Homework on Consensus - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#783

  1. What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth? Each node on the network will validate and verify each transaction before it is stored on the ledger.

  2. How is this different from how truth is determined in a central database? A central database is not decentralized. Therefore you have to “trust” that the transactions were verified. There are no financial incentives.

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#784

#1 - It means, that the truth is what the network agrees upon. So in order to get some event or action recorded in the database / blockchain, all participants of the network have to validate it.

#2 - In a central database the truth is what the (trusted) operator of this database publishes there. He has the ability to publish false information, which is much more difficult to detect, compared to blockchain.

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#785

Hello,
1) The term “consensus determines the truth” in ref to blockchain simple put means that it takes a collective in a decentralized network to agree on any addition to the blockchain ledger.
2) This is different from how truth is determined in a centralized network or private network that is usually controlled by an individual and is extremely hard to audit or verify and completely lacks the transparency(to say the least) that is an intrinsic part of a decentralized network.
Thx

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#786

[quote=“ivan, post:1, topic:8425”]

  • What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?
    It means we have a network of computers and different parties involved to determine what is the truth and what is not,
  • How is this different from how truth is determined in a central database?
    in a central data base you you usually have 1 person or 1 party deciding the outcome and the truth of things, meaning he can manipulate and change things however they like.
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#787

It means that the nodes collectively have to agree that a transaction is accurate and “good” before it is completed. If somewhere in the chain the consensus brakes the transaction will not be confirmed and it will be discarded.

It is different because the nodes have to confirm the data collectively. In a central database there is one actor that can show whatever truth they want.

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#788
  1. Consensus means agreement between nodes that have verified the transaction based on their database.
    It a trusless system as all transactions can be verified.
  2. It different from a central database as no one entity is in control of the information on the network therefore it alowes individuals to verify the truth for themselves instead of relying on what the central entity claims to be true.
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#789

  1. Consensus is achieved when the network of computers agrees on the ALL the information stored on the ledger. So the consensus is what all of the network agrees on, and therefore it is the truth.

  2. I a central database the truth is determined by the central authority. The truth is therefore based on the trust that the participants have in the central authority, and there capabilities of running and maintaining the database in the interest of the user.

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#790

1 It means that every part of chain says the same thing, the its true, and they are motivated by earning coins to say true.
2 in central database you have to trust, this one who gave you this database. You can verify it but its much more difficult than in blockchain

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#791
  1. What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?

Blockchain is ruled by incentivised agreement.
Whatever 51+% of the miners agree on in bitcoin, for example, determines which block is used.

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

In a central database whoever has access to that database is in charge of what gets entered, That person is basically the gatekeeper to what “is”.

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#792

  1. When it is said “consensus determines the truth”, it is understood that by network approval the transaction that is challenged and validated in an transparent environment is determined by the consensus to be true.

  2. How we determine truth in a centralized database is limited to relying on the honesty of the data provider and our own personal due diligence.

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#793

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

A don’t have to trust B because C and D tell he is ok,

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

in a centrale database you have the power to change the true or false indicators. If you try to do that on the blockchain would the rest of the network just laugh of you!

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#794

Homework on Consensus - Questions

  1. What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?
    It means that the majority of miners have to agree (=consensus) for a transaction to be added to the blockchain.

  2. How is this different from how truth is determined in a central database?
    In a central database, informations can be easily changed by a single authority and you will have to trust them to be true. You have to rely on trust rather than being able to verify.

#795
  1. Consensus works by multiple different decentralized entities verifying/agreeing on the truth. For example all computers in a bitcoin network needs to come to a consensus to verify a transaction making it truthful and adding it to the ledger, or agreeing the transaction is false and discarding it.
  2. In a central database there is no consensus since there is a absolute authority judging something to be true or false.
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#796
1. What does it mean when we say that in blockchain, consensus determine the truth?

In a decentralized blockchain network the participants are incentivised to be “honest” and may also be punished for being dishonest. Therefore the assumption is the majority of participants will be honest, therefore whatever decision the majority of participants comes to is the “truth”. This process is called “coming to consensus”.

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

In a centralized database there is no consensus process. There is only 1 source of information and you need to trust the information is correct. Centralized databases are essentially “oracles”.

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#797

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

It means that a general and non-bias agreement of what is truth has been made/determined by the network

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

It is different because truth is biasly determined by those that administer and controls the central database

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#798
  1. In blockchain, nodes work each for their own benefit and they are rewarded for being truthful, resulting in consensus that all can consider to be truth, without having to trust.
  2. In a central database, truth is created solely by the centralized entity that has authority to change or update the database. In this case one must put trust in the centralized entity.
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#799
  1. Consensus does not really determine truth. Consensus means a general agreement. The truth in blockchain uses a few different consensus algorithms. Most notably proof-of-work(BTC), proof-of-stake(EOS), proof-of-reputation(GoChain), and many more. All of these ‘proof-of*’ concepts are a form of consensus. The big difference is how decentralized the ‘proof’ is. A centralized database is centrally proofed by the members of the corporation; which could be a blockchain, look at Ripple.
  2. Trick question right? A central database is proofed by the members of the corporation, centralized blockchains (this is debatable of what consists of this); also have this flaw. It’s all about decentralizing in trust.
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#800

Blockchain determines truth through an incentive based agreement of an action/event or lack of action/event by network of independent public ledgers.

Truth by central database is whatever the viewer wishes believe or trust is truth. hummmm Donald?

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#801

  1. Consensus determines the truth because all nodes are incentivised to tell the truth so everyone plays by the rules.

  2. In a central database anybody with write access can alter the database to anything they want since its centralized.

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#802

1/Only truth can be approved by blockchain and its proved by many and because of profits out of it.
2/central database can be influenced by 3rd parties or authorities who decide what the truth is

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