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'''Urbit''' is a ] ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Valley of the Gods: A Silicon Valley Story|last=Wolfe|first=Alexandra|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2017|isbn=9781476778945|pages=219–222}}</ref> The platform seeks to deconstruct the ] in favor of a federated network of personal servers in a ] with a consistent digital identity (an ID that remains the same when its underlying public key changes). '''Urbit''' is a ] ]<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Valley of the Gods: A Silicon Valley Story|last=Wolfe|first=Alexandra|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2017|isbn=9781476778945|pages=219–222}}</ref> based on ]. The platform seeks to deconstruct the ] in favor of a federated network of personal servers in a ] with a consistent digital identity for users.


The design seeks to give users control over their own computing by fixing the underlying issues that cause existing services on the web to centralize, notably: spam, system administration complexity, and development complexity.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Alberico |first1=Zach |title=Tlon, Urbit, and Clawing Back Computing Freedom |url=https://martiancomputing.substack.com/p/tlon-urbit-computing-freedom |website=Martian Computing}}</ref>{{primary source inline}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yarvin |first1=Curtis |title=Urbit: functional programming from scratch |url=http://moronlab.blogspot.com/2010/01/urbit-functional-programming-from.html |website=moronlab |date=13 January 2010 |access-date=8 February 2023}}</ref>{{primary source inline}}<ref>{{cite podcast|host=Jeff Meyerson|title=Urbit with Curtis Yarvin and Galen Wolfe-Pauly|website=Software Engineering Daily|date=20 January 2017|time=8:55|url=https://softwareengineeringdaily.com/2017/01/20/urbit-with-curtis-yarvin-and-galen-wolfe-pauly/|accessdate=21 June 2019}}</ref>{{primary source inline}} The design seeks to give users control over their own computing by fixing the underlying issues that cause existing services on the web to centralize, notably: spam, system administration complexity, and development complexity.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Alberico |first1=Zach |title=Tlon, Urbit, and Clawing Back Computing Freedom |url=https://martiancomputing.substack.com/p/tlon-urbit-computing-freedom |website=Martian Computing}}</ref>{{primary source inline}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yarvin |first1=Curtis |title=Urbit: functional programming from scratch |url=http://moronlab.blogspot.com/2010/01/urbit-functional-programming-from.html |website=moronlab |date=13 January 2010 |access-date=8 February 2023}}</ref>{{primary source inline}}<ref>{{cite podcast|host=Jeff Meyerson|title=Urbit with Curtis Yarvin and Galen Wolfe-Pauly|website=Software Engineering Daily|date=20 January 2017|time=8:55|url=https://softwareengineeringdaily.com/2017/01/20/urbit-with-curtis-yarvin-and-galen-wolfe-pauly/|accessdate=21 June 2019}}</ref>{{primary source inline}}


==Overview== ==Overview==
The Urbit platform was conceived of in 2002 by neo-reactionary blogger ].<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/21/14671978/alt-right-mencius-moldbug-urbit-curtis-yarvin-tlon|title=Alt-right darling Mencius Moldbug wanted to destroy democracy. Now he wants to sell you web services|last=Lecher|first=Colin|date=2017-02-21|website=The Verge|access-date=2019-06-14}}</ref>
⚫ The Urbit ] consists of a set of ]s ("Hoon," a high-level ] language, and "Nock," its low-level compiled language); a single-function ] built on those languages ("Arvo"); a runtime implementation of that operating system ("Vere"), public key infrastructure, built on the ] ] ("Azimuth"), for each instance of the operating system to participate in a decentralized network; and the decentralized network itself, an encrypted, peer-to-peer ].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://media.urbit.org/whitepaper.pdf|title=Urbit: A Solid-State Interpreter|last1=Yarvin|first1=Curtis|last2=Philip|first2=Monk|date=May 26, 2016|website=Tlon Corporation|access-date=June 13, 2019|last3=Dyudin|first3=Anton|last4=Pasco|first4=Raymond}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=May 2020}}


