A Thread to a Thread

VFM Addict · 13 Apr 2011 at 01:36

I have an idea/concept that I do not have the time to do anything with. Therefore, I've been considering donating it to anyone who wants to run with it as a unique business idea.

Before I do that and start the donation thread I need to be certain that my understanding of a programming problem is correct. So folks give the following a few moments of thought and see if you can come up with an easy solution. I don't think there is one.

Here's the question - Can you think of a way to time-lock a data file such that it absolutely cannot be opened/accessed until a particular date?

I don't think a way exists because the date feed to it could always be faked or spoofed such as to allow access.

VFM Addict · 13 Apr 2011 at 17:36

OK, the consensus appears to be that it would or could be possible - but - that to do so one would need - (a) A fair degree of knowledge/programming skill - and - (b) It may be expensive to do.

Are we in agreement therefore that - There is no simple and inexpensive solution to this problem which could easily be accessed by literally any individual or any organisation, very, very inexpensively?

VFM Addict · 13 Apr 2011 at 23:24

NathanE said:
Can be done with PKI alone and a custom "NTP"-esque central server that only releases the private key (of which there is one per day, or whatever granularity you're wanting) if the current UTC has passed the "open after date" of the file.

You're thinking along my lines there Nathan. Provide a very simple drag and drop interfaced version of PGP but supply it only with a Public key.

By a very simple interface I mean something similar to dsCRYPT's interface, as simple as they come. See - http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Encrypting/dsCrypt.shtml

Any computer user could then drop any file onto it and it would produce an encrypted version of the file - but that file could obviously not be opened/accessed until the date that the Private Key was published.

The one difference to your thinking, Nathan, is that there would not be a general day key, so to speak. And user picks the 'disclosure' day they wish to set and is provided with their own unique Public Key for which the corresponding Private Key will be published on the disclosure date.

Damn simple. Time-locking of files for anyone no matter how skilled.

VFM Addict · 13 Apr 2011 at 23:46

Having knocked the basic technical concept/service around here, I'm now going to discuss it further in the companion thread - "The Web Entrepreneur Egg Race".

See - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=18891371&posted=1#post18891371

Thanks for your input chaps.

VFM Addict · 14 Apr 2011 at 22:16

HumbleCoder said:
With all due respect what a silly thing to write. Ideas are a penny a dozen, people have them all the time esp people in the tech/internet world. Ideas are, pretty much, worthless. What matters is execution and executing well, lots of people have the same idea independently but to be an RSA, Facebook, Google et al it's all about execution.

That type of sentiment really winds me at work, someone actually said to me recently, I have 3 or 4 good ideas for iPhone apps but I won't tell you in case you steal them. Get. Over. Yourself.

(Sorry if that was a bit ranty, I didn't mean any disrespect )

Don't follow you there :confused:

Surely I was actually in agreement with you there. I basically I have a concept that I don't have the time to do justice to. I'm not looking to sell it. Just to (note I said) donate it to those who do have the time to execute it properly.

I can't see that we differ one bit on this one. If you read the other thread you will see I've given quite a bit of thought to the execution and am not trying to sell that either. It a free donation. Again we appear in agreement.

Where we do differ a bit (although not the case here) is that ideas are not worthless provided that you know how to sell them even un-executed. I've closed many a deal in my life using just the idea or concept alone and then had to go away and decide how best to execute it. Plus even in my retirement I've sold a couple of ideas just as such (i.e. bare ideas). Although I do agree that an idea has to be staggeringly original and faultlessly robust before you can sell it unpackaged. For the record, my other half has done the same before now. She has sold several concepts for advertising campaigns without even knowing the specific product they would be used for. You'd be surprised how many people in creative industries struggle to come up with new ideas and will often buy original ideas in the raw.