Topic: CryptoGraffiti - Block Chain Message Encoder & Decoder - page 5. (Read 35482 times)

As the front-end developer of CryptoGraffiti, I have to apologize for the delayed release of new and improved site.

My current living arrangement has put some breaks on the progress. Not to worry, new version of the site will be completed and released.

Thank you for your patience.

I enabled OP_RETURN decoding for http://cryptograffiti.info/paystamper/ yesterday (refresh the page if you have it in cache, the version in bottom right corner should be 0.93). Just go to the monitor tab and monitor this address: 14E6WJjQbzBgxQ2LhjWehWVF9iNY191SRd. You will see this text "ascribe is hiring! ascribe.io/jobs" which is actually written after OP_RETURN (you can verify it from blockchain.info). However, currently only paystamper part of cryptograffiti is able to decode OP_RETURN messages. I hope bitikunn will implement it to cryptograffiti's read tab soon.


I have thought about enabling https although I'm not a big fan of it. Cryptograffiti actually supports application layer security but we haven't enabled it for the end users yet because it might not be so important. HTTPS could already be used to fetch the web page itself (using a self signed certificate) but for some reason I have made it to automatically switch to http. Perhaps because browsers are quite racist against self signed certificates.

I also support the idea of hosting cryptograffiti as an I2P or Tor hidden service. Alternatively, it could even be hosted in the torrent network, IPFS or Tahoe's P2P data storage platform. Cryptograffiti is already able to detect end decode JPG images from UTXOs so the clearnet cryptograffiti could at some point become controversial if someone decides to store CP images in the block chain. Should such a thing happen we would disable the automatic decoding of foul images. The hidden service version should be free of such censoring but for the clearnet one I'm just worried about my own ass

To look even farther into the future, I would add more coins to the service. For example, a coin such as dogecoin with really cheap TX fees suits better for storing custom data. I would also like to get rid of the blockchain.info API's dependencies at some point to become autonomous.

Speaking of being autonomous, cryptograffiti has the potential to become a DAO (distributed autonomous organization) similarly to NuBits, B&C Exchange and Teehe). It would earn its revenue from the paystamper-like service that encodes your data for you in the block chain for a small fee. With the help of PeerShares it would be easy to distribute dividends and pass motions about how to enhance the services. It's clear that developing it from our free time as a hobby makes things rather slow to progress. If there is enough investor interest, it could be turned into a serious project and I wouldn't be against it. After all, there is a clear need for a service such as cryptograffiti.

@Hyena:
Have you thought about enabling https?
This would be useful to hide the specific message someone is going to view (because https encrypts everything after the TLD)

Also a Tor hidden service version would be cool. Even cooler would be if that version would use the hidden service of blockchain.info instead of the clearnet version.

Step #2 - Make this so that it write the data in the OP_RETURN, where it's supposed to go for easy debugging purposes (for other developers), or just so that you can leave a message in the way the blockchain in meant to be used for leaving messages.

Love what you guys are doing though, neat project!

What browser (and its version) are you using?

I does not work for me. If I click "Read" or "Write" on the website nothing happens. 

Word! Being educated a lot on the matter of computer (system) security, I can say that we must design a system for the worst case scenarios from the ground up. This is how software gets quenched.

If it was possible to anonymously and repeatedly poop on the street then I would indeed encourage you to do it because it would urge the community to solve that problem systematically. However, you can't poop on the street because we can find you and punish you for that. Having said that, pooping on the street is not comparable to creating UTXOs, which effectively renders your arguments invalid.

Yes, that's exactly what they should do because even though they are voluntary they are still developers and developers should solve problems like that. Otherwise they wouldn't be much of developers.

Before accusing me of being the cause of this problem, go ahead and build a script that would calculate the percentage of UTXOs created with CryptoGraffiti.info. You would see that the number is so small that it becomes a joke.

You like poop comparisons. Let me give you a poop comparison: you are accusing a single bear (cryptograffiti.info) pooping in the woods for toxic behaviour to the mother Earth. So you want to slaughter that bear. Guess what, another bear will come and start pooping in the woods so you would just make a fool out of yourself.

Life's hard and then you die.

My work encourages people to buy and use bitcoin. It is not an abuse because it actually gives bitcoins an intrinsic value. You cannot save messages forever with gold but you can do it with bitcoin. Awesome! That's truly free speech.

If you haven't noticed then my service can be used without paying a dime to me. It's free. Including a donation is optional.
Also, there's a big difference between boasting and showing gratitude.



The demand cannot be fulfilled by using OP_RETURN because anything after OP_RETURN can be pruned, so the messages saved that way are not forever.

If bitcoin dies then other means could be adapted to store data forever. Perhaps paypal will start using the block chain technology so I could build cryptograffiti around paypal's block chain.


If it matters so much to you then make a donation with a feature request to cryptograffiti.info and I will implement OP_RETURN as a high priority task. However, UTXOs will forever remain a part of cryptograffiti's functionality because this is the only way you can craft your message completely yourself without paying to any middle men such as myself and using solely your wallet software. OP_RETURN will require the user to use a proxy such as the paystamper that would actually save your message in the block chain, appending your message behind OP_RETURN for you.