The Urbit platform was conceived of in 2002 by neo-reactionary blogger ].<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/21/14671978/alt-right-mencius-moldbug-urbit-curtis-yarvin-tlon|title=Alt-right darling Mencius Moldbug wanted to destroy democracy. Now he wants to sell you web services|last=Lecher|first=Colin|date=2017-02-21|website=The Verge|access-date=2019-06-14}}</ref> The company has received ] funding from various investors since its inception, most notably ], whose ], with ] firm ] invested $1.1 million in the Tlon Corporation to help build out Urbit further.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Live Work Work Work Die: A Journey into the Savage Heart of Silicon Valley|last=Pein|first=Corey|publisher=Metropolitan Books|year=2018|isbn=9781627794862|location=New York|chapter=Poor Winners}}</ref> The platform has been described as "complicated for even the most seasoned of functional programmers".<ref name=reason>{{cite web|author=Andrea O'Sullivan |url=https://reason.com/2016/06/21/can-urbit-transform-the-internet/ |title=Can Urbit Reboot Computing? – |publisher=Reason.com |date=2016-06-21 |accessdate=2020-05-06}}</ref> Tlon, the company founded by Yarvin to build Urbit, has received ] funding from various investors since its inception, most notably ], whose ], with ] firm ] invested $1.1 million.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Live Work Work Work Die: A Journey into the Savage Heart of Silicon Valley|last=Pein|first=Corey|publisher=Metropolitan Books|year=2018|isbn=9781627794862|location=New York|chapter=Poor Winners}}</ref> The Register described Urbit as having "reinvented some very ]-like technology."<ref>https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/29/non_c_operating_systems/</ref> The platform has been described as "complicated for even the most seasoned of functional programmers".<ref name=reason>{{cite web|author=Andrea O'Sullivan |url=https://reason.com/2016/06/21/can-urbit-transform-the-internet/ |title=Can Urbit Reboot Computing? – |publisher=Reason.com |date=2016-06-21 |accessdate=2020-05-06}}</ref>

⚫ The Urbit ] consists of a set of ]s ("Hoon," a high-level ] language, and "Nock," its low-level compiled language); a single-function ] built on those languages ("Arvo"); a runtime implementation of that operating system ("Vere"), public key infrastructure, built on the ] ] ("Azimuth"), for each instance of the operating system to participate in a decentralized network; and the decentralized network itself, an encrypted, peer-to-peer ].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://media.urbit.org/whitepaper.pdf|title=Urbit: A Solid-State Interpreter|last1=Yarvin|first1=Curtis|last2=Philip|first2=Monk|date=May 26, 2016|website=Tlon Corporation|access-date=June 13, 2019|last3=Dyudin|first3=Anton|last4=Pasco|first4=Raymond}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=May 2020}}


Urbit OS1 launched in April 2020. This consisted of a group ], a ], a note-taking system, and several simple apps such as a ] and a weather meter.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wolfe-Pauly |first1=Galen |title=Introducing OS 1 |url=https://urbit.org/blog/introducing-os1/ |website=Urbit Blog |accessdate=24 May 2020}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=May 2020}} Urbit OS1 launched in April 2020. This consisted of a group ], a ], a note-taking system, and several simple apps such as a ] and a weather meter.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wolfe-Pauly |first1=Galen |title=Introducing OS 1 |url=https://urbit.org/blog/introducing-os1/ |website=Urbit Blog |accessdate=24 May 2020}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=May 2020}}

Revision as of 15:38, 20 July 2023

Decentralized personal server platform
Urbit
Urbit tilde logo
Original author(s)Curtis Yarvin, Tlon Corporation
Developer(s)Community contributors, Tlon Corporation
Initial release2013
Stable release1.10 / 28 July 2022; 2 years ago (2022-07-28)
Repositorygithub.com/urbit/urbit
Written inHoon, Nock, C
Operating systemLinux, macOS, Windows
TypeDecentralized personal server platform.
LicenseMIT License
Websitewww.urbit.org

Urbit is a decentralized personal server platform based on functional programming. The platform seeks to deconstruct the client-server model in favor of a federated network of personal servers in a peer-to-peer network with a consistent digital identity for users.

