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diff --git a/spec/srv-spec/discussion.md b/spec/srv-spec/discussion.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..59d26df --- /dev/null +++ b/spec/srv-spec/discussion.md @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +<a id="srv-spec.txt-6"></a> + +# Discussion + +<a id="srv-spec.txt-6.1"></a> + +## Why the added complexity from proposal 225? {#why-complexity} + +The complexity difference between this proposal and prop225 is in part +because prop225 doesn't specify how the shared random value gets to the +clients. This proposal spends lots of effort specifying how the two shared +random values can always be readily accessible to clients. + +<a id="srv-spec.txt-6.2"></a> + +## Why do you do a commit-and-reveal protocol in 24 rounds? {#why-rounds} + +The reader might be wondering why we span the protocol over the course of a +whole day (24 hours), when only 3 rounds would be sufficient to generate a +shared random value. + +We decided to do it this way, because we piggyback on the Tor voting +protocol which also happens every hour. + +We could instead only do the shared randomness protocol from 21:00 to 00:00 +every day. Or to do it multiple times a day. + +However, we decided that since the shared random value needs to be in every +consensus anyway, carrying the commitments/reveals as well will not be a +big problem. Also, this way we give more chances for a failing dirauth to +recover and rejoin the protocol. + +<a id="srv-spec.txt-6.3"></a> + +## Why can't we recover if the 00:00UTC consensus fails? {#why-no-recovery} + +If the 00:00UTC consensus fails, there will be no shared random value for +the whole day. In theory, we could recover by calculating the shared +randomness of the day at 01:00UTC instead. However, the engineering issues +with adding such recovery logic are too great. For example, it's not easy +for an authority who just booted to learn whether a specific consensus +failed to be created. |