If there is a poop-in-the-street problem in your area, I think that's a fantastic idea.  I bet there isn't, and that is because your area already has a solution for that problem (hint: The solution is not just "Rely on people to be well behaved.")

Would you rather your website be penetration tested by someone who likes your website or someone who just wants to hurt you?  Certainly, CG is not "just testing," but the fact is that its behavior works remarkably well as a test, and Hyena will certainly provide feedback about any mechanisms that will help solve the problem.

There is currently a "smallest allowable transaction amount" (according to CG), and one solution for this problem is to increase that amount.

I think it is dangerous to rely on good behavior.  If we create a system that has a "commons" that can be exploited to the point of making our system useless, then the sooner we know it, the better.  So yes, "Bitcoin is going to be attacked anyway so we might as well speed up the process."  I am the type of person who likes to get through the pain first and save dessert and the easy stuff for later.  I may have been conditioned, trained, or brainwashed to be that way, but I have judged it as better than saving the harder stuff for later.  However, procrastination also has merits (subconscious analysis, for example - like when you wake up with a solution), but I don't think that merit applies to a community project like Bitcoin.

Thank you for reminding me of this problem with the UTXOs in memory.  I have some ideas that I'll float with people who won't make me feel like an idiot for missing something important or suggesting something outside the box.  I'll post them here once they seem more solid.

"Bitcoin is going to be attacked anyway so we might as well speed up the process" Is what you're saying.

What on earth does the bolded part even mean? Should I poop on the street to give someone else a motivation to clean it up?


Most of these core devs work on a voluntary basis. Your entitlement mentality is telling, why should they waste precious time fixing your mess?

Good to see the you're annoyed by the memory usage, it was partly caused by your irresponsible behavior. It's the same for everyone else running a node.

Bitcoin involves a number of trade-offs, abuse like this only makes the dev's aim harder.


It usually costs money to attack bitcoin like this. What you're doing is earning a profit for yourself (you boast of the donations you received) while the costs are passed onto everyone else.


The demand can be fulfilled by using OP_RETURN.

If bitcoin dies then nobody will be storing your data forever. They'll delete their bitcoin directory and use paypal instead.


Excuses excuses. You get donations for this project.

The factory that pumps out toxic gases will also say they're poor. Running on a tight budget, cant afford it.

I'm also a developer on a voluntary basis and I somehow manage not to pump out poison with my project.

Glad to hear you've got it planned, but I humbly suggest you move it up your to-do list.

First of all, thank you for the reply. This project gets a rather small amount of attention, so I am glad to have some discussion going.

Unspent TX outputs shouldn't be held in RAM in the first place. Perhaps this motivates the devs to do something about it. Bitcoin-core already takes 1.4 GiB of RAM on my PC, this is crazy, the whole system almost freezes until Bitcoin-core loads up, I don't tolerate this. There has to be a better way. Blaming cryptograffiti is fighting with the symptoms, I can't stress this enough. You are overreacting. You think bitcoin doesn't have enemies? Try to convince Bitcoin's enemies not to generate huge amounts of UTXOs to damage the network.

So let's say I stop developing CGD because I don't want to hurt the network. Guess what, the demand for such services remains and probably even grows. Heck, even I myself would manually craft transactions now and then to include Proof-of-Existence data or some other important messages to the mankind that I don't want anyone to be able to delete, ever.

Perhaps I should add a warning to the site saying that bloating the block chain with UTXOs is harmful for the network and shouldn't be done? I like the idea of including OP_RETURN functionality to the service but our resources are limited and changes take time since we're doing it from our free time and we are poor Eastern European dudes busy with other things too. I can assure you that eventually there will be a possibility to read and write OP_RETURN messages as an alternative to UTXO messages.

By the way, I am currently thinking of writing a small module to cryptograffiti - Bitcoin Motion Voting or something.  There is this huge debate going on whether we should increase the block size or not. I think the only good way to decide this important question is by voting with the bitcoins you own. I would develop a block chain voting mechanism so that everyone could create motions and then vote for or against motions with the bitcoins they hold. This would be done by signing your vote with the private key to your bitcoins. The service would automatically calculate votes and display how many bitcoins are used to vote for block size increasing and how many are against it. This the only cryptographically provable and fair method to reach consensus. Any takers?

I agree wholeheartedly with the description of the problem CryptoGraffiti is causing.  I don't think they should stop causing it.  Better they cause it than the creeps who want to destroy bitcoin.  Those creeps will do it without regard to anyone's concern.  They WANT the atmosphere to be toxic.  We need a better method of solving the problem.  I have no idea what it is, but I'm glad someone who likes bitcoin is providing the problem (and therefore the motivation) to solve it.

I really like the idea of this service but I consider it's current implementation, using normal bitcoin addresses, as very negative for the bitcoin network.

