http://blungr.com/?p=myka

Yes, it has been a long time! :-)

A simple way to think of a FluidDB domain is that it's just a FluidDB user name. But it has some characteristics of a domain too, the main one being that it is included in the identifier you use to label tags on FluidDB objects. For example, you might put a frank/rating onto an object, with a value of 6. That piece of data (the 6) has a name associated with it (frank/rating) that can carry trust and reputation, just as when you see a label like http://www.amazon.com/….. you immediately know the data associated with it (a web page) is reliable. Domain names are mainly used to label email addresses and web addresses, and FluidDB extends this to smaller pieces of data, like strings, integers, etc. So you can imagine that if Amazon had the amazon.com domain (username) inside FluidDB, they could put amazon.com/price tags onto objects and people seeing that tag name would know the associated data was reliable. FluidDB has a permissions system which ensures that only Amazon can put amazon.com tags onto objects.

Does that make sense?

Further, all FluidDB domains are reserved for the corresponding owner of the real internet domain. So only Amazon can get hold of amazon.com inside FluidDB.

Sorry for the long delay! FluidDB is now launched, as a private alpha. If you'd like to play with the API, please let me know.

I’ve not really said what a FluidDB domain is, and as a result I’ve created a confusing impression.

Apps wont be forced to claim a domain. Like many other online services, you’ll have some form of identity within FluidDB (call it a username if that’s more comfortable). You’ll use that to connect, and that name will be associated with your data. It can be flexible, just like Twitter.

We’re not trying to challenge or replace or add to DNS.

I’ll make all this clearer a bit later. For now I apologize for the confusion, and hope I can reassure you that the things you’re uneasy about are a result of me being deliberately vague at this point. I want to get a bit further along before we say too much more. That’s mainly due to my own uneasiness at letting the talk/hype get too far ahead of the product – and due much less to stealth, etc.

Terry

I’ve not really said what a FluidDB domain is, and as a result I’ve created a confusing impression.

Apps wont be forced to claim a domain. Like many other online services, you’ll have some form of identity within FluidDB (call it a username if that’s more comfortable). You’ll use that to connect, and that name will be associated with your data. It can be flexible, just like Twitter.

We’re not trying to challenge or replace or add to DNS.

I’ll make all this clearer a bit later. For now I apologize for the confusion, and hope I can reassure you that the things you’re uneasy about are a result of me being deliberately vague at this point. I want to get a bit further along before we say too much more. That’s mainly due to my own uneasiness at letting the talk/hype get too far ahead of the product – and due much less to stealth, etc.

Terry

Twitter at least provides some flexibility – I was able to rename from “goldsounds” to “danwalmsley” easily and instantly.

Ultimately, I think the primary namespace for all online transactions will be DNS. Any service that doesn’t respect the primacy of DNS as a means of pinpointing my identity in the online space doesn’t sit right.

But now I’m straying into my own company’s yet-to-be-released products, and that would violate all sorts of agreements… blech. Stupid IP.

Twitter at least provides some flexibility – I was able to rename from “goldsounds” to “danwalmsley” easily and instantly.

Ultimately, I think the primary namespace for all online transactions will be DNS. Any service that doesn’t respect the primacy of DNS as a means of pinpointing my identity in the online space doesn’t sit right.

But now I’m straying into my own company’s yet-to-be-released products, and that would violate all sorts of agreements… blech. Stupid IP.

Sorry for the very slow reply. Right now I’d rather not think about naming conflicts, though I guess there’s an easy solution (FCFS). If you want a domain, you could create a Twitter account & follow FluidDB. Or if you don’t have the name you’d like (taken on Twitter), send me a mail and we’ll se tit aside for you (if it’s not taken). If you’re wondering about identi.ca as a class of users, I agree it’d be nice to do. There’s no real reason why not, but I probably wont do it anytime soon.

Thanks, and feel free to ask again! :-)

Terry

Sorry for the very slow reply. Right now I’d rather not think about naming conflicts, though I guess there’s an easy solution (FCFS). If you want a domain, you could create a Twitter account & follow FluidDB. Or if you don’t have the name you’d like (taken on Twitter), send me a mail and we’ll se tit aside for you (if it’s not taken). If you’re wondering about identi.ca as a class of users, I agree it’d be nice to do. There’s no real reason why not, but I probably wont do it anytime soon.

Thanks, and feel free to ask again! :-)

Terry

A URI is unique, that’s the right way to deal with that on the Web.

A URI is unique, that’s the right way to deal with that on the Web.