What is Urbit?

Learn more about Urbit at urbit.org/primer

[@blurrymail13]

Still don't get it, but thanks anyway

[@spinLOL533]

Your own vps

[@gujono.eiriksson8553]

just google

[@ericnichols1975]

I'm a professional engineer for over 20 years and I have no idea what I just watched.

[@Whatifginger]

Thank you, I thought I was the only one that was dumb

[@Tubular-Trev]

A little more than a year. I just assumed I was dumb lol

[@IngwiePhoenix]

Discovered Urbit by chance and went to read their documentation.
Youll need a vocabulary notebook. Every thing that could be described with existing terms... is not.
an "Arm" is an event handler.
Just saying...

[@tigerinus]

I literally worked for a company on one of the most popular operating systems 8/10 people have used before... And I have no idea what is this....

[@uhclem]

Yeah, you should try installing and running it!

[@desbest4]

I'm a professional web developer with a bachelors in computing, and I don't understand what Urbit is after watching this video.

[@colinmacdonald2871]

And you still want in?

[@8bitvelociraptor]

Same here - even though they've caught my interest, I feel like they've failed to convey their concept.

[@rkvkydqf]

This sounds like an operating system, something for self-hosting, a decentralized protocol, or some new standard. This sounds interesting, but that just can't explain it well.

[@hardkorebhaktaofbob]

Its amazin to see the progress. I was here when the demo of 2013 came out. I didnt understand anything then nor now lol. I cant believe you pulled it off!!!!!! I cried when I saw this. Im so happy for you Yarvin!!!!!!

[@10e999]

Ok let me get that straight;
In the first 2 min of the video, you describe, in an obscure fashion, OS bootstraping.
The only relevant information is that the codebase is small (compare to what; we dont know what urbit is yet).
After adding jargon, like "planet" or "other language name", you describe that your server is capable of doing update.
Then you explain that there can only be only 4B urbit server. (Because scarcity is sexy I guess...)
The final part of the video is trying to explain what semi decentralised means to the urbit, making vague claims about privacy without providing any proofs.
"Leave the internet behind ( with our propriety server )".
...

[@brienandrebekahhartung7806]

It’s MIT licensed, so not proprietary.

[@KManAbout]

It's similar to lisp worlds.

[@10e999]

@@brienandrebekahhartung7806 servers can't be MIT licensed; it's hardware

[@mushroomman52]

I like it but I don't get it

[@gamersomatic5395]

Most ominous and confusing statement made in the whole video, “And when addresses are finite spammers have no where to hide.”

[@rkvkydqf]

I'm so confused. Won't the spammers just keep making accounts taking addresses of future users?

[@stickman9009]

I thought they said scammers?

[@squirrelandowl7482]

So if the urbit servers are digital land do we really own it, or could it be taken away by the same people writing and updating the urbit OS?

[@dannybeeman2658]

If this is all gibberish, I can't tell. Somehow I'm excited. Gonna send this link to friends April 1st.

[@wilmetcalfe8662]

Very impressive concept. I’m digging in!

[@gonzo4007]

This sounds like an SCP.

[@GrueneVanilleWaffel]

SCP?

[@Frewition]

@@GrueneVanilleWaffel it's better that you don't know.

[@persilstover7208]

"your planet becomes what you say it is?" For all our sakes I wonder if you are benevolent?

[@Whatifginger]

Can we get a normie explanation that isn't trying to sound like a haiku?

[@xastordoteth]

This is great stuff! I like the graphical minimalist style and music. It seems an incredible amount of thought (and work) went into this project and I really really hope it materializes in a way that gains mainstream traction.

[@gujono.eiriksson8553]

In my opinion the narration design is great. Who designed this? (Not Urbit but the video.)

[@UNATCOHanka]

If you can't understand what something is, it is better to not touch it.
This seems like a cloud os that's connected to other urbit cloud os to form their own "internet". So it's basically back to the 1970s/80s but this time on cloud?

[@robertleifke]

Really cool! But needs to be explained better @Urbit

[@DankAudioStash24]

Let's all love Lain ❤️

[@MisfiringSystemKing]

i would be lying if i said i didn't expect other SE:L fans to come across this lmao

[@Sanghelli]

They need to define this in even more lay man terms for people.

[@plebisMaximus]

Yea, looks more like an ad for potential investors than an attempt at swaying consumers.

