Thank you very much for the clarification!    It wasn't totally clear to me whether it was the beginning or end from the original post. 

Just want to make sure I've followed every step to the letter before I send anything.

Thanks again. 

Hi xyz,

In response to your questions:

1. It is my personal belief that going forward, we should do things the "democratic way" in order to encourage members participation, spur discussions, and foster a stronger sense of community.  Since both me and Skerberus had already come out and stated publicly that the team would respect the community's decision, I feel it would be inappropriate for any member of the dev team to make their position known at this point (as not to influence other members' thinking).

If you feel strongly about something, or if you really want something get done so badly, you can certainly lobby for votes and support.    Feel free to use this thread as the forum to sway public opinion and solicit votes.  

I'd just like to say that, personally, I really enjoy the discussion that has taken place in the past couple days. I find it both enlightening and refreshing. I think we should do it more often.  

2. If anyone feels that there's any Qora-related issue we should discuss or even put to vote, feel free to set up a poll and state your case in this thread.    Or if you like, you can let me know, and I'll make an announcement or even write up a beautiful post for you.  

3. Both CIYAM and vbcs are valuable members of Qora community, and they'll definitely continue to be members of Team Qora.  I've been in contact with CIYAM, and he had shared some of his visions for Qora with me.  One thing I can say for certain is this: there's definitely some exciting development going on, and great things are coming!    

Okay, that's all I want to say for now~

Yes! I agree wholeheartedly! 

In my humble opinion, fostering an environment where debate and dialog can take place is an important part of community-building process.

As a community, we should strive to become a democracy where all sides' arguments can be presented and heard. We should become more tolerant and encourage more members to speak their minds and present their views and arguments. Juding from all the debates and disucssions going on in the past couple days, I'd say we're going the right way.  

Personally, I'm very appreciative of everyone's input, regardless of whether I agree with the argument put forth or not. From what I see, jwinterm has been very civil in presenting his view. So I, for one, definitely welcome his participation in our discussion and his decision to take part in our community.  

Having said that, I think having a moderated thread will be considered against the spirit of a community project such as Qora. My personal preference is to keep things the way they are right now.

Thank you!

Hi, everyone!  I have the following announcements to make:

1. ca333, the security expert from Switzerland, will join Qora dev team as a security consultant/core contributor. He had provided code contributions and performed security audits for Qora in the past.  After joining the dev team, he will support Qora development by providing critical security analysis/bug fixes and much needed consultation.

He has my full support and trust, and I have full confidence in his expertise and ability to provide critical analysis.  To get an idea of what kind of work ca333 had been doing in the past, feel free to check out his BTT profile.

2. vbcs and CIYAM will continue to be a part of our Qora dev team.  Everything is cool. Please relax.  

So, everyone, let's get back on track and continue with the development!    Skerberus is currently working on bug fixes in 0.26.  I'll let him make an announcement when it's ready for release.  

Guys,

As Nxtblg has already stated, "going mainstream" and "getting mainstream recognition" are the keywords here. It's my personal belief that we're at a stage of development when "not joining the big players means we'll be left behind and late to the game."

As for all the copyright, future-of-development issues, I'm leaning towards what jwinterm has said: all those talks of Microsoft taking control of Qora is a non-issue and not credible. If Microsoft really wants to "steal" Qora technologies (think of all those Linux clones), they can simply create a derivative coin based on Qora (Qora clone) and start from scratch. If big-name Cryptos like Ethereum, Ripple, Bitshare, and Monero have all decided to join, why shouldn't we?   We'd want to be on the same level playing field, aren't we?

Ask yourself this: Do we have a larger user base than those coins or a larger market cap? The answer is definitely NO.   That's why we want to take advantage of Microsoft's intiative and reach a wider audience that we will otherwise not be able to reach as a small-time Crypto project. That's how we take Qora to the next level: we need the publicity and free press that come with being certified.

So far, I haven't seen any concrete evidence that would suggest Microsoft's aim is to entrap, take control, and direct future development of any Crypto project. I personally believe that their main goal is to jumpstart their "BlockChain Marketplace" and become the market leader in Blockchain-related technologies.

In this case, we should go with the "flow" rather than fight the "trend."

This is my opinion on this matter. Thank you!

To Qora Community: I'd highly encourage everyone to read today's news article "Microsoft, Major Banks Strike Blockchain Deal" featured on CNBC, a major US-based news outlet:

In case you haven't read today's news, Ethereum and Ripple were featured in a news article on CNBC (a major news outlet in the USA) because they were part of MS Azure BaaS program. The news article was featured on the front page of the CNBC for most of the day.

You can read about the news report here:

Microsoft, Major Banks Strike Blockchain Deal
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/04/microsoft-major-banks-strike-blockchain-deal.html

Please pay attention to the last paragraph:


As I mentioned in my post, we will be able to reach major corporations, banks, and other institutional players by getting on Azure. Also, by getting on Azure, we will have a lot more chance to get picked up by major news outlets like CNBC and get the press time and recognition we deserve.

