Summary
This pRFP calls for building a pinning software for IPFS .eth websites.
A subsequent RFP for operating a community service based on this software will follow upon the completion of this one.
The motivation is that IPFS .eth websites need to be pinned in order to be accessible. It seems that most IPFS .eth websites use commercial centralized pinning services. This dependence on centralized services prevents the .eth web from being independent, decentralized, and autonomous.
With the software described in this pRFP in place, anyone from the community could easily participate in the pinning of the .eth web. It will also enable the DAO to support community services for pinning the .eth web.
This will drive the adoption of .eth websites by making them more stable and reliable for visitors, while easier for builders to maintain .eth websites for the long term.
See also: temp check by @gregskril for this idea.
Background
Most .eth websites have their content served by IPFS. For the content of these .eth websites to be available, at least one node needs to save the content and be always online to share it in IPFS network. In IPFS terms we say that âthe node pins the contentâ.
For a .eth website to be accessible, at least one node needs to pin its content.
The problem
Currently, most people and projects use commercial pinning services to pin their .eth websites, such as Pinata or web3.storage. This is observed in the .eth SG calls, the discussions in Esteroids .eth websites Discord, and in the list of educational resources for building .eth websites. While it is possible to pin your own website, it is quite a challenging, and expensive, thing to do with the current state of go-ipfs software.
Greg, the teams simple.eth and Nimi, and half a dozen other people have voiced this to be a problem in a couple of .eth websites SG calls in May.
This dependency on commercial services is risky not only from the point of view of endangering the decentralized nature of the .eth web but also from the point of view of endangering websitesâ âlongevityâ, in the sense that websites may disappear in the long term since the commercial entities pinning it will no longer exist. This damages the user experience and reputation of .eth websites visitors since often older websites are not available anymore.
The solution
To solve this problem we propose a pRFP for an IPFS .eth websites pinning software.
This software will automatically react upon the creation or modification of a .eth website on the blockchain and will pin the new website automatically. The software should be easy to install and configure on a server and enable anyone who wants to participate in the pinning of the .eth web.
To offer a complete solution, this RFP will follow later on by a subsequent one, calling for the operation of public goods services based on the .eth websites pinning software.
The outcome
As a result of this and the subsequent RFP, the .eth web will be more decentralized, stable, and robust. These results will drive the adoption of .eth websites for several reasons:
- It provides a better user experience since websites will be more accessible.
- For the same reason it will improve the reputation of the .eth web, making it known as the most decentralized, autonomous, and stable web existing.
- It makes it easier to build websites since builders will not have to worry about long-term pinning.
The advantages enabled by a .eth website pinning software are in the interest of ENS DAO as they supply a stable foundation for the .eth web, and demonstrate how the DAO supports it.
Scope of Work
A proposal should include the following elements.
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An IPFS .eth websites pinning software. The IPFS .eth website pinning software will work as follows. It will monitor
ContenthashChanged
events of ENS Resolvers on the Ethereum blockchain. Once a new IPFS contenthash is set, the software will fetch the content corresponding to this contenthash and will pin it. -
A docker container for this software. This lower the barrier for people to participate in the pinning.
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Installation and operation instructions for the service.
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A service report generator. The software will have a feature to generate reports about the functionality of the server, with data such as how CIDs are pinned, uptime, and so on.
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A pin checker .eth website. On this website, users could enter a .eth name, and the website will show which IPFS CID, if any, is set to them, and which of the services the website knows of pins them.
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An uptime monitor. The monitor should be in the spirit of the IPFS gateway monitor.
Selection Criteria for a Vendor
The Ecosystem Working Group will field proposals from members of the public and ENS DAO members.
The Ecosystem Working Group will review the submissions, and the applicant will be selected based on the deliverables outlined below.
The final selection and the award of this RFP will be made by the ENS Ecosystem Working Group.
Award Strategy
The Ecosystem Working Group will pay the selected applicant. Each proposal should include a clear list of deliveries for the Ecosystem Working group to check upon the completion of work.
A prepay of 30% will be given up-front, with the rest given upon the completion of the work.
Estimated Budget
50,000 - 100,000 USDC
Does the ecosystem Working Group see value in this proposal? @slobo.eth .