The UTXO set is one of the very finite resources. It must be stored by every single bitcoin node for all of eternity. Unlike the blockchain, which can be stored on a hard drive, the UTXO set must be held on fast-access memory like RAM. Lots of bitcoin nodes are run on raspberry pi's and they do an great job of seeding.
If cost requirements get too high, fewer people will run nodes. We are already seeing the number of nodes dropping.
Gavin Andresen on the alarming growth of the UTXO set. http://gavinandresen.ninja/utxo-uhoh

SatoshiDice bloats the blockchain not the UTXO set, it is far milder compared to CryptoGraffiti. Satoshi Nakamoto did not bloat the UTXO set, his message was in the coinbase.

Moving towards using OP_RETURN would solve this problem. OP_RETURN outputs do not add to the UTXO set.
You saying that "It's harder to use wallets with OP_RETURN" is not a good enough excuse. https://www.lightlist.io/ is an online bitcoin service which does far more complex transactions involving smart contracts, and it works fine.

I beg of you to listen and act, your actions are equivalent to a factory dumping toxic gases into the atmosphere. Yeah, the factory is small and the atmosphere big, the air is a common resource and no-one can stop you. But your actions are damaging, one day you may find the air so foul that nobody can breath. That means the ending of bitcoin decentralization, only huge datacenters can be full nodes and the
The fix to this is far far simpler than the fix to air pollution, OP_RETURN was invented for uses like this.

I checked paystamper.com today and it was online. however, the person running that site has not responded for long time so I'm having some communication issues with him.


dscotese answered it pretty well. There is currently no way to pay directly with the qr code since the qr code is actually for the people asking for donations so they could embed their donation message in the qr code. Adding a payment qr code is actually a good idea and we will probably implement it at some point.

I don't use smartphone myself so I don't know how useful qr code is. is it really that useful? There is this wallet button that should open your wallet so the qr code that I have included in paystamper is actually usable with a smartphone anyway.

Just scan in the QR code with your phone, open the web page, click next and click on the wallet button. your wallet should open automatically in your smartphone.

As far as I know, you'd pay with a QR code by scanning it.  When you scan a QR code you get some data.  In the data, there will be a bitcoin address.  The only way to "pay using a QR code" is to send money to that BTC address.  If you do use PayStamper, then once you get the "Status: ACCEPTED" on the PayStamper website's "Stamper" tab, a BTC address will be shown there.  If you want to pay with a QR code, then copy that address and paste it into this URL where it says BTCADDR: https://blockchain.info/address/BTCADDR to get the URL of a page that will have a QR code for you near the top on the right side.

Hi, I wanted to use CryptoGraffiti tomorrow for a presentation.
I was mainly wondering what the deal was when I try to pay using a QR code, but I had my suspicion raised when trying to pay in general.

I went to CryptoGraffiti, wrote a message and then went to PayStamper. I never heard of PayStamper and as such went to PayStamper.com.
What I found there was that the domain was suspended - http://i.imgur.com/hCAdD5t.png

Also, when I clicked next on PayStamper, it didn't display a QR code. Is there any method of paying using a QR code?

We received a 0.22 BTC donation today to support the development of the WYSIWYG text editor for cryptograffiti.info. For that reason I feel the urge to report that we have been working on the new version of the user interface for some time now and that most of the hard work (adding functionality) is done now. There are yet some minor bugs left and the visual appearance of the new version needs some enhancements but if everything goes smoothly then we might have the new version released at the end of May.

Here's a screenshot of the new write tab functionality:

The press has just picked up on what crap can or is already stored on the block chain
http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2015/03/27/bitcoin-blockchain-pollution-a-criminal-opportunity/

edit:
Although it does not contain any direct links to http://cryptograffiti.info , it does feature paystamper.com which is also a web service that I have developed ( see http://cryptograffiti.info/paystamper/ ).

http://cryptograffiti.info/?txnr=2949



JPG image decoding is now supported by cryptograffiti.info! The screenshot above features a small 16x16 jpg image that is saved in the bitcoin's block chain. Image encoding functionality is coming soon. We just need to rewrite some code for the website.

If you are a programmer and already want to save your jpg images in the bitcoin's block chain then you must construct a raw bitcoin transaction that can contain duplicate outputs so that the whole jpg will be in the same transaction. Your change address must be at the very end of the jpg byte sequence. If you do that, then your jpg will be compatible with cryptograffiti and we can display it on our web page.

I have hereby verified that ANSI art can be stored in the bitcoin's block chain and CryptoGraffiti is able to decode it.

For that, UTF-8 block character has been used in a combination with ANSI escape sequences.

See proof of concept below.

gnome terminal (telnet calnet.ee 4000) to the left and cryptograffiti.info to the right:


The below screenshot is taken from http://cryptograffiti.info/paystamper/


edit:
for the interested parties, here is a C++ program that I used to convert a PNG image into ANSI Art:
http://pastebin.com/Jer3dZWs

and here's the Makefile:
http://pastebin.com/gNJ4n9mj

I have no fear that coercive authorities will try to make bitcoin go away.  Of course they will. They will fail too.  It is in the nature of coercive authorities to attack so much that is good that the rest of us withdraw whatever support we've been providing them and then their regime crumbles.  Thanks be to Satoshi.

For those wanting to see messages directly in the blockchain, a better hex-to-ascii converter is available at http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/number/hex-to-ascii.htm