Having said that, I recognize this is a decision that must be made by the entire community because this move will affect the value of all your investment. Therefore, I'd like to take this opportunity and urge everyone to withdraw your Qora from the exchanges and participate in the vote.

You can participate in the poll by casting your vote via the decentralized voting system in Qora client (Voting tab), and you can monitor the progress of the poll here: http://qora.co.in:9090/index/blockexplorer.html?poll=%20do%20you%20want%20qora%20to%20join%20microsoft%20azure%20baas%3F

As mentioned previously, the poll will run for 2 weeks and close on 15th of April. You, as a Qora holder, now have a chance to direct the destiny of Qora, so please vote confidently. Happy voting, everyone!

In case anyone wishes to monitor the progress of "Azure poll", you can find the poll here: http://qora.co.in:9090/index/blockexplorer.html?poll=%20do%20you%20want%20qora%20to%20join%20microsoft%20azure%20baas%3F

As it currently stands, it's 70.76% vs 29.24% in favor of signing on to the Azure BaaS program.

As it's a community decision that will affect Qora's future, I'd urge every stakeholder to withdraw your qora from the exchanges and participate in the vote.  

Thanks everyone for your participation.  

Thank you so much for the chat transcript and explanation!  Having talked with a few people who are familiar with Ethereum and Factom's Azure situation, I would agree the whole deal with copyright has been overblown. I'd also say that I would trust Ethereum devs' evaluation more than NEM at this point.

Important Announcement: Poll created for Qora's Potential Involvement in Microsoft Azure BaaS Program

Please be advised that a poll has been created by Skerberus in regard to Qora's involvement in Microsoft's Azure Blockchain As a Service Program (BaaS).  This will most likely affect the value of your investment, so we'd highly encourage the whole community to participate!  The outcome of this poll will decide whether we will apply to join the program or not.

Azure Poll (You can access the decentralized voting system inside your Qora client by going to the Voting tab): http://qora.co.in:9090/index/blockexplorer.html?poll=%20do%20you%20want%20qora%20to%20join%20microsoft%20azure%20baas%3F

In a nutshell, MS Azure BaaS platform is the cloud computing/deployment platform designed specifically for blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) purpose. By deploying the blockchain on Azure, it would be easier for potential developers and companies to interact and experiment with the blockchain, and create custom apps on top of the platform using existing MS technologies.
 
PROs:

1. By joining the program, we will be able to reach institutions and enterprises (banks, accounting firms.. etc) who otherwise will not be interested in learning and working with Qora.  In other words, we will be able to reach audience outside of current Crypto community.

2. Microsoft will soon offer "Azure Blockchain Marketplace" with rigorous certification process (security vetting conducted by Microsoft). This is the kind of recognition we need.

3. Azure has tools that'll make building/deploying new Blockchain technologies much easier: check out https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/devtest-lab/

4. Developers with no previous exposure to Crytocurrency and Blockchain Technologies will be able to interact/experiment with Qora utilizing existing Microsoft Technologies.

5. Big-name coins like Ethereum are already on it.

CONs:

1. Because of copyright and patent agreements that must be signed as part of the application process, NO Clones of qora or any derivative works based on Qora can be made.  For those of you who wish to be part of CIYAM's new Blockchain, you will be disppointed.  

2. A licensing contract that involves patent and distribution rights has to be signed before being accepted into the program. 

3. The contract cannot be annulled once joined.  


---------------------------------------------------

The Poll will run for 2 weeks and close on April 15th.  Feel free to add to my list of Pros and Cons as you see fit. Happy Voting!  

Don't get your hopes up because it's a long-shot.    I was just hoping that (original) Qora dev would somehow provide consultation and offer advice to the dev team since he's the most valuable asset there is.    He's an extremely busy man, and I am not so sure he would agree to make code contribution in any form.  In case you haven't read this, this is original Qora dev's code repository: https://github.com/razakal/Qora

yes! I am sure you will love the new guy! I don't want to say anything yet because I want to get more profile information (stuffs he had worked in the past.. credential.. etc) before I release anything.  Stay tuned!  

Funny you mentioned the original dev.   He has been online and checking his PMs in the past couple days.  I was hoping to get in touch with him and convince him to come back as a consultant.  However, the developer I was referring to was not the original Qora dev.  

That developer is very enthusiastic about Qora and has agreed to join Qora's dev team.  I just wanted to send words to all involved parties and notified everyone before formally announcing his involvement.  I believe his joining is critical to the success of this project, and is absolutely necessary if we want to take this project to the next level.

 

Good news! Qora is about to have a new developer joining the dev team (someone who has been contributing to qora code base and providing important consultation in the past).  I'm going to confirm all the details before making an announcement. 

Ciao!

The good thing about Qora is that everything is stored on Blockchain, so nothing will ever be lost, and no backup is needed. As vbcs has already mentioned, all you need is the "seed" and the "password" that go along with it, then you will be able to recover all your wallets & accounts on any computer/device you wish.  

