# Principles Seminar v0

# Moved to https://notes.status.im/principles-seminar-v0?both

## Background links

[Our Principles](https://our.status.im/our-principles/)

[Wall of shame](https://our.status.im/our-wall-of-shame/)

[Discuss thread](https://discuss.status.im/t/status-principles-seminar-v0-marathon-edition/505)

## Agenda

Oct 9 (Tue)
1200 UTC: Session 1 - Openness
1300 UTC: Session 2 - Inclusivity

Oct 10 (Wed)
1200 UTC: Session 3 - Censorship-resistance
1300 UTC: Session 4 - Security

Oct 11 (Thu)
1200 UTC: Session 5 - Decentralization (people)
1300 UTC: Session 6 - Decentralization (computers)

Oct 16 (Tue)
1200 UTC: Session 7 - Privacy
1300 UTC: Session 8 - Transparency

Oct 17 (Wed)
1200 UTC: Session 9 - Continuance
1300 UTC: Session 10 - Resourcefulness

Oct 18 (Thu)
1200 UTC: Session 11 - Liberty
1300 UTC: Session 12 - Cypherpunk Anon Chat

### [1. Intro & Openness](https://hackmd.io/p/B1KE8Q79Q#/)

[Editable](https://hackmd.io/IdJYPI-SQUmO-3ko71bPeg?both)

Brainstorming doc

[Notes](https://hackmd.io/G5s56doKQaGBO8a4XbEbOQ)

### [2. Inclusivity](https://hackmd.io/p/Byn5ww79m#/)

[Editable](https://hackmd.io/OVwyvd8sRlCniXGB5Gg1ig?both)

[Notes](https://hackmd.io/uoDbzPoNSYW2_39nG7Jopw)

### [3. Censorship resistance](https://hackmd.io/p/B11hM1Iqm#/)

[Editable](https://hackmd.io/4XAStt0NRBuS9OJFkX1YXQ#/)

[Notes](https://hackmd.io/V_Rpwgo3Q0aQRSoB2Z8-xg)

### [4. Security](https://hackmd.io/p/S1rlQ1IcQ#/)

[Editable](https://hackmd.io/LJRDucSoTLCDBx-ieUlVkw?both)

[Notes](https://hackmd.io/yjKBLqPCTES6j2xisfiZ0g)

### [5. Decentralization (people)](https://hackmd.io/p/rkrpKYYc7#/)

[Editable](https://hackmd.io/9t7nt0-9TxqYEEc8HX1_xw)

[Notes](https://hackmd.io/ypFsR0gYTVikp0hZe4FMoA)

### [6. Decentralization (computers)](https://hackmd.io/p/B17qk5Y9Q#/)

[Editable](https://hackmd.io/j5teqhg6R_GXc_WADqbqQg)

[Notes](https://hackmd.io/DR9UBWPYT6O3pxIU3PyFBA)

### TODO: Session 7 - Privacy
[Notes](https://notes.status.im/principles-seminar-v0-privacy-notes?view)
### TODO: Session 8 - Transparency
[Notes](https://notes.status.im/principles-seminar-v0-transparency-notes?view)
### TODO: Session 9 - Continuance
### TODO: Session 10 - Resourcefulness
### TODO: Session 11 - Liberty
Sketch https://hackmd.io/VuhvPGsfQ8S-ub2_RgaHiw
### TODO: Session 12 - Anon chat

(?) - part of end of liberty? goto #cypherpunk (name TBD)

---

Raw notes

Session 5 - Decentralization (people)

**We minimize centralization across both the software and the organization itself. In other words, we maximize the number of physical computers composing the network, and maximize the number of individuals who have control over the system(s) we are building.**

- Focus on people here, what does this mean?
- Control over network/system, priviliges
- SEC ruling Ethereum was centralized now not
- Satoshi disappeared! Great, how does this even work?
- Two ways: control over multisig or able to impact as indiviudal funder
- Incentivize funding, e.g. getting token is one example, others as well
- Uncoordinated, less heavy big, shouldn't know everything going on
- Still have some gates to pass for software, but indivudal etc
- How are we not decentralized? Central source of funding, enduring tenure, not tying accountability/desired things
- SITG ideas examples of this

