
Moderated is when both parties agree to a third party moderator and the funds go into a two of three multisig account. Two parties need to agree to release the funds. Normally it's the buyer and seller but if they can't agree then they open a dispute with the moderator, who resolves the dispute and sends the funds to rhe winning party (or slipts them).
Moderators get a small percentage payout when disputes are settled. It's an open marketplace for offering moderator services.
The moderator doesn't have complete control of the funds (two parties are needed) and they aren't even aware of the transaction until a dispute was opened, so it has some advantages over traditional centralized escrow services.
There has been discussion on whether they accept other forms of payment[0] (probably lots and lots of times), and supposedly they'll take PRs. Maybe someone should write an external payment API that really just acts like a dummy "blockchain" and works off of human verifications (along with some sort of trust score).
That, or someone could theoretically create a blockchain that did nothing but validate payments on other platforms (I have no idea how it would work but it seems possible), so a payment on the imaginary blockchain would equal a confirmed payment on some payment platform with sufficient API support.
[EDIT]- found another thread[1]
[0]: https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenBazaar/comments/2lddjy/besides_...
[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenBazaar/comments/531vui/openbaza...
Bitcoin does not have 0 use cases, it has ~1 that's extremely rare in practice, so much so that it's usually not worth using bitcoin. But it does have a usecase. Something something spherical cows.
Once you convert Fiat to crypto, its easier to spend than using a debit/credit card.
Getting it from Fiat to crypto is the hard part. After that you literally scan a QR code or type in an email.
Its my preferred way of paying because I always have my phone but I dont always keep my wallet in my pocket. I dont need to add my address and birth date. I just send money.
Also, to clarify, I'm not a fan of alt coins(at the moment) only Bitcoin I believe is useful. Between coinbase Email, Shift card, and the usual on-chain txns, Ive basically made the change to Bitcoin lifestyle.
The vast majority of people would find it burdensome to convert their money to another currency, and then use that on a normal basis. Of course if you ignore the hardest part, it's "easy".
There are so many options at this point that I never get why anyone makes this about crypto currency. Most of these options are older and more widespread than Bitcoin as well.
It is until it isn't.
- Got screwed by a vendor and want to issue a chargeback? Nope. Can't do it.
- Sent to the wrong address because of a typo? Sorry for your loss!
- Got your wallet emptied by a malicious program running on your computer? Sorry for your loss.
- Too many people using the crypto, resulting in confirmations taking forever and/or costing a ton? Too bad, so sad!
- Fiat price of crypto swung widly before / after transaction resulting in your purchase costing far more / less than expected? Should have hodl'd buster!
- Want to convert all that BTC into fifthly dirty fiat? Better find an exchange that actually pays out in USD and not tether. Also better hope that said exchange actually has the money and isn't insolvent.
etc...
This is easily one of my favorite parts about Bitcoin. Scan the address and you are done.
Cryptocurrency means it can be completely peer to peer and not reliant on any payment processing platforms, and with multisig is allows for powerful escrow as well.
I understand the "benefits" of cryptocurrency. They're all outweighed by people wanting their money to have a stable value so they can realistically budget their real life expenses. In the bubble cryptocurrency nuts live in where they don't have to worry about real world problems like carefully budgeting their paychecks, it might work, but software like OpenBazaar crashes right into reality.
On what basis do you make that accusation? And how does supporting cryptocurrency preclude them from solving "real problems", whatever that means?
Why is it the "wrong" solution to making a decentralized marketplace? What's the "right" solution?
And how is this a decentralized marketplace?
Why take the risk, when we can handle it ourselves?
How do credit/debit cards satisfy the proposition of a decentralized marketplace?
They're something that most people are actually using, allowing the marketplace to actually conduct commerce and exist.
And again, how do credit/debit cards—which are centralized systems—satisfy the proposition of a decentralized market?
"And again, how do credit/debit cards—which are centralized systems—satisfy the proposition of a decentralized market?"
They allow the market to actually exist, by using something that the people are actually using.
But a decentralized market does exist with cryptocurrencies.
And credit/debit cards aren’t decentralized.
Doesn't matter. That's what the majority of people are using; so if you want the marketplace to actually be able to serve people, and get them to actually buy stuff, you need to support them.
Not if you actually want your marketplace to be able to, you know, sell stuff to people.
Clearly not for the people using it right now.
What benefit does this actually give me in my everyday life where I don’t need to buy toilet paper anonymously?
Are you asking why someone would want to transact anonymously?
People did. I remember reading those kinds of comments.
It's likely that the most interesting things in cryptocurrency will be introduced during the crypto-recession. Right now there is too much noise.
As long as it stays two or three this is a good thing. If it turns into twelve I’ll be right there beside you with a torch and a pitchfork. Until then I’m sticking with popcorn.
It took four years to get there so rebuilding from scratch seems unwise when it's open source and you could add you own improvements or just fork it.
I just checked the github post and one of the committers to openbazaar-go has left a nice lengthy comment explaining why/how[1].
Hopefully the people interested in Nile just put their support behind OpenBazaar instead.
[0]: https://openbazaar.org/
[1] https://github.com/open-source-ideas/open-source-ideas/issue...