PS: You can do an experiment yourself, on a 2nd computer, download the qora client, enter your seed, and enter the number of wallets you had created (all your wallets with funds in them), let the client sync... as soon as it finishes syncing, all your funds should be available for your use.  

Sorry! I forgot you were the one doing the Qora web wallet. My apology!    Great work with the web wallet, by the way.

Skerberus, I've been talking to some of the Qora members in private, and I think we're kind of split on this.  Some people really want Microsoft Azure BaaS.  After hearing two sides' opinions, I am kind of undecided at this point.  I feel both sides have their merits.

Also, ask yourself this question: If it's so bad, why would coins like Athereum, Rapple, Factom.. etc signed up for it???  Weren't they be worried about giving their proprietary software away to Microsoft?   Do you see what I'm getting at?  Obviously they aren't overtly concerned, so maybe the advantages outweighs the disadvantages.

I feel we need to let the qora community vote on it because it affects the investors' interest.  Would you do the honor and create a poll on the Qora client?

Let's vote on it and see where we stand!  

Lol.. very, very, good point!    I understand what you're getting at... they're basically saying "Accepting our offer now.. or we will come up with a competing product, and then we will CRUSH you!"    Microsoft is still evil and ruthless after so many years.   I just re-read their licensing agreement, and it clearly stated that they will own the rights to all "derivative works."  So I guess basically, by signing such contract, other people will NOT be able to clone Qora, or they will risk having Microsoft going after them.  

Having said that, I think we should focus on the root of the question: Let's just say we sign off the rights and don't care..  Does "getting Qora on Azure" really offer Qora the kind of benefits and advantages that we desire? There are only 3-4 benefits/advantages I can think of:

1. Getting a very large "Certified By Microsoft" label for Qora after we got vetted and accepted in the program.  

2. Getting to use Azure cloud platform for free.

3. Attracting certain "Enterprise" or high-profile customers who are already familiar with MS technologies (with no previous exposure to crypto) to incorporate Qora in their product.  

4. Getting known by the wider, non-Crypto tech community.  Introducing people who are not already familiar with Crypto to Qora technologies.

I am not sure if all this effort will lead to wider adoption or not, so it's a gamble.

However, we must also keep in mind, to my knowledge, there are at least 6 Cryptos already being accepted into the program: Ethereum, Factom, Bitshare, Syscoin, Rapple.. etc So it is in NO way an exclusive club.

Therefore, I highly doubt that it will offer the same prestige as before when only one or two cryptos was in the program.  

Thanks for the input, guys.    Appreciate it.

In a nutshell, MS Azure BaaS platform is the cloud computing/deployment platform designed specifically for blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) purpose. By deploying the blockchain on Azure, it would be easier for potential developers and companies to interact and experiment with the blockchain, and create custom apps on top of the platform using existing MS technologies.
 
Initially, we were thinking that since all the blockchain providers (such as Qora) who wish to sign up for the program will need to undergo certain "security vetting" conducted by Microsoft, it would act as some sort of certification, and we thought going with it might add  "clout" or "prestige" to a cryptocurrency project like Qora that is accepted into the program. Plus, they always make announcement when they accept a new Blockchain partner, so as a partner, we will receive some free press and recognition from Microsoft as well as the tech community.

Now after reading Microsoft's Licensing Agreement, I am not so sure about it anymore.. It sounds pretty bad: http://windowsazure.github.io/docs/Contribution%20License%20Agreement.pdf



To be honest, I am not so sure of the ramifications of signing such contract (albeit non-exclusive). But after read this blog post: http://bitcoinist.net/microsoft-bullies-open-source-is-the-blockchain-their-next-target/, I am getting a little wary of signing such licensing contract...  Perpetual... worldwide.. royalty-free?    I know we're an open-source project.. But wording like this (irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual) really makes me suspicious of Microsoft's motives. 

I am not a lawyer so I cannot say for certain how dangerous this contract is.. But I have to admit I'm getting worried..

Need to make sure you're on the right chain.    Try restarting your qora client and let it sync again.  If that still does not work, download the data from agran's data folder (replace the chain on your computer):

http://qora.co.in/?datafolder

And try re-sync the client again.. Hope that helps  

A Small Update and Announcement

Some of the Qora Devs members had a discussion concerning Microsoft Azure Baas Platform, and we've agreed to explore that option after the release of V.0.26.  One of the devs will be contacting Microsoft and see how we can cooperate in order to deploy Qora Blockchain on the Microsoft Azure Cloud and join the Microsoft Azure Blockchain Baas Program. *See Update*

We believe by signing on to the Microsoft Azure program, it will add "prestige" and "legitimacy" to Qora Development.  The recognition alone will be worth the effort.  

I'd like to hear what you guys think.

Feel free to voice your opinion in this thread. Thank you!  

PS: Everything discussed in relation to Azure BaaS should be considered "tentative." The reason I posted this now is to throw this idea out here, so we can discuss the Pros and Cons as a community. Thank you.

Update: We're currently debating whether Qora should be on MS Azure's BaaS blockchain service or not, and we welcome all inputs/suggestions from the community.