[@Ardonpadaben]

Shouldn't it be "leave the World Wide Web behind" at the end? Or is a new decentralized physical network a goal of the urbit project, too?

[@xastordoteth]

I don't think this is an immediate goal in any way. But if we were to deploy urbit on mars, that would be a different thing I guess :-)

[@michaellee2786]

Im confused by the 2^32 limitation.

[@konosmgr]

For what particular reasons do you need a blockchain for private cloud storage, and how are you going to secure it without miners with an economical incentive to trade?

[@exoticredtadpole2713]

konosmgr control over your own data? I think. This is too complicated for me.

[@nodezsh]

The blockchain is used only for storing the location of your data. Otherwise the server is a server and it'll work as you'd expect.
I think.
Reading the website helped. It's a bit backwards to make the website all-practical and the video all-theory in my opinion.

[@rkvkydqf]

This sounds very abstract and complex, but like something that can change the world.

[@_jikkujose]

Now this is making a lot more sense than most other explanations! Thanks for this!

[@michaelpisciarino5348]

0:15 “Everyone Can Have Their Own Personal Server”

[@Nomaran]

Michael Pisciarino first 4 billion.

[@randomrandom316]

@Dog Dog Sorry, too late I am an Indian who got here through a link from one of my Chinese friend, now we will both tell our people and about 70 percent of Urbit network will be potentially taken over by us in the coming years.

[@nodezsh]

Guys, as demand grows planets will get more expensive.
It's not the first 4-billion. It's the first 4-billion that pay up-front.
This will filter any people who will find it impractical to own one.

[@iii-ei5cv]

the fucking naming schema kills me

[@ekeredtv]

How are we to interface with these servers? What about latency? Why should I use this over my VPS hosted from home?

[@p3on]

someone give me five hundo

[@muffinspuffinsEE]

This is the best OS I ever wanted!!

[@IngwiePhoenix]

You understood this?

[@SkySesshomaru]

Looks cool and everything, but how can I as the regular user use it on my daily routine?
This is going to be a OS right? How come this is any way different from Windows, Linux or Mac?

[@KailasSBhat]

why did I not find it sooner!!

[@spinLOL533]

when new internet

[@spinLOL533]

soon. Have patience

[@user-dh6fx1ve9j]

bruh 2020 made you reply your own comments

[@leonardo42266]

lmao

[@spinLOL533]

@@user-dh6fx1ve9j sure did

[@THE16THPHANTOM]

i still dont get what it is. or what is the point. and i came here because the website is just as vague as this video. so was the point of this OS to have 30k lines of code like in the 70's or what? idk, this sounded like the freedom phone pitch.

[@vanilsting10]

I only understood like 1/3 of it. Got filtered hard

[@pali.prince6162]

Who hosts the physical servers? Are the users?

[@jwoods9659]

So is this a OS like Linux or Windows OR is the a server

[@tophan5146]

Both

[@HamguyBacon]

Bought a planet but will put on hold until it is more simple to use.

[@billbauer9795]

How much did you pay?

[@HamguyBacon]

@@billbauer9795 like 25$ in eth

[@billbauer9795]

@@HamguyBacon Thank you!

[@MaCkSmE]

is this @rivatez ...

[@spinningbacksidekick]

Sounds interesting. But still no clue how to use it. Time to hit the tubes.

[@jr8209]

How is this going to be used to censor outgroups?

[@ant0n_X]

okay, so my biggest issue is that the functionality of being able to communicate with gmail and other apps is non existent and doesn't even appear in the pipeline.
that did seem like a good feature. other than that i couldn't like urbit more.

[@nodezsh]

Google is actively working against users working with open-source and alternative clients.
I couldn't care less if Google's services don't work on open source software. We've got better alternatives.

[@ant0n_X]

@@nodezsh don't get me wrong, i'm not saying i want google. i am just saying that functionality of accessing the "old" web through urbit is all but gone (other than the bible bot, stock bot, and maybe another bot i don't know).

[@rkvkydqf]

@@nodezsh Then why is there a large button turning Google's confusing OAuth API into a basic email server?

[@nodezsh]

@@rkvkydqf IIRC The problem with that button is that non-compliant apps require you to not activate that feature. Such as the official Gmail app.
I don't remember. It was so long since I used that button.

[@nodezsh]

@@rkvkydqf IIRC The problem with that button is that non-compliant apps require you to not activate that feature. Such as the official Gmail app.
I don't remember. It was so long since I used that button.

