# GLOSSARY OF TERMS

FROZE this doc as the authoritative copy is now at [https://github.com/blueskyCommunity/aozora/blob/main/GLOSSARY.md](https://github.com/blueskyCommunity/aozora/blob/main/GLOSSARY.md)

_(note to future writers - do please leave breadcrumbs from old work! thanks!)_

We need to speak the same language so that we are not talking past each other!

For each definition please use the format described in [A Modest Proposal](https://justatheory.com/2009/02/modest-markdown-proposal/), except limit of one definition per term:

TERM
: definition
- related terms
- examples:
- example 1
- example 2
> optional code block
> on a few lines
- optional - link to further discussion?

What do we mean by...
---

- DECENTRALIZED GOVERANCE SYSTEM
: An API that allows users to vote on arbitrary proposals including proposals to change the goverance system. The sytem is democratic and cannot be captured by malicious actors.
- related terms
- Decentralized Autonomous Orginization ( DAO )
- Cooperative Organization ( co-op )
- examples
- aragon.org
- colony.io

- DECENTRALIZED IDENTITY
: A unique string that is used to attribute ownership of content in a decentralized system. The string may not be globally unique.
- related terms
- DID
- web3 ID
- ENS name
- NFT
- blockchain wallet address
- examples
- W3C DID Spec
- ENS name

- DECENTRALIZED STORAGE SYSTEM
: An API that allows users to CRUD data in a way that cannot be censored by individual or groups.
- related terms
- blockchain
- distributed public ledger
- examples
- IPFS
- Arweave
- Bitcoin ledger

- [DHT (distributed hash table)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_hash_table)
: A data structure for distributed data storage with no central directory
- examples
- Chord
- Kademlia (most popular)
- Pastry
- Tapestry

- DIDs (W3C spec for Decentralized Identifiers v1.0)
: [a new type of identifier that enables verifiable, decentralized digital identity](https://www.w3.org/TR/did-core/).
- related terms
- DID
- web3 ID
- ENS name
- NFT
- blockchain wallet address

- FIREWALL BYPASS
: connect computers that are behind one way firewalls and NATs
- related terms
- example
- webRTC(STUN, TURN)
- libp2p

- Merkle DAG (directed acyclic graph)
: A DAG where the links are cryptographic hashes
- related terms
- Merkle Tree
- Block chain
- examples:
- SHA1 used in Git to link objects
- SHA2 used in Bitcoin to link blocks

- MODERATOR
: A user who has special permissions to control which content is available to a specific set of users
- related terms
- mod
- trust and safety team
- administrator

- PUBLIC LEDGER (PLT)
: A immutable and orderd log of events or mesages
- related terms
- block chain

- self certifying knowledge graph
: A graph where the nodes are linked by cryptographic hashes or signatures.

- SMART-CONTRACT
: A piece of code that executes in a virtual machine that is governed by a public consensus mechanism.
- related terms
- dapp
- decentralized app
- solidity code
- examples
- cryptokitties.co
- fairmint.co
- physical vending machine
- Bitcoin protocol

- ZERO-KNOWLEDGE PROOF
: A method by which one party (the prover) can prove to another party (the verifier) that a given statement is true while the prover avoids conveying any additional information apart from the fact that the statement is indeed true.
- related terms
- zk-snark
- examples
- zcash
- zksync.io
- minaprotocol.com