Jeremy Spilman [ARCHIVE] on Nostr: 📅 Original date posted:2014-01-21 📝 Original message:On Wed, 15 Jan 2014 ...
📅 Original date posted:2014-01-21
📝 Original message:On Wed, 15 Jan 2014 17:32:31 -0800, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com>
wrote:
> I'd point out that regardless of how long the desired prefix is, the
> encoded prefix should probably always be constant length in all
> reusable addresses.
I might be misunderstanding, but I think prefix length must be specified
in the reusable address, however I agree the prefix actually published to
the blockchain should be constant length.
> If you don't want a particular prefix then the
> sender should just pick random data for the rest of the space. There
> is no need to publish any additional distinguishing data in the form
> of how long the prefix is.
Let's say the payee's reusable address is '<version> <prefix> <Q1> <Q2>
...', where <prefix> is 2 bytes. Without any length indicator. What's the
payer going to put on the blockchain? How would they know what the 'rest
of the space' is? They would have to put the whole <prefix> verbatim into
the OP_RETURN without knowing how many bits of <prefix> the payee actually
wants to see there.
If instead, the address is '<version> <prefix> <prefixLen> <Q1> <Q2> ...'
where <prefix> is 2 bytes, and <prefixLen> is 1 byte, representing number
of bits of prefix that should be fixed.
Then payer will know how much of <prefix> from the address should be taken
verbatim, and the rest of the two bytes would be replaced with random
data, and exactly two bytes would be put in the OP_RETURN.
If <prefixLen> was zero, the 2 byte prefix in the reusable address must be
ignored, and an entirely random 2 byte prefix would be put into the
OP_RETURN.
I'm a bit worried about broken implementations copying the <prefix> from
the reusable address into OP_RETURN when <prefixLen> is 0, and ending up
basically identifying the payee. That's the only reason I can think of to
make '<prefix> <prefixLen>' optional in the reusable address, to prevent
the opportunity to screw it up. You would *still* put a 2-byte random
prefix in the OP_RETURN, even if the fields weren't in the address at all.
It's just a minor concern though.
📝 Original message:On Wed, 15 Jan 2014 17:32:31 -0800, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com>
wrote:
> I'd point out that regardless of how long the desired prefix is, the
> encoded prefix should probably always be constant length in all
> reusable addresses.
I might be misunderstanding, but I think prefix length must be specified
in the reusable address, however I agree the prefix actually published to
the blockchain should be constant length.
> If you don't want a particular prefix then the
> sender should just pick random data for the rest of the space. There
> is no need to publish any additional distinguishing data in the form
> of how long the prefix is.
Let's say the payee's reusable address is '<version> <prefix> <Q1> <Q2>
...', where <prefix> is 2 bytes. Without any length indicator. What's the
payer going to put on the blockchain? How would they know what the 'rest
of the space' is? They would have to put the whole <prefix> verbatim into
the OP_RETURN without knowing how many bits of <prefix> the payee actually
wants to see there.
If instead, the address is '<version> <prefix> <prefixLen> <Q1> <Q2> ...'
where <prefix> is 2 bytes, and <prefixLen> is 1 byte, representing number
of bits of prefix that should be fixed.
Then payer will know how much of <prefix> from the address should be taken
verbatim, and the rest of the two bytes would be replaced with random
data, and exactly two bytes would be put in the OP_RETURN.
If <prefixLen> was zero, the 2 byte prefix in the reusable address must be
ignored, and an entirely random 2 byte prefix would be put into the
OP_RETURN.
I'm a bit worried about broken implementations copying the <prefix> from
the reusable address into OP_RETURN when <prefixLen> is 0, and ending up
basically identifying the payee. That's the only reason I can think of to
make '<prefix> <prefixLen>' optional in the reusable address, to prevent
the opportunity to screw it up. You would *still* put a 2-byte random
prefix in the OP_RETURN, even if the fields weren't in the address at all.
It's just a minor concern though.