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diff --git a/developers.html b/developers.html index 840b5cda..618472f4 100644 --- a/developers.html +++ b/developers.html @@ -174,7 +174,106 @@ <a href="http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/taler">http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/taler</a>.</p> </div> </div> - + <div class="col-lg-12"> + <h2 lang="en" id="overview">Taler system overview</h1> + <h2 lang="de">Das Taler-System im Überblick</h1> + <h2 lang="fr" note="outdated"></h2> + <h2 lang="it" note="outdated"></h2> + <p lang="en">The Taler system consists of protocols and free software + implementations between a number of actors as illustrated in the + illustration on the right. Typical transactions involve the following steps: + </p> + <p lang="de" note="outdated"></p> + <p lang="fr" note="outdated"></p> + <p lang="it" note="outdated"></p> + <p> + <img src="images/system.svg" alt="system overview" style="float: right; margin: 50px 5px 5px 5px;" width="50%"> + <ol> + <li lang="en">A customer instructs his <b>bank</b> to transfer funds + from his account to the Taler mint (top left). In the subject of + the transaction, he includes an authentication token from his + electronic <b>wallet</b>. In Taler terminology, the customer + creates a reserve at the mint.</li> + <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="en">Once the mint has received the transfer, it allows the + customer's electronic wallet to <b>withdraw</b> electronic coins. + The electronic coins are digital representations of the original + transfer. It is important to note that the mint does not learn + the "serial numbers" of the coins in this process, so it cannot + tell later which customer purchased what at which merchant. + The use of Taler does not change the currency or the + total value of the funds (except for fees which the mint may + charge for the service).</li> + <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="en">Once the customer has the digital coins in his wallet, + the wallet can be used to <b>spend</b> the coins with merchant + portals that support the Taler + payment system and accept the respective mint as a business + partner (bottom arrow). This creates a digital contract signed + by the customer's coins and the merchant. Assuming courts accept + cryptographic signatures, the customer can later use this digitally + signed contract in a court of law to prove the exact terms of + the contract and that he paid the respective amount. The customer + does not learn the banking details of the merchant, and Taler + does not require the merchant to learn the identity of the + customer. Naturally, the customer can spend any fraction of his + digital coins (the system takes care of customers getting + change).</li> + <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="en">Merchants receiving digital coins <b>deposits</b> + the respective receipts that resulted from the contract signing + with the customer at the mint to redeem the coins. + The deposit step does not reveal the learn the details of the + contract between the customer and the merchant or the identity + of the customer to the mint in any way. However, the mint + does learn the identity of the merchant via the provided bank + routing information. The merchant can, for example when + compelled by the state for taxation, provide information linking + the individual deposit to the respective contract signed by the + customer. Thus, the mint's database allows the state to enforce + that merchants pay applicable taxes (and do not engage in + illegal contracts).</li> + <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="en">Finally, the mint transfers funds corresponding to + the digital coins redeemed by the merchants to the merchant's + <b>bank</b> account. The mint may combine multiple small + transactions into one larger bank transfer. + The merchant can query the mint + about the relationship between the bank transfers and the + individual claims that were deposited.</li> + <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="en">Most importantly, the mint keeps cryptographic + proofs that allow it to demonstrate that it is operating + correctly to third parties. The system requires an external + <b>auditor</b>, such as a government-appointed financial regulatory + body, to frequently verify the mint's databases and check that + its bank balance matches the total value of the remaining coins + in circulation.</li> + <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="en">Without the auditor, the mint operators could + steal funds they are holding in reserve. Customers and merchants + cannot cheat each other or the mint. If any party's computers + are compromised, the financial damage is limited to the + respective party and proportional to the funds they + have in circulation during the period of the compromise.</li> + <li lang="de" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="fr" note="outdated"></li> + <li lang="it" note="outdated"></li> + </ol> + </p> + </div> <!--# include file="common/footer.inc" --> </div> <!-- /container --> </body> |