Session 6 - Decentralization (computers)

**We minimize centralization across both the software and the organization itself. In other words, we maximize the number of physical computers composing the network, and maximize the number of individuals who have control over the system(s) we are building.**

- Gold standard: we shut down our custer and everything just works
- Not there. Lots of hard problems:
- Ensure resources (LES server full node clog up)
- Mailserver store etc
- Also more infra things like GH etc
- Future p2p, bittorrent magnet as example, just need link and distribute
- Another is scuttlebutt, doesn't require consensus, just gossip 1-2-3 hops

---

Session 7 - Privacy

**Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world. For us, it's essential to protect privacy in both communications and transactions, as well as being a pseudo-anonymous platform. Additionally, we strive to provide the right of total anonymity.**

- It's a power
- Communication: E2E, but also metadata - who you talking to
- Hard problem
- Transactions: ZK-SNARKs and STARKS, roadmap but will take a while, Ethereum etc, big effort we should be pushing
- Total anonymity: extent possible
- See cypherpunk chat
- How not measuring up? Lots of ways but getting better

Session 8 - Transparency

**We strive for complete openness and symmetry of information within the organization, and have no border between our core contributors and our community. We are frank about our shortcomings, especially when making short-term tradeoffs in service of our long-term goals.**

- Symmetry of information, as opposed to asymmetry
- Requires empathy with strangers, also relates to inclusivity
- Borders between CC and community - better with Discuss, but still closed with calls etc
- Notes should be async accessible etc, show chat history in e.g. ideas page or w/e
- Shortcomings: more clear about security guarantees, like what can we actually say about our darkness?
- Short-term: push out our flaws, flaunt them openly

> ACCESS DENIED
> Tor example here, Google login ok so now you need a google account, and to do that you need a phone account, and to get that in some countries you need a passport. So hold on, what are we doing again? We want to read some text! and maybe even write. What's wrong with pen and paper again?
https://notes.status.im/#

--

Session 9 - Continuance

**We create software incentivized to continue to exist and improve, without the stewardship of a single entity or any of the current team members.**

- Not altruistic, so sad that PGP example
- Economics/Business around real value creation and then value capture, but in a non centralized way
- If what we do is useful and we have 1M users or more, this means we created something of value
- Business model, alternative to it
- ENS username one example
- If we can figure out sustainable funding models where individuals want something
- Let's build a garden
- Encode things into manual, spread knowledge so there's no bus factor, etc

Session 10 - Resourcefulness

**We are relentlessly resourceful. As we grow and have ready access to capital, it is our obligation to token holders to fight bureaucracy and inefficiencies within the organization. This means solving problems in the most effective way possible at lower economic costs (in terms of capital, time and resources).**

- Phrase come from pg
- Not unlimited cash, we saw lots of stuff in 2017 etc
- We actually live on the capital raised by 20k token holders, for promises in whitepaper
- Our duty to deliver them, as well as to masses
- Biggest here is tenure model and we do a lot of paid work that doesn't necessarily gets us closer to this

--

Session 11 - Liberty

**We believe in the sovereignty of individuals. As a platform that stands for the cause of personal liberty, we aim to maximize social, political, and economic freedoms. This includes being coercion-resistant.**

Want to WIP this as well to make sure end is clear here. https://hackmd.io/VuhvPGsfQ8S-ub2_RgaHiw super sketch

- Liberty, end goal
- Sovereignity, past and present vs countries etc
- Personal liberty, what is it?
- Social/political/economic freedom sup
- Coercion resistance also for us relevant, MPC signing binaries, don't want anyone to be in position where they have to make a choice like this
- Versions of it: negative and positive
- In times of... saying liberty subversive
- Freedom of speech

Forget the moon, forget the words. Look at the moon. Groucho Marx different principes if you prefer.
(https://www.satrakshita.com/the_finger_and_the_moon.htm)

Literalism: John Cleese and Taleb intergenerational transfer, heuristics.

Session 12 - Cypherpunk anon chat

We are a pseudoanonymous platform, not The right to total anonymity.