uCoin becomes Duniter!
From now, and for the release of protocol 0.2, the project uCoin becomes Duniter. uCoin was a name chosen at the begining by its creator cgeek, and with hindsight we thought it did not represent anymore the software we aimed to develop.
Why wasn't uCoin the right name ?
The name uCoin was here to remind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The U of uCoin (pronounced "You") wanted suggest the idea that "You, the user, are going to create the money". But this link with Bitcoin was wrongly chosen for many reasons :
- The term « coin » indicated that uCoin was a money, and more over only one money whereas the software is able to create many of them
- the « you » term could suggest it was about individual currencies, where a uCoin money is common and co-produced by its users, and so is not individual
- our software may use a blockchain, but this one is particular in the way where there is no run for power
- a money named uCoin was initiated during our developments but based on Bitcoin, bringing then a confusion with our project from which it is not apart
Last point but not the least, was finding a logo idea for uCoin extremely difficult. After more than a hundred comments on the forum, we were not satisfied. We understood that the current name wasn't communicating enough the founding principles of the project. And since the sixth edition of the free money meetings, we were looking for an alternative name.
Let's present Duniter
« Duniter » for « Dividend Uniter » : the software which makes the Dividend unit.
The name we were looking for had to pass multiples ideas :
The Concept of Flow
This concept is fundamental to us. Indeed, we acknowledge that humans have a limited life expectancy, and that arrival and departure of individuals in the economy form a continuous flow. This software takes this aspect into account through the form of the money and its members, the individuals.
Human flow in France from 1920 to 2020
Renewal within the flow through life expectancy is used to deduce the monetary growth rate which imply a monetary symmetry, spatially and temporally, between the individuals.
Relativity Concept
A growth rate of 10 % imply a 0.8 % growth of the numbers each month. In this referential, it is not easy to compare values years apart by comparing these numbers. But in our software, individuals issue a universal dividend (abbreviated « UD »). This one is stable and does not change : it is always worth 10 % of the monetary mass each year. Thus, by comparing the numbers relatively to the created UD, we can compare and measure in a stable referential in time.
That's why « Duniter » means « Dividend Uniter », because this name wish to evoke the dividend unit, particular to free moneys : the Universal Dividend or « UD » .
A software to generate moneys, in plural
The name of the software was supposed to mean it would generate free moneys. This is then each one, by initializing its own Duniter network, that will be able to create and give a name to a new money. This name had to suggest a "software" name instead of a "money" name. This is why this new name is sounding like this, and does not suggest the money anymore through the removal of the « coin » term.
Dividend Uniter, or Duniter, express better the concept of a tool to create free moneys with universal dividends.
Duniter Logo
With this new name, more evocative, this logo was found fast. It evokes the sand dune swept by the wind. The dune is an invisible flow, a perpetual entity. Each new grain of sand feed constantly the dune represented by the Duniter logo, while others are brought away by the wind, making of it a changing but stable entity.
Changes
A new protocol
This name change is the occasion for us to use a new version of the protocol (0.2), not reverse-compatible with the 0.1. Duniter becomes the new reference implementation which fixes and enhance its ancestor uCoin decisively.
This protocol will notably permit the inter-money exchange without any trusted third-party, a feature particularly interesting to convert a money in another easily, freely and in a totally secured way.
A graphical interface !
Duniter will introduce a graphical interface to use the software, whose you can have a preview underneath ! Finally, the software is available to a wider range of users than the ones used to the Linux terminal.
A new money !
Soon, we will start a new money. This one will aim to being used a real conditions : it will be an experimental as was Bitcoin 7 years ago.
The launch will be announced on the blog, forum, newsgroup, Diaspora*, Twitter, and others, follow-us to remain informed as early as possible ! And for the more impatient, you can also come on the XMPP room where you will be able to obtain all the latest information .
Migration of our tools
As the project name changes, the web addresses of our tools change too :
- Development repositories : https://github.com/ucoin-io –> https://github.com/duniter
- Website : http://ucoin.io –> http://duniter.org
- Forum : https://forum.ucoin.io –> https://forum.duniter.org
- Translation tool : http://weblate.ucoin.io –> http://weblate.duniter.org
- Hosting of our XMPP server, chat room : ucoin@muc.jappix.com –> duniter@muc.duniter.org
Please note that any past link using http://ucoin.io will be automatically redirected to the same link with http://duniter.org, so that they remain valid while we switch to a new name.
Do not hesitate to tell us what you think about this new name on the forum or by participating to the 7th money meeting in Laval from the 2th to the 5th of June !
Now, you can tell everyone that uCoin name has changed and is now Duniter !