lightning-dev

Lightning Address in a Bolt 12 world

Lightning Address in a Bolt 12 world

Original Postby Andy Schroder

Posted on: November 20, 2023 14:56 UTC

The recent correspondence delves into the intricacies of user experience and technical specifications regarding DNS record handling and the implementation of scaling features.

There is an acknowledgment that users have the option to employ either of two methods with respect to DNS record usage, highlighting the flexibility in choosing a method based on individual needs. However, there is a recommendation for clients to verify the expiration of offers against DNS record expirations. It's suggested that if an offer expires before its corresponding DNS record does, clients should proactively request a new record to avoid potential discrepancies.

A point of consideration is raised about the uniqueness of records within the DNS specification. The current understanding is that while DNS typically allows multiple records for redundancy, the specification in question might benefit from explicitly prohibiting duplicates to prevent unnecessary complexity and potential latency issues associated with TCP fallbacks. This introduces a tradeoff between redundancy and performance, given that a surplus of records could force a switch from UDP to TCP, thereby increasing latency.

Furthermore, the discussion touches upon the utilization of subdomains as a scaling solution. While this approach can be technically viable, concerns are expressed regarding user experience; specifically, the potential confusion caused by lengthy and complex addresses. The consensus appears to lean towards keeping such scaling mechanisms transparent to end-users to maintain simplicity and usability.

Another aspect covered is the feasibility of allowing different users to establish distinct blinded paths. This would not only contribute to scalability but also facilitate scenarios where multiple users wish to share a domain while operating separate nodes. Instead of employing a sophisticated messaging system to handle such configurations, a simpler solution is proposed where users manually set multiple records and run nodes without the need for advanced functionality.

In conclusion, these points of discussion reflect ongoing efforts to balance the technical requirements of DNS record management and offer handling with the priority of providing a seamless and straightforward user experience. It’s evident that maintaining clarity and simplicity for the end-user, while ensuring robustness and efficiency behind the scenes, is a core objective in the evolution of these specifications.