
Show HN: Free web hosting for handshake TLDs, no account required - rasengan
https://github.com/realrasengan/dnslive-webhost
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fxtentacle
Free centralized hosting for special TLDs that were supposed to be
decentralized through the use of Blockchain. That kind of defeats the purpose
of using Blockchain in the first place, doesn't it?

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rasengan
I think this is actually what makes Handshake so unique compared to every
other blockchain project. Rather than attempting to unrealistically
decentralize everything, it’s a drop in replacement for a centralized point
within the dns system - the DNS root.

Everything else will completely work the same, but giving ownership of the dns
root, and moreover, the global namespace, to the people is a huge step forward
and what we were always trying to achieve with ICANN but, unfortunately, could
not. Additionally, the blockchain in this circumstance also makes the legacy
CA system extremely outdated — no more need to trust CAs to do the right thing
[1]... the blockchain is immutable.

As for this DNS and web service, since many services currently don’t support
TLD level hosting (only subdomains like something.com), I put this together to
ease adoption until services “upgrade” to allow TLDs! It also serves to show
how names in the handshake era can authenticate without accounts which I think
is simply really cool without a better way to describe it. It opens up the
door for new kinds of services where people bring their own name and identity
with them which I think, for HN, this has been something the whole community
has been waiting for.

[1] [https://www.tcdi.com/the-threat-of-rogue-certificate-
authori...](https://www.tcdi.com/the-threat-of-rogue-certificate-authorities/)
(many more examples can be found with a web search)

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universa1
I just checked the namebase site: Did I understand the website correctly, that
I can only bid on whatever is up for auction, but not put something up myself?

So if I want: myfancyhandshake I have to wait, till it is up for auction, and
I can not pick it? Or can I pick it, but others can potentially bid on it?

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rasengan
This was designed to give a fair chance to all names. Each name is released on
a release schedule where you can take the hash of the name % 52 to determine
which week it will be released. All names will be released within a year.

When it’s released, you or anyone can start the auction process!

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rasengan
SS: Handshake names have addresses (and keys) associated with them. Because of
this, it provides a unique method of authenticating against ownership of a
domain without any interaction other than the blockchain and signature
verification.

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janci
Are those free and first come first served? If I forget the key, is the TLD
lost forever?

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tasuki
> Are those free and first come first served?

No. There's a Vickrey auction for the name. The amount paid is burned.

> If I forget the key, is the TLD lost forever?

No. If the owner doesn't extend after two years I think, the name is put back
up for auction.

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thinkmassive
Under "How long are my names good for?" at the FAQ[1]:

Handshake names are registered for one year at a time. Names can be renewed
annually by paying a standard network fee.

1: [https://handshake.org/faq/](https://handshake.org/faq/)

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peter_d_sherman
I went to the website. I read the FAQ. I didn't get it...

Then I watched the explainer video:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOj25i_BmMQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOj25i_BmMQ)

Then I got it!

Handshake (and other technologies like it) are very, very important to the
future of a free and open internet.

Reason: Current websites are dependent on domain names, which are in turn
dependent on ICANN and CA's.

If they fail -- then so does your website!

(A chain is only as strong as the weakest link, as the old expression goes...)

This, and other future technologies like it (basically, moving DNS to a
blockchain) get rid of the above dependency chain (or could act to supplement
it, in the case of a failure).

That's why this technology (and others in the future that will duplicate the
blockchain functionality of this) are so important!

ICANN and CA's could, theoretically, accidentally or intentionally
censor/redirect your site, and/or destroy your e-commerce business/livelihood!

Now, we assume Good Faith on their part (they are after all, reputable
companies!), _but the ethos of the Internet has always been about routing
around single points of failure, potential or otherwise._

While ICANN and CA's may use redundant servers in geographically separate
regions -- that's no absolute guarantee that war/famine/zombie apocalypse or
other "acts of God" \-- would not/could not render them useless in the
future...

That's _why_ (if you're running or planning to run) a website, you might need
this, or something like this, now or in the future...

~~~
zzo38computer
I am running more than a website (I am also running a SMTP server, NNTP
server, Gopher server, and may add a IRC server and telnet server too later);
how does this affect me?

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rasengan
Server posted here:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22610940](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22610940)

