Homework on Consensus - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#2812
  1. What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?

there is always more than one side to a story, (mine, yours and the truth). now consensus protocol searches for the truth by looking for evidence and witnesses, if it is found that 9 public ledger says the sky is blue and one says that its black, a new block will be added to the blockchain to say the sky is blue because there can only be one version of the truth on the blockchain. thus consensus determine the truth by common agreement.

  1. How is this different from how truth is determined in a central database?

on a centralized database the truth is determined by (my story), there is no other points or opinion that matter, in a way centralized database is a form of dictatorship that cannot be challenged(if its wrong, its still right).
so we can see that there is no doubt that consensus driven database is by far the better option and not just any consensus but incentivized consensus, that will basically be a “informant” because everyone will inform about a bad or dodgy data or transaction because we all love to be rewarded with those dollaris baby!!.

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#2813
  1. Consensus on a decentralized system can be used to verify data entered by different data points.
  2. Central Database managers have a power to edit database entries, reject them or approve without consensus. It’s not immutable. Btw, with enough hash power POW blockchains become centralized databases.
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#2814
  1. To achieve consensus, all the nodes need to be in an agreement that transactions are authentic and can be added to the blockchain. This creates a network where everyone is in agreement at all times.
  2. Nodes in a blockchain are independent from one another and are incentivized to act fairly. In a centralized database, the amount of consensus goes from many nodes to very few or even down to 1. This can lead to in a shift of what is being incentivized from what is best for many, to what is best for a few.
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#2815

What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?

All decisions are created by consensus and it can be double checked and verified.
It’s all about removing trust.

How is this different from how truth is determined in a central database?

It’s impossible to know the truth in a central database since there is no system that we can use to verify its trueness.

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#2816

  1. Consensus determines the truth because everyone needs to reach an agreement on every transaction that comes into the ledger. Consensus gets rid of trust through incentives.

  2. In a central database only trust is really available, as everything is centralized and a consensus doesn’t need to be reached.

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#2817

1.The nodes form a concensus based on the stored copy of the blockchain and decides as a majority what is going to be on the blockchain and what is rejected.

  1. Central databases are easily corruptable, like politicans. It’s based on a trust system.
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#2818

  1. Consensus basically verifies the truth of whatever data is being added to the blockchain. If the entire network of computers agree on a block, then it is the truth. It is verified by consensus. So, if anyone tries to change something, it would be immediately picked up by the other computers on that part of the blockchain as invalid because it doesn’t match what they have. So, the truth is what is verified by all of the network. Consensus determines the truth.

  2. Truth is identified in a central database basically by what is written to it. So anything can be written to it and whatever is written is supposed to be the truth.

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#2819
  1. All of the data is on all of the computers. It is a consensual system entirely. It’s verifiable nature allows for truth of what’s occurring throughout the movements of business and that business’s related suppliers and products, where they are created and where they go and to whom. This is all verified through consensus. And it is consensus which allows for a very different world where everyone gets paid for being honest instead of lacking transparency to hide ills of one sort or another. Very very cool.
  2. Truth in a centralized data base is truth by those that are writing it! lol!! Truly, it is governed by one or a small group in which they may represent any visuals or data they choose - not transparent unless by a rarity they choose transparency. It is not verifiable through a decentralized public access like the blockchain affords us all.
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#2820

  1. it means a community that plays by the rules and gets incentives by doing so.

  2. in centralized database the rules can always be bent for certain players.

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#2821

1.In blockchain, you have a provenance which acts a governing board. Each member of the board has no bias toward the subject. Therefore, each can judge based on merit. This brings about an consensus accuracy which determines the truth by eliminating the one source of knowledge. Multiple entities have the information to legitimize that thing which is seeking clearance through the ledger. Furthermore, each board member/miner is incentivize to tell the truth.
2.When going through central database the truth of it is relegated to the author/s who created it. The central database limits your avenues to verify what is being standardize.

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#2822

On the blockchain 100% of nodes must agree or they will fork into a blueskychain and blackskychain :stuck_out_tongue:

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#2823

Q: What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?
A: Consensus is the general agreement across the nodes in the blockchain network that some transactions are valid and the block can be added to the blockchain ledger

Q: How is this different from how truth is determined in a central database?
A: A traditional database follows a centralised model in which a central authority deems what is the truth without any general consensus from other participants.

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#2824
  1. It means 51% of the nodes need to confirm data validity through financial incentives to be written on the ledger.

2.In a centralized database don’t need to achieve any agreement(consensus) to validate any data.So,incorrect
information also will be copied.

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#2825

  1. It means that all data entered in the blockchain, must first be verified and agreed upon by all of the nodes whose function it is to validate that data. If the data is not supported by historical entries in the blockchain, it is not considered to be true and therefore, will not be validated by the nodes or entered to the public ledger (database).

  2. In a central database, only a single entity or group of pre-authorized parties has access to decide what is entered and what is not. Therefore the veracity of that data being entered is not being checked by multiple, independent parties and, as such, may or may not be trustworthy. Thus there is no element of “trustlessness” (the word “trustlessness” should be submitted to Collins/Webster’s/Oxford/Cambridge publishers, for inclusion in the English dictionary!).

#2826

so if there is not 100% agreement it will create 2 separate chain, one being blueskychain and the othe blackskychain?

#2827

so if there is not 100% agreement it will create 2 separate chain, one being blueskychain and the othe blackskychain?

#2828

bare with me just trying to fully understand what your saying, because i thought that if all 9 nodes agree with each other and one goes against the nine, it will omit that one that disagree with the 9 and only the data or transaction of those nine nodes will be added to the blockchain because there is a majority. please get back to me because im eager to learn, thank you.

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#2829

  1. In blockchain the network agrees about if a transaction makes sense. Everyone its connected to everyone and is incentivate to say the truth. Trust is remove.

  2. I guess in a normal database the owner of it can remove data and there is not agreement by different parts about if a transaction makes sense or not. It’s easier to cheat.

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#2830

Homework on Consensus - Questions

  1. What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?
    when transaction happens, it goes to collective of computers and in this process all computers has to reach consensus or in other words confirm truth of current transaction.
  2. How is this different from how truth is determined in a central database?
    Central database can give to costumers their own truth which can be made up by central database, but if you implement consensus into central database, there is no way central database can manipulate with truth.
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#2831

Technically all nodes must be in consensus with each other. If for example one node doesn’t agree with the color of the sky, then this node is not in consensus. If the node would continue to insist on its version of truth, the rest of the network would find this node as malicious and would blacklist it and stopped communicating with it. Thus the node would be on its own. Basically hard forked.

But in case 9 of the nodes would say that the sky is blue and one node would say the sky is light blue, then the node is still in consensus but his rules are more strict, in that case the node would still function as part of the network but would have to convince half of the network that the sky is not only blue but in fact light blue. This would be considered as a soft fork :slight_smile:

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