The design seeks to give users control over their own computing by fixing the underlying issues that cause existing services on the web to centralize, notably: spam, system administration complexity, and development complexity.

Overview

The Urbit platform was conceived of in 2002 by neo-reactionary blogger Curtis Yarvin.

Tlon, the company founded by Yarvin to build Urbit, has received seed funding from various investors since its inception, most notably Peter Thiel, whose Founders Fund, with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz invested $1.1 million. The Register described Urbit as having "reinvented some very Lisp-like technology." The platform has been described as "complicated for even the most seasoned of functional programmers".

The Urbit software stack consists of a set of programming languages ("Hoon," a high-level functional programming language, and "Nock," its low-level compiled language); a single-function operating system built on those languages ("Arvo"); a runtime implementation of that operating system ("Vere"), public key infrastructure, built on the Ethereum blockchain ("Azimuth"), for each instance of the operating system to participate in a decentralized network; and the decentralized network itself, an encrypted, peer-to-peer protocol.

Urbit OS1 launched in April 2020. This consisted of a group messaging app, a message board, a note-taking system, and several simple apps such as a clock and a weather meter.

Politics and controversy

In 2015, Yarvin's invitation to the Strange Loop conference was rescinded; the conference organizer said Yarvin's "mere inclusion and/or presence would overshadow the content of his talk." In 2016 after Urbit founder Curtis Yarvin was invited to the functional programming conference LambdaConf, five speakers and three sponsors withdrew their participation due to their stated opposition to Yarvin's political views.

The source code and design sketches for the project alluded to some of Yarvin's views, including initially classifying users as "lords," "dukes," and "earls." Yarvin and Tlon rejected any ideological associations with the project. Andrea O'Sullivan of libertarian magazine Reason described Urbit as having a "libertarian ethos".

Yarvin departed Tlon in 2019. In a blog post about his departure, Yarvin said Urbit "is not designed as a political structure".

See also

References

  1. "Urbit: A Solid-State Interpreter" (PDF). urbit.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  2. "Urbit.org Overview". urbit.org. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  3. ^ Wolfe, Alexandra (2017). Valley of the Gods: A Silicon Valley Story. Simon and Schuster. pp. 219–222. ISBN 9781476778945.
  4. Alberico, Zach. "Tlon, Urbit, and Clawing Back Computing Freedom". Martian Computing.
  5. Yarvin, Curtis (13 January 2010). "Urbit: functional programming from scratch". moronlab. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  6. Jeff Meyerson (20 January 2017). "Urbit with Curtis Yarvin and Galen Wolfe-Pauly". Software Engineering Daily (Podcast). Event occurs at 8:55. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  7. ^ Lecher, Colin (2017-02-21). "Alt-right darling Mencius Moldbug wanted to destroy democracy. Now he wants to sell you web services". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  8. Pein, Corey (2018). "Poor Winners". Live Work Work Work Die: A Journey into the Savage Heart of Silicon Valley. New York: Metropolitan Books. ISBN 9781627794862.
  9. https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/29/non_c_operating_systems/
  10. ^ Andrea O'Sullivan (2016-06-21). "Can Urbit Reboot Computing? –". Reason.com. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  11. Yarvin, Curtis; Philip, Monk; Dyudin, Anton; Pasco, Raymond (May 26, 2016). "Urbit: A Solid-State Interpreter" (PDF). Tlon Corporation. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  12. Wolfe-Pauly, Galen. "Introducing OS 1". Urbit Blog. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  13. Auerbach, David (2015-06-10). "When All It Takes to Be Booted From a Tech Conference Is Being a "Distraction," We Have a Problem". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  14. Townsend, Tess (2016-03-31). "Controversy Rages Over 'Pro-Slavery' Tech Speaker Curtis Yarvin". Inc.com. Retrieved 2019-06-14.
  15. "A Founder's Farewell". Urbit.org. January 14, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.

External links

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