[@joyl2981]

This is amazing and I'm so excited now

[@realgrilledsushi]

That's good and all but I can install games and play?

[@topman8565]

Do whatever you like

[@cryptofugazy]

Objectively one of the best primer videos that’s ever been made

[@jwoods9659]

Awesome has good stylew but still a bit too nerdy

[@Paok1980]

Gigabrain project backed Peter Thiel himself and a16z!!!

[@Franiveliuselmago]

Holy shit. This sounds crazy illuminati.

[@nodezsh]

lol. If anything, they're trying to save us from the Illuminati.
It probably doesn't exist, but you know, just in case.

[@alextastic]

Um, what?

[@vedranmijatovic6270]

Is there a way for a non developer like myself to make a Urbit ID or a Planet? Any tutorial? requirements?

[@josephhubert753]

I don't think you can't make a planet. As it mentioned, the number of planets are fixed. You can either buy it on a crypto collectible market, or see if you can get an invite.

[@vedranmijatovic6270]

@@josephhubert753 Thanks!

[@Riiludragon]

This sounds like a whole bunch of marketing fluff and bullcrap

[@urbit6178]

I've never heard so much bullcrap in my life!

[@PaulJMartinez]

Looking forward to buying a planet if the Etherium costs ever come down.

[@noiseforthealgorithm4668]

how much is a planet?

[@peterconley8979]

[@HKHasty]

abstract.

[@wyatteichholz3139]

*Zero maintenance...

[@alexdelarge9425]

This is an ancap pip dream. Never going to catch on.

[@austinshearmen9210]

i dont get it

[@krunkle5136]

But what does it look like? It's hardware, GUI, etc. I think that's a big part of selling a new OS.
Also Jeff Goldblum or no voice over.

[@whcolours9995]

SO YOU'RE TELLING ME IT ISN'T PRONOUNCED LIKE "YOUR-BIT"!?!

[@dmvianna]

Best product prezzo ever.

[@___GM___]

I am a software developer and what the heck is this?

[@rasalas91]

4 billion?
Don't I get what a planet is or ... why? We are 7.5 billion on earth right now.
Shouldn't there be a number higher than the population? And then unlock them slowly?

[@nodezsh]

Well think about it, not everyone has their own website. If we make enough planets for everyone, there'll be no demand, and the blockchain will be worthless. And so, the identity (this is the important part) will have no real value.
They're trying to replace domains with identities. If we make the identities easy to acquire, they'll be nothing more than a bunch of random characters without value.
If anything I think they overshot it by a lot.

[@catklyst]

And what's preventing you from harvesting my data, compared to the big scary, "other," companies? How exactly does this thing "learn?" What kind of hardware or application support does this all have? How much does it cost?
What are the benefits of this over hosting some virtual machines on a server in the middle of the Bulgarian countryside?
Why cant I use the existing api from all of those different products from those other companies to control everything from my regular machine?
And so on...

[@TKRuna]

1. Cryptography. Urbit isn't centralized. Your instance connects to a peer-to-peer network.
2. Described in the video.
3. Right now, it's a VM with purpose-built code.
4. Technically nothing, though it depends on how you get an identity. They can be gifted, purchased, earned, whatever.
5. Fully owned and controlled by you. Since identities are secured on the Ethereum blockchain, you gain the benefits of blockchain (primarily the inability of transactions to be undone)
6. You can.
The thing you need to understand is that what you see in this video is the end goal. It's not all there yet.

[@squirrelandowl7482]

@@TKRuna Theoretically could the identity of an urbit sever become known to the hardware host and then blocked from existing?
Sorry if this is a stupid question. This project very much excites me and I would like to learn as much as possible.

[@TKRuna]

@@squirrelandowl7482 without a doubt, though more running than existing, your identity is on the network, not the host, so you can run it wherever and move it if your host is hostile

[@MrBenMcLean]

Urbit may be a great program but this is a very bad video.

[@Lu89m]

This is like your own decentralized digital identity in distributed group of servers so - Identity-as-a-Service IaaS “decentralized” ???

[@craigrmeyer]

I need to start an NGO that distributes ‘r’s to English people and teaches them how to use them. For the greater good.

[@coltonlundgren9455]

lol wut

[@swashy8933]

Cloud based? Don’t like the sound of that

[@pali.prince6162]

Who is hosting the servers? Are users supposed to host the servers physical hardware