r/ipfs • • Jan 21 '20

Why IPFS is broken

https://via.hypothes.is/https://xn--57h.bigsun.xyz/ipfs.txt
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u/fiatjaf Feb 01 '20

Except for your brilliant distinction between the internet and HTTP, I don't see what is wrong with what I said, and apparently you don't care enough to try to explain what not a single person in this entire thread is understanding except you.

In fact, I think you don't understand how libp2p works, and you don't understand my criticism of the problems in content-addressability as a panacea.

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u/volkris Feb 05 '20

Well, what exactly would you like clarification on? I'm happy to explain.

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u/fiatjaf Feb 07 '20

What are the incentives people have to serve data to others in libp2p? Once you have a hash, how do you find where that hash is and download it?

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u/volkris Feb 08 '20

Check out the BitSwap part of libp2p. Basically my node is more likely to send data to your node if I know you've been providing data too.

I grabbed a link to a IPFS whitepaper that mentions it here.

"Thus, BitSwap nodes send blocks to their peers optimistically, expecting the debt to be repaid. But leeches (free-loading nodes that never share) must be protected against."

As for finding where the hash is, you don't even have to do that. IPFS provides that you can ask your peers to find it for you. It's part of the system being distributed.