03-25-2018, 05:36 PM
From their website: https://blockstack.org/faq
What problems does Blockstack solve?
Developers can now build Web applications where:
Right now, Web application users are "digital serfs" and applications are the "digital landlords". Users don't own their data; the app owns it. Users don't control where data gets stored; they can only store it on the application. Users don't control access to it; they only advise the application on how to control access (which the application can ignore).
Blockstack applications solve both sets of problems. Users pick and choose highly-available storage providers like Dropbox or BitTorrent to host their data, and applications read it with the user's consent. Blockstack ensures that all data is signed and verified and (optionally) encrypted end-to-end, so users can treat storage providers like dumb hard drives: if you don't like yours, you can swap it out with a better one. Users can take their data with them if they leave the application, since it was never the application's in the first place.
At the same time, developers are no longer on the hook for hosting user data. Since users bring their own storage and use public-key cryptography for authentication, applications don't have to store anything--there's nothing to steal when they get hacked. Moreover, many Web applications today can be re-factored so that everything happens client-side, obviating the need for running dedicated application servers.
What problems does Blockstack solve?
Developers can now build Web applications where:
- you own your data, not the application
- you control where your data is stored
- you control who can access your data
- you don't have to deal with passwords
- you don't have to host everyone's data
- you don't have to run app-specific servers
Right now, Web application users are "digital serfs" and applications are the "digital landlords". Users don't own their data; the app owns it. Users don't control where data gets stored; they can only store it on the application. Users don't control access to it; they only advise the application on how to control access (which the application can ignore).
Blockstack applications solve both sets of problems. Users pick and choose highly-available storage providers like Dropbox or BitTorrent to host their data, and applications read it with the user's consent. Blockstack ensures that all data is signed and verified and (optionally) encrypted end-to-end, so users can treat storage providers like dumb hard drives: if you don't like yours, you can swap it out with a better one. Users can take their data with them if they leave the application, since it was never the application's in the first place.
At the same time, developers are no longer on the hook for hosting user data. Since users bring their own storage and use public-key cryptography for authentication, applications don't have to store anything--there's nothing to steal when they get hacked. Moreover, many Web applications today can be re-factored so that everything happens client-side, obviating the need for running dedicated application servers.
